What’s New in macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e)

  • Legacy Xcode versions prior to 11.5 might unexpectedly quit when launched. (59991056)Workaround: Run the following command in Terminal: defaults write com.apple.dt.Xcode DVTDisableMainThreadChecker 1, then deselect Main Thread Checker in the Diagnostic tab of the Run and Test actions for each scheme in your project.
  • You’re currently unable to launch Mac Catalyst and iOS apps using Xcode. (67356581)
  • MrMacintosh.com - What's New in macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e)
    What’s New in macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e)

    Today Apple released macOS Big Sur Beta 6 (20A5364e) to Developers

    UPDATE: 9/10/20 – SMB network connections are not working in Big Sur Beta 6. You will get a connection error. “There was a problem connecting to xxx”. Contact your administrator”.

    Workaround – sudo kmutil load -p /System/Library/Extensions/smbfs.kext

    UPDATE: 6:05 PM CST – As of 2:38 PM CST the full installer of Beta 6 is now available.

    UPDATE 1:30PM CST – As of 1:30 PM CST the Beta 6 full installer is not in Apple’s Software Update server yet. Only the BridgeOS and 3.29GB updates are available. I guess it’s possible that Beta 6 might not get a full installer? I will update if it becomes available.

    MacOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e) was released on Tuesday September 1st, 2020. During the Big Sur beta release cycle, only the current beta patch notes are available. When a new beta is released the previous patch notes are overwritten. I compare both sets of release notes so I find the changes.

    If you are having issues getting Beta 6 to show up in Software Update, take a look at my Big Sur Beta troubleshooting article. – mrmacintosh.com/big-sur-11-beta-not-showing-up-in-software-update-troubleshooting/

    Keep an eye on my Big Sur Need to Know changes article. I will be constantly updating it as new info comes in. mrmacintosh.com/macos-big-sur-11-0-updated-index-of-need-to-know-changes-links/

    macOS Big Sur Beta 6 Patch Notes Summary

    • 4 – New Features
    • 4 – Resolved Issues
    • 14 – New Known Issues
    • 2 – AppleSeed Known Issues
    • 3 – AppleSeed Announcements
    • 5 – AppleSeed Resolved Issues

    AppleSeed Notes Link = appleseed.apple.com/

    Developer Public Link = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11-beta-release-notes

    Apple DTK Mac Mini Notes = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11-universal-apps-beta-release-notes

    MacAdmin Patch Notes of Interest

    • AppleSeed = 5 Resolved Issues 3 Announcements & 2 Known Issuesappleseed.apple.com
    • 1. macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6 is now supported for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020). (67093251)
    • 2. Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
    • 3. macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6 is designated as qualifying for the 50% Apple Security Bounty bonus payment for issues that are unknown to Apple or reintroduced in this release. See Apple Security Bounty for more information.

    Previous Big Sur 11 Beta Releases

    • 6. Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e) – 09/03/20 – Current Release
    • 5. Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) – 08/19/20 – My Release Notes
    • 4. Big Sur 11 Beta 4 (20A5343i) – 08/04/20
    • 3. Big Sur 11 Beta 3 (20A5323l) – 07/22/20
    • 2. Big Sur 11 Beta 2 (20A4300b) – 07/07/20 – My Release Notes
    • 1. Big Sur 11 Beta 1 (20A4299v) – 06/22/20 – My Release Notes

    macOS Big Sur 11 Installer Info

    Full Installer.app

    Link – developer.apple.com or installinstallmacos.py

    Size = 12.17GB

    Product ID = 001-43966

    T2 BridgeOS Update

    BridgeOS version was updated.

    Size = 446.9MB

    Product ID = 001-43961

    BridgeOS Update Version = 18.16.12370.5.1

    Previous = 18.16.10358.5.2

    New Software Update Catalog URL

    https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.16seed-10.16-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

    Report Bugs NOW!

    Now that macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta is live, start testing as soon as you can! You will want to submit any bugs that you find into Apple ASAP. If you get bugs in quickly, they could be fixed in the current beta cycle instead of waiting until after the public release. If not, you could be waiting months before the fix is put into a dot release combo update.

    macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 (20A5364e) Release Notes

    Overview

    The macOS 11 SDK provides support to develop apps for Macs running macOS Big Sur 11. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12 beta 6, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12 beta 6, see Xcode 12 Beta 6 Release Notes.

    General

    Known Issues

    Important

    Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • macOS Big Sur 11 beta 7 is now supported for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020). (67093251)

    AirDrop

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • AirDrop now works when System Integrity Protection is enabled. (67033173)

    AppKit

    Apple Security Bounty

    • macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6 is designated as qualifying for the 50% Apple Security Bounty bonus payment for issues that are unknown to Apple or reintroduced in this release. See Apple Security Bounty for more information.

    Final Cut Pro and iMovie

    Known Issues

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • The application no longer unexpectedly quits when using the Import Media window. (65543216)
    • You can now capture video using either the built-in camera or external devices. (63528489)

    Installer and Software Update

    Known Issues

    • You might be unable to update macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6, if Secure Boot is set to No Security. (63434409)
    • When updating from macOS Big Sur 11 beta 2 to macOS Big Sur 11 beta 3 or later, you might be offered an unexpectedly large download rather than an incremental software update. (65753086)Workaround: Under the “Another update is available” text, click the “More info…” link. This will reveal the incremental update where you can click the Install Now button.
    • You might need to adjust Energy Saver settings so your Mac doesn’t go to sleep while preparing to install macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (63166401)
    • If macOS Big Sur 11 beta is installed into the same APFS container as previous versions of macOS Catalina 10.15, system software updates can no longer be installed on the previous versions of macOS. (64411484)Workaround: Update the previous version of macOS Catalina to 10.15.6.

    Kernel

    Known Issues

    • DriverKit extensions might not function due to a permission issue. (67594339)Workaround: After building the extension but before installing it, run the following command: sudo -S chmod -R u=rw+X,go=r+X ./ <dext path>
    • Third-party driver extensions don’t run after restarting your Mac. (67416908)Workaround: Reinstall the extension each time after you restart your Mac.

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • The command kmutil inspect no longer returns an error on Apple silicon Mac computers. (65804541)

    Messages

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • Keyboard navigation to move focus between controls is now available. (63987810)

    Safari and WebKit

    Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • When using WKWebView to request a URL using the HTTP POST method, WKNavigationAction.request.httpBody now returns the posted body content. (35087855)
    • Applications that present modal UI in UIWebView delegate callbacks or that use JavaScript alertconfirm, and prompt no longer experience crashes under _WebThreadLock(). (64239727)

    Spotlight

    Known Issues

    • If you can’t find an application using Spotlight, launch the application at least once using Finder. (64463806)

    SwiftUI

    Known Issues

    • ProgressView generic type signature has changed, adding the currentValueLabel generic parameter. This change doesn’t require any source changes, but will cause apps compiled using an earlier beta SDK to quit unexpectedly. (63580200)Workaround: Re-compile apps for macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 or later to resolve this issue.

    New Features in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 6

    • The ImportFilesAction and ExportFilesAction APIs have been replaced with a collection of new view modifiers.
    • Use the new .fileImporter() modifier to present a system interface for importing one or more files into your app, and the new .fileMover() modifier to move one or more existing files to a new location. The following is an example of a simple UI for importing and moving files:struct FileMover : View { @Binding var selectedFiles: [URL] var includeDirectories: Bool = false @State private var isImporting: Bool = false @State private var isMovingSelection: Bool = false var body: some View { List(selectedFiles, id: \.self) { url in Text(url.absoluteString) } .toolbar { Button("Import", action: { isImporting = true }) Button("Move", action: { isMovingSelection = true }) } .fileImporter( isPresented: $isImporting, allowedContentTypes: includeDirectories ? [.item, .directory] : [.item], allowsMultipleSelection: true ) { result in do { selectedFiles = try result.get() } catch { // Handle failure. } } .fileMover(isPresented: $isMovingSelection, files: selectedFiles) { if case .success = $0 { selectedFiles = [] } else { // Handle failure. } } }}
    • Use the new .fileExporter() modifier to present a system interface for exporting one or more documents from your app. In this example, an app provides a simple note-taking interface for quickly jotting down some text and then exporting it to disk:struct QuickNote : View { @Binding var draft: QuickNoteDocument @State private var isExporting: Bool = false var body: some View { TextEditor(text: $draft.text) .toolbar { Button("Save", action: { isExporting = true }) } .fileExporter( isPresented: $isExporting, document: draft, contentType: .plainText, defaultFilename: "MyNote" ) { result in // Clear the draft now that it's saved. if case .success = result { draft.text = "" } else { // Handle failure. } } }} struct QuickNoteDocument : FileDocument { static var readableContentTypes: [UTType] { [.plainText] } var text: String init(text: String) { self.text = text } init(configuration: ReadConfiguration) throws { // Deserialize the document. } func fileWrapper(configuration: WriteConfiguration) throws -> FileWrapper { // Serialize the document. }}
    • Use the new .fileMover() modifier to present a system interface for moving one or more existing files to a new location. (66182201)

    Third-Party Apps

    Known Issues

    • You might experience kernel panics when using earlier versions of Parallels Desktop 16. (67358596)Workaround: Upgrade to the most-recent version of Parallels Desktop 16.
    • Some third-party scripts might produce unexpected results due to the change in macOS version from 10.x to 11. (62477208)Workaround: Set SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 in the calling environment, for example: $ SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 legacy_script.pl

    Wallet

    Known Issues

    • isPassLibraryAvailable() doesn’t ensure uniform availability of pass library functionality between platforms and devices. (60697880)Workaround: Call a more specific API to check available functionality, such as canAddPasses().

    Widgets

    Known Issues

    • When set to My Location, the Weather widget might display weather for a different location. (66338250)

    Xcode

    Known Issues

    • Legacy Xcode versions prior to 11.5 might unexpectedly quit when launched. (59991056)Workaround: Run the following command in Terminal: defaults write com.apple.dt.Xcode DVTDisableMainThreadChecker 1, then deselect Main Thread Checker in the Diagnostic tab of the Run and Test actions for each scheme in your project.
    • You’re currently unable to launch Mac Catalyst and iOS apps using Xcode. (67356581)

What’s New in macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i)

MrMacintosh.com - Big Sur Beta 5 (20A5354i) is live!
Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) is live!

Today Apple released macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) to Developers

MacOS Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) was released on Wednesday August 19th, 2020. During the Big Sur beta release cycle, only the current beta patch notes are available. When a new beta is released the previous patch notes are overwritten. I compare both sets of release notes so I find the changes.

If you are having issues getting Beta 5 to show up in Software Update, take a look at my Big Sur Beta troubleshooting article. – mrmacintosh.com/big-sur-11-beta-not-showing-up-in-software-update-troubleshooting/

Keep an eye on my Big Sur Need to Know changes article. I will be constantly updating it as new info comes in. mrmacintosh.com/macos-big-sur-11-0-updated-index-of-need-to-know-changes-links/

macOS Big Sur 11.0 Patch Notes Summary

  • 2 – New Important Notes
  • 5 – New Features
  • 19 – New Known Issues
  • 14 – Resolved Issues

Developer Public Link = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11-beta-release-notes

Apple DTK Mac Mini Notes = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11-universal-apps-beta-release-notes

MacAdmin Patch Notes of Interest

  • 1. macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5 is not currently supported for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020). If you encounter an installation issue on iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020), you need to reinstall macOS Catalina. Hold down the power button to force restart, and then press Command-R immediately after turning on your Mac. Then, follow instructions to reinstall macOS Catalina from Recovery.
  • 2. Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
  • 3. macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5 is designated as qualifying for the 50% Apple Security Bounty bonus payment for issues that are unknown to Apple or reintroduced in this release. See Apple Security Bounty for more information.

Previous Big Sur 11 Beta Releases

  • 5. Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) – 08/19/20 – Current Release
  • 4. Big Sur 11 Beta 4 (20A5343i) – 08/04/20
  • 3. Big Sur 11 Beta 3 (20A5323l) – 07/22/20
  • 2. Big Sur 11 Beta 2 (20A4300b) – 07/07/20 – My Release Notes
  • 1. Big Sur 11 Beta 1 (20A4299v) – 06/22/20 – My Release Notes

macOS Big Sur 11 Installer Info

Full Installer.app

Link – developer.apple.com

Size = 12.14GB

Product ID = 001-36806

T2 BridgeOS Update

BridgeOS version was updated.

Size = 447.4 MB

Product ID = 001-36812

BridgeOS Update Version = 18.16.10358.5.2

Previous = 18.16.10310.5.15 Build Version 3

Previous = 18.16.10310.5.15 Build Version 1

New Software Update Catalog URL

https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.16seed-10.16-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

Report Bugs NOW!

Now that macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta is live, start testing as soon as you can! You will want to submit any bugs that you find into Apple ASAP. If you get bugs in quickly, they could be fixed in the current beta cycle instead of waiting until after the public release. If not, you could be waiting months before the fix is put into a dot release combo update.

macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 5 (20A5354i) Release Notes

Overview

The macOS 11 SDK provides support to develop apps for Macs running macOS Big Sur 11. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12 beta 5, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12 beta 5, see Xcode 12 Beta 5 Release Notes.

General

Known Issues

Important

macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5 is not currently supported for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020). If you encounter an installation issue on iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020), you need to reinstall macOS Catalina. Hold down the power button to force restart, and then press Command-R immediately after turning on your Mac. Then, follow instructions to reinstall macOS Catalina from Recovery.

Important

Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)

AirDrop

Known Issues

  • You might be unable to use AirDrop if System Integrity Protection is enabled. (67033173)

App Store

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • StoreKit symbols are now accessible when importing StoreKit and SwiftUI in the same file. (66337479)

AppKit

Apple Security Bounty

  • macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5 is designated as qualifying for the 50% Apple Security Bounty bonus payment for issues that are unknown to Apple or reintroduced in this release. See Apple Security Bounty for more information.

EndpointSecurity

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • Auth type events such as an ES_EVENT_TYPE_AUTH_EXEC leak kernel memory no longer cause your system to become unresponsive. (65750498)

Final Cut Pro and iMovie

Known Issues

  • You’re currently unable to capture video using either the built-in camera or external devices. (63528489)
  • The application might unexpectedly quit when using the Import Media window. (65543216)Workaround: Drag media from Finder to import it.

Installer and Software Update

Known Issues

  • You might be unable to update macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5, if Secure Boot is set to No Security. (63434409)
  • When updating from macOS Big Sur 11 beta 2 to macOS Big Sur 11 beta 3 or later, you might be offered an unexpectedly large download rather than an incremental software update. (65753086)Workaround: Under the “Another update is available” text, click the “More info…” link. This will reveal the incremental update where you can click the Install Now button.
  • You might need to adjust Energy Saver settings so your Mac doesn’t go to sleep while preparing to install macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (63166401)
  • If macOS Big Sur 11 beta is installed into the same APFS container as previous versions of macOS Catalina 10.15, system software updates can no longer be installed on the previous versions of macOS. (64411484)Workaround: Update the previous version of macOS Catalina to 10.15.6.

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • APFS containers with non-default allocation block sizes are now supported for installation. (64312561)

Kernel

Known Issues

  • The command kmutil inspect returns an error on Apple silicon Mac computers. (65804541)Workaround: Use kmutil dumpstate or pass explicit paths to collections using kmutil inspect -A /Library/KernelCollections/AuxiliaryKernelCollections.kc.development

Key-Value Observing

New Features in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • Key-Value Observation removal facilities now employ deterministic bookkeeping methods. Cases that would have produced hard-to-diagnose crashes, especially those where KVO signals problems accessing deallocated observer pointers or observers associated with incorrect objects, now produce an exception pinpointing which observed object needs a missed removeObserver(_:) call, and by which observers. This exception was previously thrown as ‘best effort’ when KVO could detect the problem; the new deterministic bookkeeping allows it to be thrown for all cases where removeObserver(_:) is needed.The improved determinism also allows improved Swift API handling. Instances of NSKeyValueObservation, produced by the Swift NSObject.observe(_:changeHandler:) method, take advantage of integration with this bookkeeping so they now invalidate automatically when the observed object is released, regardless of how the object implements its KVO behavior. This applies to all usage of this API in macOS 11 Big Sur beta, including on processes built with previous versions of the SDK, and eliminates certain classes of crashes that sometimes required using the legacy API instead. (65051563)

Markup

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • Edits made using Markup are now saved. (64908822)

Messages

Known Issues

  • Keyboard navigation to move focus between controls isn’t currently available. (63987810)

Safari and Webkit

Known Issues

  • Applications that present modal UI in UIWebView delegate callbacks or that use JavaScript alertconfirm, and prompt might experience crashes under _WebThreadLock(). (64239727)

Spotlight

Known Issues

  • If you can’t find an application using Spotlight, launch the application at least once using Finder. (64463806)

SwiftUI

Known Issues

  • ProgressView generic type signature has changed, adding the currentValueLabel generic parameter. This change does not require any source changes, but will cause apps compiled using an earlier beta SDK to quit unexpectedly. (63580200)Workaround: Re-compile apps for macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 5 or later to resolve this issue.

New Features in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • Color can be converted to and from CGColor. The ColorPicker can also now be configured with a binding to a CGColor. (56939085)
  • Introduced ToolbarItemGroup as a convenient way to place multiple items in a specific location of non-customizable toolbars. (64178863)
  • ProgressView now supports adding a secondary “current value label” that describes the current progress level of the task. Use the label to describe the overall task, and the currentValueLabel to provide more specific details about the progress of the task. (63580200)
  • FileDocument and have updated protocol requirements:
    • Their initializer requirement now has a single FileDocumentReadConfiguration parameter that the fileWrapper and contentType can be read from.
    • Their write() functions that were expected to write to an inout FileWrapper parameter are now fileWrapper() functions that return a FileWrapper instead.
    • The Document-based app templates in Xcode have been updated to reflect this change in API.
    • Source compatibility with the previous requirements will eventually be removed. (65146043)

Resolved Issues in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • Images that contain multicolor symbols will now adapt to color appearance. (63726389)
  • Text(_ style:) no longer truncates. Text now has flexible width inside a widget. (60588299)
  • Placeholder-style redacted Text that has a lineLimit(1) modifier applied now appears as expected. (66346107)
  • SwitchToggleStyle and LinearProgressViewStyle can now be tinted on macOS. (62906674)
  • NavigationLink and NavigationView behave more consistently on macOS: NavigationLink’s selection isn’t incorrectly reset to nil due to selection changes; programmatic selection and deselection of a NavigationLink appears as expected. (63791979)
  • Applying a fixedSize() modifier to a TextEditor will now fix its size to the size of its content. (64855179)
  • Placeholder-style redacted Text that has a minimumScaleFactor modifier applied now appears as expected. (66242496)

Third-Party Apps

Known Issues

  • Some third-party scripts might produce unexpected results due to the change in macOS version from 10.x to 11. (62477208)Workaround: Set SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 in the calling environment, for example: $ SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 legacy_script.pl

Users & Groups

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • If you select the option to delete it, the home folder is now deleted when removing a user. (65558783)

Wallet

Known Issues

  • isPassLibraryAvailable() doesn’t ensure uniform availability of pass library functionality between platforms and devices. (60697880)Workaround: Call a more specific API to check available functionality, such as canAddPasses().

Widgets

Known Issues

  • When set to My Location, the Weather widget might display weather for a different location. (66338250)

Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 5

  • When indicating a significant change in temperature for the next day, the Weather widget now correctly displays temperatures in Fahrenheit. (65061840)
  • The weather widget now displays data in a timely manner. (66014597)

Xcode

Known Issues

  • Legacy Xcode versions prior to 11.5 might unexpectedly quit when launched. (59991056)Workaround: Run the following command in Terminal: defaults write com.apple.dt.Xcode DVTDisableMainThreadChecker 1, then deselect Main Thread Checker in the Diagnostic tab of the Run and Test actions for each scheme in your project.

What’s New in macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta 1 (20A4299v)

MrMacintosh.com - macOS Big Sur 11.0 -10.16 (20A4299v) Beta 1
macOS Big Sur 11.0 -10.16 (20A4299v) Beta 1

Today Apple released macOS Big Sur 11.0 -10.16 (20A4299v) Beta 1 to Developers.

UPDATE 6/23/20 – Keep an eye on my Big Sur Need to Know changes article. I will be constantly updating it as new info comes in. mrmacintosh.com/macos-big-sur-11-0-updated-index-of-need-to-know-changes-links/

MacOS Big Sur 11.0 -10.16 (20A4299v) Beta 1 was released today on June 22nd, 2020 at 2:00 CST right after the keynote.

macOS Big Sur 11.0 Patch Notes

Just like last year, the 11.0 beta 1 patch notes list is huge! The amount of detail is just what MacAdmins are looking for! Let me give you some stats from the 11.0 Beta 1 Patch notes document.

  • 1 Important Known Issue
  • 4 Deprecations
  • 11 New Features
  • 1 Resolved issues
  • 60 Known Issues – Core OS, Apps, Xcode & SwiftUI

Public Link (non developer) = developer.apple.com/documentation/macos-release-notes/macos-big-sur-11-beta-release-notes

MacAdmin Patch Notes of Interest

  • Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
  • If macOS Big Sur 11 beta is installed into the same APFS container as previous versions of macOS, system software updates can no longer be installed on the previous versions of macOS. (64411484)
  • Installing a new kernel extension requires signing in as an Admin user. During kernel extension development, every time a kernel extension is changed, it must be signed and notarized. In both cases, your Mac must be restarted to load the extension. (55068348)
  • If you updated to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from a previous version of macOS, Software Update might show “Unable to check for updates – Failed to download the documentation for the minor update. Please try again later”. (63158434)Workaround Below
  • Kernel extensions using certain deprecated KPIs no longer load. Refer to the support page. While macOS Big Sur remains in development, you can temporarily disable System Integrity Protection to allow these deprecated extensions to load. (55068348)
  • macOS Big Sur 11 beta improves system security by requiring an administrator password when a certificate trust settings change is made in the admin trust domain. Running as the root user alone is no longer sufficient to modify certificate trust. User trust domain settings continue to require confirmation by entering the password for the user’s account.

macOS Big Sur 11.0 Installer Info

Full Installer.app

Link – developer.apple.com

Size = 9.57GB

Product ID = 001-18401-003

Requirements – ?

T2 BridgeOS Update

T2 BridgeOS was updated along with the 11.0 upgrade

Size = 440.1 MB

Product ID = 001-18400

BridgeOS Update Version = 18.16.10310.5.15

New Software Update Catalog URL

https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.16seed-10.16-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog

Report bugs NOW!

Now that macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta is live, start testing as soon as you can! You will want to submit any bugs that you find into Apple ASAP. If you get bugs in quickly, they could be fixed in the current beta cycle instead of waiting until after the public release. If not, you could be waiting months before the fix is put into a dot release combo update.

macOS Big Sur 11.0 (20A4299v) Beta 1 Release Notes

I always post the full patch notes to this page to document them for you. The reason behind that is that Apple will usually just replace over the old patch notes so you are then unable to see what was fixed in the previous release.

Overview

The macOS 11 SDK provides support to develop apps for Macs running macOS Big Sur 11. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12 beta. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12 beta, see Xcode 12 Beta Release Notes.

General

Known Issues

Important

Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)

Third-Party Apps

Known Issues

  • CMake might not run, install, or might generate invalid outputs. (62905973)Workaround: Update to CMake 3.18rc1.

Accessibility

Known Issues

  • VoiceOver might be unavailable at certain times while installing macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (63025357)

App Store

New Features

AppKit

Auto Unlock

Known Issues

  • You might be unable to set up Auto Unlock. (64120075)

Calendar

Known Issues

  • If you click the Directions button on a calendar notification, Maps might not launch as expected. (63697152)
  • It isn’t possible to edit Calendar widgets. (63984003)
  • Accounts might not be visible in Preferences. (64117985)

Continuity

Known Issues

  • Continuity Handoff isn’t currently available in macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (64140413)

Core ML

Known Issues

Deprecations

  • The default initializer on the auto-generated model interface has been deprecated in favor of init(configuration:). Please use init(configuration:) or the newly introduced .load() method and handle model load errors as appropriate. (64432588)

Desktop Picture

Known Issues

  • If the desktop picture was never changed from the default macOS Catalina 10.15 image, it will persist after updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta, even though the new default desktop picture is displayed in Desktop and Screen Saver preferences. (64390185)

Installer and Software Update

Known Issues

  • If you updated to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from a previous version of macOS, Software Update might show “Unable to check for updates – Failed to download the documentation for the minor update. Please try again later”. (63158434)Workaround:
    1. Start up from macOS Recovery.
    2. If your data volume is encrypted, use Disk Utility to mount it.
    3. In Terminal type rm -rf "/Volumes/Macintosh HD - Data/private/var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000y800007k".
    4. Restart your Mac.
  • You might need to adjust Energy Saver settings so your Mac doesn’t go to sleep while preparing to install macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (63166401)
  • APFS containers with non-default allocation block sizes aren’t currently supported for installation. (64312561)
  • Update iMac Pro to macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or later before installing macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (64314272)
  • Installation might pause on Macs that don’t have input devices connected. (64348347)Workaround: Connect an input device and dismiss the alerts to continue installation.
  • You might be unable to install macOS Big Sur 11 beta onto additional volumes. (63677460, 64445236)Workaround: Create a bootable installer using the createinstallmedia command.
  • Software Update might unexpectedly indicate updates for your Mac are being managed by swscan.apple.com, instead of indicating your Mac is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program. This doesn’t impact your ability to update macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (64407436)
  • If macOS Big Sur 11 beta is installed into the same APFS container as previous versions of macOS, system software updates can no longer be installed on the previous versions of macOS. (64411484)
  • Installation on Core Storage Fusion volumes with FileVault encryption enabled isn’t currently supported. (64472080)

Kernel

New Features

  • The kern.argmax limit has been increased, allowing programs to receive longer argument lists. (48661669)
  • Darwin kevent now allows non-parent processes to register for NOTE_EXITSTATUS, which delivers the same values as the wait() family of functions in the event data. Refer to the wait4() man page for more information. This event is subject to the following security checks:
    • The requesting process is allowed to send signals by sandbox restrictions.
    • The requesting process and the target process are running as the same user or the requesting process has root privileges. (58134463)

Known Issues

  • Installing a new kernel extension requires signing in as an Admin user. During kernel extension development, every time a kernel extension is changed, it must be signed and notarized. In both cases, your Mac must be restarted to load the extension. (55068348)
  • Remote panic dumps aren’t currently available. (57915324)
  • New in macOS Big Sur 11 beta, the system ships with a built-in dynamic linker cache of all system-provided libraries. As part of this change, copies of dynamic libraries are no longer present on the filesystem. Code that attempts to check for dynamic library presence by looking for a file at a path or enumerating a directory will fail. Instead, check for library presence by attempting to dlopen() the path, which will correctly check for the library in the cache. (62986286)
  • kmutil install might fail to build a development kextcache. (63772702)Workaround: Copy the release .elides to the locations of the development .elides:sudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.development.elidessudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.kasan.elides sudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/BootKernelExtensions.kc.debug.elidessudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.development.elidessudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.kasan.elidessudo cp /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.elides /path/to/livemount/System/Library/KernelCollections/SystemKernelExtensions.kc.debug.elides
  • Use only absolute paths with the --volume-root option of kmutil, and don’t use a trailing /. (63773848)
  • After removing a DriverKit extension, restart your Mac to complete uninstallation. (63995046)
  • Adhoc signed kernel extensions are displayed with a developer name of unknown in update dialogs and in Security preferences. (64215260)
  • Symbols exported by both xnu and Apple kernel extensions will change. Recompile your kernel extension with each update to macOS Big Sur 11 beta to ensure compatibility. (64262563)
  • Moving a kernel extension bundle out of /Library/Extensions might not completely uninstall it. (64331929)Workaround:
    1. Remove the extension from /Library/Extensions.
    2. Boot to macOS Recovery.
    3. Run Terminal.
    4. Enter the command kmutil invoke-panic-medic.
    5. Restart your Mac.
    6. Follow the prompt to open System Preferences and navigate to Security & Privacy.
    7. Follow the prompt to restart.
  • An unexpected System Extension Updated alert for third-party kernel extensions which are included in macOS might appear. These include: Accusys, Inc., ATTO Technology, Inc., Areca Technology Corporation, CalDigit, Inc., HighPoint Technologies, Inc., Promise Technology Mobile Apps, and Other World Computing. (64337113)

Deprecations

  • Kernel extensions using certain deprecated KPIs no longer load. Refer to the support page. While macOS Big Sur remains in development, you can temporarily disable System Integrity Protection to allow these deprecated extensions to load. (55068348)

Localization

Known Issues

  • Certain languages might exhibit clipped or misaligned layout. (63105445)
  • Certain languages might display unlocalized text. (63105674, 64040564, 64045718)
  • Some keyboard shortcuts might not work when running macOS Big Sur 11 beta in a language other than English. (63834383)

Location

Known Issues

Logging

New Features

  • New APIs are available for using os_log from Swift as part of the os framework:
    • A new type Logger can be instantiated using a subsystem and category and provides methods for logging at different levels (debug(_:)error(_:)fault(_:)).
    • The Logger APIs support specifying most formatting and privacy options supported by legacy os_log APIs.
    • The new APIs provide significant performance improvements over the legacy APIs.
    • You can now pass Swift string interpolation to the os_log function.
    Note: The new APIs can’t be back deployed; however, the existing os_log API remains available for back deployment. (22539144)

Mac Catalyst

Known Issues

  • Content Extensions require a temporary workaround. (57442394)Workaround: Add the following key/value pair to the NSExtension dictionary in the Info.plist"NSExtensionContainingViewControllerClass" = "_UNNotificationContentExtensionViewController".
  • The new PHPickerViewController API currently produces unexpected results. (63631906)

Messages

Known Issues

  • If Messages is launched immediately after logging into iCloud, a login window might be displayed unexpectedly. (56309057)Workaround: Relaunch Messages after a few minutes or try restarting your Mac.
  • You might be unable to type in the photo picker search field when attaching a photo. (60011306)Workaround: Click the search field, press the tab key, then click the search field again.
  • You might receive an alert that indicates the maximum number of pinned conversations has been reached. (62919406)Workaround: Pin the conversation using drag and drop instead of using a swipe action or quick action with Haptic Touch.
  • Keyboard navigation to move focus between controls isn’t currently available. (63987810)
  • Messages Preferences are inaccessible until at least one message has been sent or received. (64122975)
  • Autocomplete fields and conversation titles aren’t visible while Messages is in full-screen mode. (64134303)
  • Message outlines might be missing when printing or exporting a conversation as a PDF. (64181169)
  • The first and last name fields in Messages Preferences might be misaligned. (64346872)Workaround: Set up your name in Messages Preferences by following the placeholder text then close and reopen Messages Preferences.

Metal

Known Issues

  • The logs property isn’t currently available from Swift while using Shader Validation. (64055248)

Migration Assistant

Known Issues

  • You might need to reset the password for a Standard account after migration, if the previous password doesn’t work. (63878129)Workaround: Log into an Admin account and change the Standard account’s password in the Users & Groups system preference.

Motion

Known Issues

  • Many elements of the user interface are currently missing when running Motion on macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (62531765)

Music

Known Issues

  • Music might quit unexpectedly while using the search field. (64183834)

Networking

New Features

  • Experimental HTTP/3 support can be enabled in Safari via Experimental Features in the Developer menu, and enabled system-wide using the Terminal command defaults write -g CFNetworkHTTP3Override -int 3. (62969220)

Known Issues

  • HTTP/3 Draft 29 isn’t yet supported. (63524866)

Phone and FaceTime

Known Issues

  • Regular and emergency Wi-Fi calling using iPadOS 14 beta, macOS Big Sur 11 beta, and watchOS 7 beta isn’t currently available for T-Mobile USA customers. (63078572)

Quartz

Known Issues

  • Importing Quartz or PDFKit frameworks in the macOS SDK might result in an errors such as “Umbrella for module ‘Quartz.PDFKit’ already covers this directory”. (63886438)

Safari and Webkit

New Features

  • Support for Web Extensions is now available. Existing Chrome and Firefox extensions can be converted for Safari using xcrun safari-web-extension-converter and distributed through the App Store for use in Safari 14. (55707949)
  • Webpage Translation is now available in the U.S. and Canada. Supported languages include English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese. Safari will automatically detect if translation is available based on your Preferred Languages list. (64437861)

Known Issues

  • Safari might quit unexpectedly when opening the Start Page if Frequently Visited Sites are visible as thumbnails. (63945984)Workaround: Make the window wider, hide the sidebar, or Control-click on Frequently Visited Sites and choose View as Icons.

Security

New Features

  • macOS Big Sur 11 beta improves system security by requiring an administrator password when a certificate trust settings change is made in the admin trust domain. Running as the root user alone is no longer sufficient to modify certificate trust. User trust domain settings continue to require confirmation by entering the password for the user’s account. This change may affect you if one of the following is true:
    • You have written scripts which call /usr/bin/security add-trusted-cert -d ... as root.
    • Your process runs as root and calls the SecTrustSettingsSetTrustSettings function to trust a certificate.
  • Workflows that add trust settings in the admin trust domain, such as for an enterprise root certificate, may require modification if the user can’t authenticate as an administrator at the time settings are changed. (21855995)Workaround: Use Apple Configurator 2 to create and install a configuration profile containing your root certificate.

Spotlight

Known Issues

  • When quickly typing a search query in Spotlight, the result from a previous search might appear, then pressing return may create a wrong launch shortcut for subsequent queries. (64428836)Workaround: Type your query and click the desired result from the list that appears.
  • If you can’t find an application using Spotlight, launch the application at least once using Finder. (64463806)

SwiftUI

Known Issues

  • Disclosure groups in Forms might produce unexpected results. (64079102)
  • Nested disclosure groups generated by OutlineGroup might produce unexpected results. (64097731)
  • The SceneStorage property wrapper isn’t yet supported. (64414712)
  • A label used with a symbol image might appear misaligned. (60193698)

SystemExtensions

Known Issues

  • Driver extensions might not launch on-demand after installation. (51229724)Workaround: Disable System Integrity Protection, then launch Terminal and execute the following command before approving the newly installed driver: sudo touch /Library/DriverExtensions.

Touch ID

Known Issues

  • Touch ID might become unexpectedly disabled on Macs with a T2 Security Chip after installing multiple operating systems. (62608379)Workaround: Reset the SMC of your Mac.

Virtualization

New Features

Deprecations

Vision

Known Issues

Deprecations

Xcode Previews

Resolved Issues

  • Rebuilding against the iOS 14, macOS 11, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 SDKs changes uses of GeometryReader to reliably top-leading align the views inside the GeometryReader. This was the previous behavior, except when it wasn’t possible to detect a single static view inside the GeometryReader. (59722992) (FB7597816)

Big Sur 11.0 Beta 1


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