Firmware update with OCLP

[davidlv]

On my iMac 15,1 from late 2014, running Ventura and OCLP, I noticed there was a firmware update notification running SilentKnight. It seems that installing the latest OS supported natively will update the firmware. The iMac can run Big Sur as it is supported so I installed Big Sur on an internal HD and it did do that firmware update.
Now on an older MBP, from 2011 model 8,2, what is the story there? The firmware update is only included with Big Sur, not High Sierra, the latest OS supported on that old MBP, but the 8,2 model must use OCLP to run Big Sur.
The iMac didn't get the firmware update (which is also included with Ventura) when the latest Ventura 13.3 was installed with OCLP running.
Any ideas?

 

[okkibs]

It seems that installing the latest OS supported natively will update the firmware.

Only when installing it as an upgrade, if you do a fresh install of the latest os the firmware might be skipped. Macbooks should be plugged into power. So what definitely upgrades the firmware is installing the MacOS that's one older than the last supported one, and once that is installed you upgrade to the latest installed OS via the app store from within the booted OS. That should then upgrade the firmware.

(This only applies to Intel Macs.)

The firmware update is only included with Big Sur, not High Sierra, the latest OS supported on that old MBP

There won't be any new firmware in a newer MacOS for a device that isn't officially supported to run that version in the first place.

 

[avz]

The iMac can run Big Sur as it is supported so I installed Big Sur on an internal HD and it did do that firmware update.

You will have to mount your EFI first and delete OC stuff and do an NVRAM reset. After this you can do a fresh install of the macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and it will update your firmware.
Doing an NVRAM reset is important as OC stores some "flags" in a memory that prevents firmware update from happening. So even if you run the OC from the external USB flash drive and did not install it on your internal drive you will still have to do NVRAM reset before the firmware update could take place.

 

[davidlv]

You will have to mount your EFI first and delete OC stuff and do an NVRAM reset. After this you can do a fresh install of the macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and it will update your firmware.
Doing an NVRAM reset is important as OC stores some "flags" in a memory that prevents firmware update from happening. So even if you run the OC from the external USB flash drive and did not install it on your internal drive you will still have to do NVRAM reset before the firmware update could take place.

Your explanation sounds good, but it doesn't fit my actual experience with the iMac 15,1 from late 2014. I installed Big Sur to the internal 1TB Seagate HDD (originally part of a fusion drive) while Ventura was installed on the Apple 128GB internal SSD. I did not delete the contents of the EFI partition on the SSD, nor did I do a NVRAMM reset. However, afte the Big Sur install via a USB memory stick made in Terminal, the firmware was updated.
However, the whole intent of my post was not related to the iMac, but rather the old 2011 MBP 8,2, which I have already given away to a close friend, who will use it as a backup computer just in case his main machine gets "hospitalized". Since that computer was running Big Sur 11.7.4 via OCLP 0.6.2, I was wondering if that firmware update would be an issue. It seems my friend has run the update to 11.7.5 OTA and then did the post install root patches, both without incident, but I haven't heard anything about the firmware yet. I don't think he has run SilentKnight on it yet. So I don't know what the firmware is now after the update. I suspect it did not get updated, as in your post.

 

[avz]

I did not delete the contents of the EFI partition on the SSD, nor did I do a NVRAMM reset. However, afte the Big Sur install via a USB memory stick made in Terminal, the firmware was updated.

This is goes against the OC documentation. And if you are not confusing or missing something out deserves a major headlines in all serious newspapers. Installing via USB stick made in the Terminal or any other official install method has no bearing on how firmware update is done. OC will always interfere with it if present.

With regards to the old machine as long as your friend does not mess with the OC settings that he does not understand he will be fine. Otherwise it is possible to brick the EFI chip that will prevent the machine from booting at all.