High Sierra direct download trouble! Help needed

[serr]

The goal is to make a USB installer that includes the update to 13.6 and the two big firmware updates.

I'm aware of the partial installer app download issue.
These instructions worked previously from a 10.12 system:
https://7labs.io/tips-tricks/macos-high-sierra-direct-download.html

Today... I can't get the local HTTP server part to work on a 10.12.3 system!
If I do just that part on my 10.13.6 (or 10.13.4) system, the local HTTP server part works as expected. I can download those files from a directory on my Desktop per those instructions.
Doing the exact same thing on the 10.12.3 system gives me: code 404, message File not found

Was there a change in the terminal commands from 10.12 to 10.13?
Do I need to update 10.12.3 to a newer 10.13 build for this to work?

Of course I can't use the 10.13 system to download the 10.13 installer! Apple omits the download option "for my convenience" since it's already installed...

I know I used a 10.12 system to make the 10.13.4 USB installer. I can't remember what build revision though now and I no longer have that same install. It's acting broken as described from 10.12.3.
I'm pretty confident I've ruled out typos in the file paths. Literally cutting/pasting from the same notes - and again, this part works on the 10.13.6 system.

Can anyone give a sanity check here?

 

[jbarley]

Try this link...direct line into the Apple App store. (courtesy of another member)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

 

[serr]

Hi jbarley,

Sorry, the issue isn't not being able to find it in the App Store. (The App Store will not show you a download link if you are already running 10.13 as mentioned.)

The issue is trying to get the temporary HTTP server running in 10.12 (to allow the App Store to stitch together the separately downloaded packages into a valid signed .app installer). It just works as noted on a 10.13.6 system.

The only thing I haven't followed through with yet is updating this clean install of 10.12.3 to 10.12.6 to see if the Terminal commands (see above) work in that version.

I have all the other pieces. I have the packages for 10.13.6 downloaded already. I just need to make the temporary HTTP server command work as described in the instructions linked above.

Or... If someone knows a way to spoof the App Store into thinking 10.13 has NOT been installed on a 10.13.6 machine so that the App Store reveals the download link. (This is likely the harder workaround though.)

If someone could hold my hand with HTTP server instructions that run on a 10.12.3 system (or tell me that an update - like 12.6 - is needed) that would be great.

Thanks!

 

[jbarley]

Good luck, all this stitching and HTTP server stuff is foreign to me, not something I've ever needed to keep my many Macs purring right along.

 

[serr]

Good luck, all this stitching and HTTP server stuff is foreign to me, not something I've ever needed to keep my many Macs purring right along.

Yeah, it's unique to the 10.13 installer. Apple made you jump through hoops for this one. I was able to follow the above guide to create a 10.13.4 USB installer. Wanted to update that to the full 10.13.6 installer to catch both firmware updates without needing to manually do the .4 to .6 update. I just never thought I'd need to save that 10.12.(whatever it was) system I used to do that! FFS Apple... (I should know better than to throw ANYTHING away, yes I should!)

I suppose I'll need to update to 12.6 or something and/or keep poking until I stumble across the working combination. FFS Apple...

At least they undid that bs for the 10.14 installer download!

Some of their pro generation of machines will be needing 10.13 and it will be the last OSX compatible or reasonable. Kind of want to make that self contained for the day that Apple forgets they ever wrote it and takes the files down. Said pro generation of machines are going to well outlast the new disposable garbage they produce today. But I digress...

 

[jbarley]

I still don't understand why you're determined to do this the hard way, why not just download the 10.13.6 installer in the link I posted?
I must be missing something that you want to achieve.

 

[chrfr]

Yeah, it's unique to the 10.13 installer. Apple made you jump through hoops for this one. I was able to follow the above guide to create a 10.13.4 USB installer. Wanted to update that to the full 10.13.6 installer to catch both firmware updates without needing to manually do the .4 to .6 update. I just never thought I'd need to save that 10.12.(whatever it was) system I used to do that! FFS Apple... (I should know better than to throw ANYTHING away, yes I should!)

I suppose I'll need to update to 12.6 or something and/or keep poking until I stumble across the working combination. FFS Apple...

At least they undid that bs for the 10.14 installer download!

Some of their pro generation of machines will be needing 10.13 and it will be the last OSX compatible or reasonable. Kind of want to make that self contained for the day that Apple forgets they ever wrote it and takes the files down. Said pro generation of machines are going to well outlast the new disposable garbage they produce today. But I digress...

Just use this script if the link to the App Store doesn't get you a full installer: https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

 

[serr]

Jeeze, what's the heck is all that in that script!? Hmmm...

Heh, I ended up doing the edited hosts file workaround with a 10.14 install.

So I have a happy USB flash drive with the combined 10.13.6 installer that includes the last 2 firmware updates.
(This is why I needed to do this the "hard way" jbarley. I wanted a USB installer for multiple machines. It's true that simply clicking on the update in the App Store will update your machine.)

So the new 10.14 turned out to be useful after all! Even if it turned out to be a bug riddled pile of garbage that's just glaringly laggy and slow with many services not working on fully supported machines. But that's another story.

I should probably figure out what the pre 10.13 HTTP server commands are though anyway...
Making a backup for the backup of the backup's backups of this installer though!

So anyway, happy happy joy joy, happy happy joy joy... and all that!