If apple swaps out my 2018 mini-what os will it have? Mojave or Catalina?

[user_xyz]

Hi,

Apple may have to swap out my 2018 mini with Mojave on it.
Will the replacement come with Mojave? (I can't use Catalina)

Thanks

 

[opeter]

I think it will be Catalina, but you can downgrade to Mojave.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

If the mini ships with Catalina, then Catalina is the earliest officially supported version for that specific Mini. You "Can" install Mojave on it, but Apple won't help you do it. "The version of macOS that came with your Mac is the earliest version compatible with that Mac"

 

[Fishrrman]

Which version?
You'll find out when you get it and open the box.

Having said that, if it's Catalina -- but you want Mojave instead -- it IS possible to install it, but first you have to:
- Create an account in Catalina, then reboot to recovery partition, then DISABLE "Startup Security".
- Then, reboot to a special version of internet recovery using "shift option command R", which should enable you to install Mojave instead of Catalina
- Open Disk Utility, go to view menu, choose "show all devices"
- Select the TOP line (represents physical drive) and ERASE it to APFS, GUID partition map.
- Now open the OS installer and install Mojave
- When setup begins, have AN EXTERNAL BACKUP ready to connect and migrate your data over.

 

[getrealbro]

As Fishrrman posted…
“Having said that, if it's Catalina -- but you want Mojave instead -- it IS possible to install it, but first you have to:
- Create an account in Catalina, then reboot to recovery partition, then DISABLE "Startup Security”….”

But what you do next depends on your backups, whether you have recent clone of your boot partition and/or a bootable USB Stick with Mojave on it, etc.

FWIW I always keep a 16-32GB Bootable USB Stick with the current macOS I’m running. It makes recovery from unexpected glitches much easier. Here’s how to make one for Mojave…

Can I buy a new Mac mini and install Mojave on it?

Today I did a fresh install of Mojave 10.14.6 on a 16GB or larger USB stick using my 2014 Mini. Step 1 - Formatted the USB Stick with a GUID Partition map and an AFPS container. Step 2 - Downloaded Mojave 10.14.6 using my 2014 Mini via the following link...

forums.macrumors.com

GetRealBro

 

[Erehy Dobon]

.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

...reboot to a special version of internet recovery using "shift option command R", which should enable you to install Mojave instead of Catalina

But, it won't. Per Apple's support article (and testing), Shift Option Command R will install the version that came with THAT Mac. Even though it's a 2018 Mini, and some 2018 Minis did ship with Mojave - that doesn't mean ALL 2018 Minis will install Mojave with that option. If it shipped with Catalina, then that's what you'll get.

There are ways to get Mojave onto a 2018 Mini that shipped with Catalina. But, they're not supported by Apple.

 

[Fishrrman]

"There are ways to get Mojave onto a 2018 Mini that shipped with Catalina. But, they're not supported by Apple."

I just "do what I have to do".
And most of the time... it works...

 

[getrealbro]

...Per Apple's support article (and testing), Shift Option Command R will install the version that came with THAT Mac....

I don’t remember any post(s) in this forum that documented that a recent 2018 Mini, that shipped with Catalina installed, would not install Mojave using Shift Command R. But maybe I just missed it. Would you provide a link? Or post your own test results?

FWIW I’ve wondered just how the recent 2018 Minis that come with Catalina installed might differ from one that came with Mojave. Is the “shipping OS” stored in firmware, PRAM, … ? And if so, is there an easy way to change that/those settings?

GetRealBro