macOS 10.15 Catalina on Unsupported Macs

[David403]

I have a MacPro 5,1 with the original release installed (19A583, released 10/7/19). I downloaded Catalina Patcher 1.1.9. I tried to use it to download the new Catalina installer with the supplemental update...

However, I get this....

 

[EdGlassgow]

Do you have SIP disabled whilst you run the patcher? Can enable SIP after once installed.

Yep... I have confirmed (multiple times) that SIP is disabled.

 

[CsYager]

This is not the beta, this is the new "release" version, which is the full version of the installer that get you what you would have if you have a supported machine and applied the supplemental update. To be sure that the installer was okay, I used it to install into a VMWare Fusion virtual machine and all is good there (which virtualizes a supported machine).

Interesting. I haven't heard of this, I will have to investigate later. I just got back from vacation 2 days ago, and have a lot to get caught up on.

 

[Flacko]

SIP need to remain disabled as things may stop working if your using any post install patches

True if using patches but as it was a cMP5.1 could well be running without patching with SIP enabled.

 

[Flacko]

Yep... I have confirmed (multiple times) that SIP is disabled.

How about the nvram no compat check argument? I always keep this active.

 

[TimothyR734]

I have a MacPro 5,1 with the original release installed (19A583, released 10/7/19). I downloaded Catalina Patcher 1.1.9. I tried to use it to download the new Catalina installer with the supplemental update...

However, I get this....

View attachment 869980

I used patcher 1.1.8 to download the supplemental update and now using 1.1.9 and its downloading you might try deleting the Catalina Patcher and re download it then try again

 

[Blackriton]

I have a MacPro 5,1 with the original release installed (19A583, released 10/7/19). I downloaded Catalina Patcher 1.1.9, used it to download the new Catalina installer (intsaller version 15.0.33) and then attempted the "Install to this machine" option that has always worked flawlessly on this machine. It went through the initial install process and rebooted but rather than installing the new version, it just booted back into the untouched, previous version. I then created a USB installer and rebooted to that. The installer would not even attempt to install to that volume, so I used an external drive, formatted as APFS and this install terminated with an "This operation can't be completed. Permission denied".

Am I alone in this or is this something specific to my system? Any suggestions would be welcomed!

I have the exactly same problem on a MacPro 3,1 with thee original release 19A583. I tried the "Install to this machine "option and after reboot I got no install of new version bt return to the original one.
I also tried to create a USB installer but after booting to it my Apple Magic Mouse was not recognized and I couldn't click the install button !!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what's happening and how to try a new install.

 

[Lucagfc]

Still no way to use the GPU (enable transparency and hardware acceleration) on Early 2011 MacBook Pro 17" (MacBookPro8,3)? Thank you!

 

[dosdude1]

I have the exactly same problem on a MacPro 3,1 with thee original release 19A583. I tried the "Install to this machine "option and after reboot I got no install of new version bt return to the original one.
I also tried to create a USB installer but after booting to it my Apple Magic Mouse was not recognized and I couldn't click the install button !!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what's happening and how to try a new install.

Use a wired USB keyboard and wired USB mouse, and install from a USB drive.
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Still no way to use the GPU (enable transparency and hardware acceleration) on Early 2011 MacBook Pro 17" (MacBookPro8,3)? Thank you!

Yeah, you'll have full acceleration and transparency as long as you disable the AMD Radeon HD 6xxx series GPU, as explained on the Catalina Patcher webpage.

 

[gw463]

Hi all Mac pro 3.1 install Cat 19A602 with dosdude patch (thank's to all for hard work) all run fine exept Display port . I've a GTX680 2gb in Mojave run fine but no on Catalina.... any suggestion??? i've tested with patch video she run but very glitched and no transparency ........uff

 

[dr.chaos]

I have the exactly same problem on a MacPro 3,1 with thee original release 19A583. I tried the "Install to this machine "option and after reboot I got no install of new version bt return to the original one.
I also tried to create a USB installer but after booting to it my Apple Magic Mouse was not recognized and I couldn't click the install button !!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what's happening and how to try a new install.

Same here

MacPro 3,1

However I noticed when using "download a copy" Catalina Patcher 1.1.9 will download and Patch Installer Version 15.0.31 (15031)

 

[Blackriton]

Use a wired USB keyboard and wired USB mouse, and install from a USB drive.
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Before the Apple Magic Mouse, I used a wired USB Logitech MX Anywhere mouse with driver updated for Catalina for no result. Mouse still not working under Catalina and I am waiting for an new updated driver......!!!!!

 

[astronyu]

Great! Although I cannot create a new installer as the Mini won't boot now! :-(
I'm making one more attempt with 1.1.8 USB as there doesn't appear to be a way to restore from my Time Machine backup.

I have other Windows desktop in my house, installed Mojave on VirtualBox and create a boot disk from there.

 

[EdGlassgow]

How about the nvram no compat check argument? I always keep this active.

Success!! Setting the nvram no compat check variable did the trick and I am now running 19A602 on my MacPro 5,1. Thanks very much for that!

This is kind of interesting as I had set that many moons ago and have installed a lot of Developer betas, the GM and the release version on this machine (just last week) without having redone that. Something must have reset the nvram recently, maybe the installation of the new video card yesterday.

Anyway, good to have it resolved and thanks to all for the support and suggestions.

 

[jhowarth]

Hi all Mac pro 3.1 install Cat 19A602 with dosdude patch (thank's to all for hard work) all run fine exept Display port . I've a GTX680 2gb in Mojave run fine but no on Catalina.... any suggestion??? i've tested with patch video she run but very glitched and no transparency ........uff

You will need to reinstall to purge out the legacy video patches which break the Metal supported GTX680's video. As for DisplayPort, you're currently out of luck. This is part of the slow regression in the now unsupported MacPro 5,1's 'support' in Catalina.

 

[Pinarek]

Hello Mr. @dosdude1
How can I download the Catalina 10.15.1 DP1 ? even with the new patcher of you I get only the 19A600, so probably the 10.15 Supplemental version.
Is it still not possible to load a full installer version of 10.15.1 DP1 19B68f ? Thanks for info

 

[gw463]

You will need to reinstall to purge out the legacy video patches which break the Metal supported GTX680's video. As for DisplayPort, you're currently out of luck. This is part of the slow regression in the now unsupported MacPro 5,1's 'support' in Catalina.

I had tried the video patch hoping it would solve the Display port problem .... at this point I have to try another connection to the monitor. Unfortunately the monitor (eizo) only has DP and HDMI

 

[poke36878]

I have a Macbook Pro 8,1 happily running Catalina but I’m having a little trouble with the Bluesky patches.

Ive tried installing hitoolbox but on boot after installation the progress bar stops at the end and the desktop doesn’t appear.

.nothing wrong with permanent dark mode but I do prefer light mode , I’m just used to it

I used the latest patcher and Catalina download as of today but no luck in booting to a light desktop.

Any idea what is going wrong?


PS The install went great on a Macpro 5,1, it runs much mor3 smoothly than Mojave ever did on it.

Thanks!

 

[trifero]

Use a wired USB keyboard and wired USB mouse, and install from a USB drive.
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Yeah, you'll have full acceleration and transparency as long as you disable the AMD Radeon HD 6xxx series GPU, as explained on the Catalina Patcher webpage.

Any luck with a conitnuity tool?

Thanks

 

[jhowarth]

On a stock EVGA GTX680 flashed to the official Mac ROMs, you should have a two usable DVI-D ports and a usable HMDI port.

 

[Blackriton]

Use a wired USB keyboard and wired USB mouse, and install from a USB drive.
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Thanks Dosdude1, I tried using this method with a USB External drive but same result the, with the USB Key with installer on it : install process went as normal but when I boot in the work drive its says same 19A583
than before............

 

[tb205gti]

Insyalled on a MacbookPro8,2 - and everything is running perfect! Thank you very much @dosdude1 for an extremely streamlined process!

One small thing though, on Mojave I was able to completely disable the Radeon - so the batterylife was better and the GPU ran icecold. I'm not quite able to do that on Catalina - GPU Diode is still at ~58 deg C.

Is it possible to completely disable the Radeon - like on Mjoave?

 

[jackluke]

I have a Macbook Pro 8,1 happily running Catalina but I’m having a little trouble with the Bluesky patches.

Ive tried installing hitoolbox but on boot after installation the progress bar stops at the end and the desktop doesn’t appear.

.nothing wrong with permanent dark mode but I do prefer light mode , I’m just used to it

I used the latest patcher and Catalina download as of today but no luck in booting to a light desktop.

Any idea what is going wrong?


PS The install went great on a Macpro 5,1, it runs much mor3 smoothly than Mojave ever did on it.

Thanks!

and @CsYager

@pkouame made the original Mojave hybrid patches with @testheit, he explained HIToolBox is a tricky and an important framework contained inside the Carbon.framework , responsible of "drawing" the "OSX Finder UI" , even if previous version files worked, @pkouame often wrote that to avoid side effects it should be re-patched over the latest apple macOS release, because they may introduce some changes to it.

I guess this is the case, HIToolBox to work should be "binary hybrid re-patched" using the current Catalina one 19A602.

edit:
I succesfully binary patched (following the original method of pkouame and testheit) the current HIToolBox, here attached, open a Catalina Terminal and copy/paste this one line at once:

sudo mount -uw / ; killall Finder
open /S*/L*/F*/C*/V*/A/F*/HIT*/V*/A/

and replace on-the-fly (do not rename) with the attached file, then log-out and log-in and you will get again the non-transparent/flat finder top-menu in light (and dark) mode.

 

[MacDefender]

How can I download the Catalina 10.15.1 DP1 ? even with the new patcher of you I get only the 19A600, so probably the 10.15 Supplemental version.
Is it still not possible to load a full installer version of 10.15.1 DP1 19B68f ? Thanks for info

I'm using the installinstallmacos.py script and even with the developer/beta catalog enabled the latest version offered for download is currently 19A602. Just download/save this script as it is and place it in your home folder.

Just for the case than anyone want to use this script instead you have to either run it on a supported machine or simply change line 92 from return is_vm into return True. Than just run it in the Terminal with sudo python ./installinstallmacos.py --compress

If you do this directly on an unsupported machine the build process will fail as the boardID is not allowed for installation. Just add your boardID (shown when the script is started) to the file shown in the error message. I just replaced the first boardID with mine in line 60. Also remove your Model from line 68 in that file. Then just restart the script, it won't download all the files again if they already exist.

When finished I had to copy the created Catalina Installer application to my desktop as it won't work from inside the dmg with the patcher.

 

[Blackriton]

Afeter my botched install try on my MacPro 3,1 of the supplemental upgrade of 10.15 with installer 15.0.33 and Dosdude1's patcher 1.1.9, I tried again this morning with the "Install on this machine" method and its not working. After reboot of the normal process the system stays on 19A583 instead of the new upgraded system !!!!! Something is wrong in the install process.....