Time to Start Testing Big Sur Beta Against Your MDM Workflows!
By now, you have already heard the news, the annual macOS release is here! The new OS is called Big Sur and is now macOS 11! That’s neat and all, but it’s time to start testing workflows. Time is of the essence, we only have about 10 or so beta releases before Big Sur is production ready.
Every year I put together a “Need to Know” article on all the latest macOS Beta changes. You can check out the post below, I will keep it updated new information comes out.
Big Sur enrollment using Jamf Pro is currently Broken. If you attempt to take Big Sur Beta 1 through DEP/Automated Enrollment it will fail. Behind the scenes, the jamf binary is not installing properly. A quick workaround is to build out a 10.15.5 Mac, then enroll it in to Jamf Pro. Run the Big Sur Upgrade and your Mac will be fully working with Jamf Pro.
As far as I can tell, the enrollment process is InstallApplication a zero payload pkg which then curls down the jamf binary. The binary is then trying to install the JSS communication certificate via the profiles command and this doesn’t work with Big Sur. The end result is I have a mac with the binary but no way for it to “phone home”.
franton
Fresh Big Sur Install Workaround
You just finished installing Big Sur, and don’t want to waste time erasing the drive + reinstalling the OS two times! There has to be a better way.
The workaround is pretty simple if your Mac serial number is in DEP.
1. Build out fresh Big Sur Beta 1 Mac
2. You are now at the Setup Assistant
2. Do not connect the Mac to WiFi or Ethernet
4. Create Local Account
5. Connect to network
6. Run sudo profiles renew -type enrollment
7. You will see an enrollment notification in the upper right corner.
10. Copy QuickAdd.pkg to Target Mac & Install Or run QuickAdd.pkg from downloads.
That’s it! You are now enrolled into Jamf Pro. Tomorrow I will try with the https://casperserverhere.domain.com:8443/enroll method to see if can figure out . This would be for any mac that is not enrolled into DEP.
Hat Tip goes out to MacAdmin @kennyb for testing this method. I was able to verify the method this afternoon.
Jamf fix Coming in the Next Beta Release
Jamf said just today, that they found the enrollment issue last week and a fix is coming in the next beta release!
Non DEP Mac Enrollment
MacAdmin @aaronpolley put together instructions for enrolling a device that is not in DEP. In his example, he is pulling directly from his Jamf Cloud instance and manually creating a Jamf configuration file.
Aaron’s instructions start below.
If anyone is testing macOS 11 Beta and using Jamf Pro as your MDM, the jamf binary fails to install and complete the enrolment (as some mentioned here already)I am putting together some notes to submit in the correct places….. however for the short term here are the steps to get the Binary installed and complete the enrolment (for either DEP or UIE)
sudo -i
mkdir -p /usr/local/bin/ mkdir -p /usr/local/jamf/bin/ cd /usr/local/jamf/bin/
You will need to trust the CA cert using your admin password via UI password prompt rather than it passing through via CLI when rootas in the pastAlso as shared previously this gives some greate debugging feedback WHILE the initial MDM enrolment is occuring, so best run whilst doing a DEP Nag enrolment (profiles renew -type enrollment) or via UIE:
How To Install macOS Big Sur on VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop.
Like clockwork, Apple delivers a new macOS every year. MacAdmins need to start testing the new OS right way. Running the new os in a virtualized environment is the way to go. The only problem is, sometimes the new OS will not install on the current version of VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop.
Many MacAdmins have already jumped in to find out if macOS Big Sur will install on Fusion or Parallels. The initial report is that a straight install will NOT work. The macOS Big Sur installer presents this error to you.
The operation couldn't be completed. (BIErrorDomain error 3.)
Table of Contents
1. Updates
2. Notes
3. Creating a bootable macOS Big Sur ISO
4. Creating a bootable macOS Big Sur dmg
5. How To Install Big Sur 11 on VMware Fusion
6. How To Install Big Sur 11 on Parallels Desktop
7. How To Install Big Sur 11 on ESXi
Updates – 7/08/20
VMware Fusion Tech Preview 20H2 is now available!!
Be sure to check out the workarounds section. Below is one example.
Big Sur guests may log out unexpectedly and/or display a black screen when clicking an invisible icon in the upper right corner of the display.
Workaround: There is no workaround at this time, we are continuing to investigate
VMware just posted this update.
2. Notes
VM Tools – Even though Big Sur to works on Parallels and Fusion, do not install VM tools yet. Some reports say that after installing VM tools the system boots fine YMMV.
Parallels Tools – VM can get stuck on a black screen after the reboot. Would recommend not installing the tools.
Parallels – VRAM seems suck at 3mb, causing slow response.
Keyboard & Login Issues – Getting reports that VM’s are not accepting certain keys. 1, 2, t and y keys. You need to hold FN key to make them work.
3. Creating a bootable Big Sur ISO
The instructions below will create a bootable Big Sur ISO.
hdiutil create -size 12G -fs hfs+ -volname macOSInstaller -type SPARSEBUNDLE /Users/Shared/macOSInstaller
hdiutil attach /Users/Shared/macOSInstaller.sparsebundle
"[path to]/createinstallmedia" --volume /Volumes/macOSInstaller --nointeraction
hdiutil detach /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Beta
hdiutil makehybrid -o /Users/Shared/macOSInstaller /Users/Shared/macOSInstaller.sparsebundle
# Now create a macOS 10.15 VM with a 50 GB disk i Fusion
# Connect the virtual optical drive to /Users/Shared/macOSInstaller.iso
# Boot and install (you may need to "adjust" the disk Disk Utility to recognize the full capacity)
4. Creating a bootable Big Sur .dmg
Below is a script that Nathan Worster wrote to create a bootable macOS Big Sur Beta dmg.
#!/bin/bash
####################
# Notes #
####################
#
# Created 20200625 by Nathan Worster
#
# This script assumes that the macOS Beta installer is already staged in the Applications folder, and will convert that .app installer into a bootable .dmg.
# To download the latest macOS beta, go to https://developer.apple.com/download/ or, if applicable, https://appleseed.apple.com/.
# The .dmg file will be placed in ~/Downloads.
# This script must be run with sudo using "sudo bash <filename>" if run outside of an MDM.
#
####################
# Variables #
####################
dmgName=$"macOS11BigSurBeta"
####################
# Script #
####################
cd ~/Downloads
# Create and mount sparse volume:
hdiutil create -o install_container -size 20G -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J -type SPARSE
hdiutil attach install_container.sparseimage -noverify -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build
# Copy contents of installer .app into mounted volume:
/Applications/Install\ macOS\ Beta.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --nointeraction --volume /Volumes/install_build
# Detach the completed image:
hdiutil detach -force /Volumes/Install\ macOS\ Beta
# Convert and rename the image:
hdiutil convert install_container.sparseimage -format UDZO -o $dmgName.dmg
# Cleanup
rm install_container.sparseimage
exit 0
5. How To Install Big Sur 11 on VMware Fusion
Requirements
Disk Size – 50-60GB+ Virtual disk size required (40GB Standard size does not seem to work)
Clean install vs Upgrade – A Big Sur Upgrade from Mojave or Catalina is the easiest path. Usually all the values that I mention below are already set, so you have a clear path.
Mac Compatibility – Note if the hw.model is not supported for Big Sur the install will fail. You can fake it by setting a different hw.model and board-id. Be sure to check the compatibility list here.
Install Instructions
If you would like to use the same values from your Mac you can set this attribute. HT @lamw for the simplification!
smbios.reflectHost = "TRUE"
You can also manually set the the required values. The example below = 16-inch MacBook Pro.
hw.model = "MacBookPro16,1"
board-id = "Mac-E1008331FDC96864"
serialNumber = "serialnumberhere" (For DEP Enrollment testing)
To get the values you can run the following commands
Error message – “Not enough physical memory is available to power on this virtual machine with its configured settings.” – communities.vmware.com/thread/638385
Using Fusion 11.5.5 on Mojave 10.14.6, modifying the vmx file was unnecessary. I did a fresh install of Catalina 10.15.4 in a new VM, copied the macOS Beta installer to the VM, and ran the installer. It installed and booted fine. Note that I did not install the VMware Tools to the VM prior to installing macOS Beta. I had a prior Catalina VM with the Tools installed, and upgrading to the macOS Beta resulted in failures at the login screen after the Beta upgrade. So do the Beta upgrade on a fresh Catalina install and it should work fine (at least from 10.15.4).
Please note, if I added ‘board-id.reflectHost = “TRUE”‘ to the .vmx, the Fusion refused to boot the VM with an error that the vmx file is corrupted.
MrMacintosh Reader Corey
6. How To Install Big Sur 11 on Parallels Desktop
1. Create a new VM by installing a fresh copy of 10.15 Catalina
2. Do not install Parallels Tools
3. The install requires at least 80gb or more
4. Install beta profile
5. Download Beta
6. Set the following values set under Hardware > Boot Order > Advanced Settings > Boot Flags.
7. Create a 2nd admin account. (this can help with login problems after the Big Sur install. Some users are saying that they can’t login with the original account. If that happens, login with the 2nd account.)
devices.mac_hw_model="MacBookPro16,1"
devices.smbios.board_id="Mac-E1008331FDC96864"
Keep in mind, both examples above are from a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the correct hardware values by running the following commands.
sysctl hw.model = Model
ioreg -l | grep board-id = BoardID
Try to install Big Sur. If that doesn’t work, try the instructions below.
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.
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.
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)
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
When setting isSynchronizationEnabled to true on a MLModelCollection, the initial download may take longer than expected to complete. The collection then becomes available. (64131243)
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:
Start up from macOS Recovery.
If your data volume is encrypted, use Disk Utility to mount it.
In Terminal type rm -rf "/Volumes/Macintosh HD - Data/private/var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000y800007k".
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:
Remove the extension from /Library/Extensions.
Boot to macOS Recovery.
Run Terminal.
Enter the command kmutil invoke-panic-medic.
Restart your Mac.
Follow the prompt to open System Preferences and navigate to Security & Privacy.
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
Widgets have access to location information even if the NSWidgetWantsLocation key isn’t in their Info.plist. (61953645)
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".
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.
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)
WWDC is here again! For the first time ever, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will be 100% Virtual. MacAdmins everywhere are wondering what changes macOS Big Sur will bring and how deployment workflows will be affected. I hope to help you answer multiple question with this article. This year I will follow the same format as my previous MacOS 10.15 Catalina – Updated Index of Need to Know Changes & Links post. Be sure to check back frequently, I will keep you up to date with the latest macOS Big Sur 11.0 changes!
macOS Big Sur brings a refined new design, powerful controls, and intuitive customization options to the most advanced desktop operating system in the world.
Faster updates – Once macOS Big Sur is installed, software updates begin in the background and complete faster than before — so it’s easier than ever to keep your Mac up to date and secure.
Updated menu bar – The menu bar is now taller and more translucent, allowing your desktop picture to extend from edge to edge. Words lighten or darken based on the color of your desktop picture. And pull-down menus are larger, with more space between the lines to make everything easier to read.
Floating Dock – The redesigned Dock is lifted from the bottom of your display and is more translucent, allowing your desktop wallpaper to shine through. And app icons are all-new and even easier to recognize.
Updated Notification Center – A redesigned Notification Center puts all your notifications and widgets into a single, dedicated column. Notifications are automatically sorted by most recent, and redesigned Today widgets deliver information at a glance.
New icons for apps – App icons have been redesigned to feel both familiar and fresh. Icons have a uniform shape but retain the stylistic touches and details that give Mac its character.
New and updated sounds – System sounds are all-new and even more pleasing to the ear. The new system alerts were created using snippets of the originals, so they sound familiar.
New Control Center – Designed just for Mac, the new Control Center consolidates your favorite menu bar items into a single place to give you instant access to the controls you use most. Just click the Control Center icon in the menu bar and adjust Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, and other settings — without opening System Preferences.
Signed system volume – macOS Big Sur introduces a cryptographically signed system volume that protects against malicious tampering. It also means that your Mac knows the exact layout of your system volume, allowing it to begin software updates in the background while you work.
Safari extensions on the App Store – An all-new extensions category on the App Store showcases Safari extensions with editorial spotlights and top charts, making it easier to discover great extensions from developers. All extensions are reviewed, signed, and hosted by Apple for your security.
Privacy information on the App Store – A new section on each app’s page on the App Store will help you understand the privacy practices of the app before you download it.9 It’s similar to the way nutrition labels help you understand what’s in food before you buy it.
Self-reported privacy practices – Developers self-report their app privacy practices on the App Store.9 See the types of data their app might collect — like usage data, contact information, or location — and whether that data is shared with third parties.
App Privacy is Displayed in a simple format – Just as nutrition labels are convenient and easy to read, an app’s privacy information on the App Store is displayed in a consistent, simple format.9 This lets you quickly and easily understand the app’s privacy practices.
New Mac Developer Transition Kit with Apple Silicon, a comprehensive set of resources, and one-on-one technical support, you’ll have everything you need to get your Universal apps ready before Apple Silicon Macs become available to customers.– developer.apple.com/programs/universal/
Universal App Quick Start Program – Get your Universal apps ready. The Universal App Quick Start Program includes all the tools, resources, and support you need to build, test, and optimize your next-generation Universal apps for macOS Big Sur. – developer.apple.com/programs/universal/apply/
10. What’s New for Enterprise and Education WWDC 2020 June 2020 (v1.0) (AppleSeed Account Required)– appleseed.apple.com
11. AppleSeed – macOS 11.0 Big Sur Beta 1 (20A4299v) Release Notes(AppleSeed Account Required) – appleseed.apple.com
16. WWDC20 Video Links
Platforms State of the Union – iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS Join the worldwide developer community for an in-depth look at the future of Apple platforms, directly from Apple Park. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/102/
Adopt the new look of macOS – Make over your Mac apps: Discover how you can embrace the new design of macOS Big Sur and adopt its visual hierarchy, design patterns, and behaviors. We’ll explore the latest updates to AppKit around structural items and common controls, and show you how you can adapt more customized interfaces. – /developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10104/
Create great enterprise apps.A chat with Box’s Aaron Levie iOS, macOS Discover how organizations like Box are adapting to changing conditions in the business world and remote work. Listen to Apple’s Vice President of Cloud Services Mike Abbott and Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie chat about the modern working environment, how cloud-based apps are helping people. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10204/
Port your Mac app to Apple Silicon – Your porting questions, answered: Learn how to recompile your macOS app for Apple Silicon Macs and build universal apps that launch faster, have better performance, and support the future of the platform. We’ll show you how Xcode makes it simple to build a universal macOS binary.developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10214/
What’s new in managing Apple devices. – iOS, macOS, tvOS We’ve made significant strides in bringing crucial device management features to macOS. Discover how these features can help you manage your all your devices using the same tools and technologies. Get details on changes coming this year and how they will impact your deployment workflows– developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10639/
Part 2
iPad and iPhone apps on Apple Silicon Macs. – Apple Silicon Macs can run many iPad and iPhone apps as-is, and these apps will be made available to users on the Mac through the Mac App Store. Discover how iPad and iPhone apps run on Apple Silicon Macs, and the factors that make your apps come across better.– developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10114/
Build an Endpoint Security app – System Extensions improve the reliability and security of macOS. Learn about the modern replacement for Kernel Authorization KPIs and discover tips for making a great security product with the Endpoint Security framework. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10159/
Custom app distribution with Apple Business Manager – Apple Business Manager is the best way to manage and deploy business apps to your employees and customers. Whether you’re a developer, business owner, or IT administrator, we’ll showcase the benefits of Custom apps for each role and provide guidance on each step in the process. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10667/
Explore the new system architecture of Apple Silicon Macs – Discover how Macs with Apple Silicon will deliver modern advantages using Apple’s System-on-Chip (SoC) architecture. Leveraging a unified memory architecture for CPU and GPU tasks, Mac apps will see amazing performance benefits. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10686/
Leverage enterprise identity and authentication – Empower your organization with the right tools while protecting privacy and security. Discover Apple’s identity management tools for enterprise, and how they can help you create a smoother experience for users when signing in to devices, apps and websites. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10139/
Introducing StoreKit Testing in Xcode – Discover StoreKit Testing in Xcode — a local environment for testing your in-app purchases without needing to connect to App Store servers. We’ll show you how to set up a test environment, create a StoreKit configuration file, and prepare to validate receipts locally. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10659/
Part 3
Discover AppleSeed for IT and Managed Software Updates – With AppleSeed for IT, you can help your school or business test pre-release versions of Apple software and provide valuable feedback directly to Apple. We’ll guide you through getting started in AppleSeed for IT and provide insight on how to file great feedback collaboratively. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10138/
Boost performance and security with modern networking – Speed up your app and make it more nimble, private and secure with modern networking APIs. Learn about networking protocols like IPv6, HTTP/2, TLS 1.3 and Encrypted DNS, and how incorporating these within your app and server can provide faster performance and reduce both your power consumption – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10111/
What’s new in Education. – For over 40 years, Apple has been working with educators to create technologies for students, teachers, and school administrators and help them share in a rich and meaningful learning experience. Explore the breadth of Apple’s education technologies, including classroom management apps and tools. – developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10658/
What’s new in Mac Catalyst – Discover the latest updates to Mac Catalyst and find out how you can bring your iPadOS app to the Mac. Explore enhancements to the application lifecycle, integrate new extensions into your apps, and learn how the new look and feel of macOS impacts Mac Catalyst apps. –developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10143/
Build trust through better privacy – Privacy is a more important issue than ever. Learn about Apple’s privacy pillars, our approach to privacy, and how to adopt the latest features on our platforms that can help you earn customer trust, create more personal experiences, and improve engagement. –developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10676/
Apple has a released a new Supplemental Update for macOS Catalina 10.15.5 (19F2200). This update is ONLY for the new AMD Radeon Pro 5600M equipped 16″ MacBook Pro.
In a surprise one week before WWDC, Apple has released a new version of the 16″ MacBook Pro. The new option is a new AMD Radeon Pro 5600M graphics card with 8GB of HBM2 memory. The new A new Supplemental Update build of macOS Catalina 10.15.5 was also released today. This update is only for the new 5600M equipped 16″ MacBook Pro that was released today. The New Supplemental update patch notes say “macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users“. This says “All Users” even though it’s only for the new model. The Supplemental Update is now also available for download as a pkg update and updated full installer.app.
New (16-inch, AMD Radeon Pro 5600M)
The new Machine model name = (16-inch, AMD Radeon Pro 5600M). The shipping BuildVersion of this new model is macOS Catalina 10.15.5 (19F2096). The new supplemental update will show up in softwareupdate for the new AMD 5600M 16″ MacBook Pro only. After the Supplemental Update is installed the BuildVersion will be (19F2200).
New BoardID
I keep an index of all Mac BoardID’s on this page.
Apple has a released a new Supplemental Update for macOS Catalina 10.15.5. The update patches CVE-2020-9859, a Kernel Exploit from uncOver.
The original version of Catalina 10.15.5 was only released 6 days ago on May 26th. The New Supplemental update patch notes remain unchanged. The update patches CVE-2020-9859, a Kernel Exploit. “An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privilege“. The Supplemental Update is now available for download as a full installer.app, delta and combo update.
10.15.5 Supplemental Update Patch Notes Summary
Announcements
New Features
Resolved Issues
Enterprise Fixes
1 Security Fixes
Apple’s Public Patch Notes / Release Notes Documentation
NOTE: Apple Documentation takes a little while to show up online after release. I will update when the new articles are made available.
Security Updates 2020-003 for macOS 10.14 Mojave (18G5033) & 10.13 High Sierra (17G13033) are now Available.
Today, Apple released macOS Mojave Security Update 2020-003 and High Sierra Security Update 2020-003. This update also includes a fix for the Intel GPU Freezing Issue! Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links. MacOS Sierra is no longer supported by Apple for Security Updates.
UPDATE 6/02/20 – Apple has re-released the 2020-003 Security Update! The new update has a fix for CVE-2020-9859, a Kernel Exploit. “An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privilege“
WARNING!!! – If you use softwareupdate –ignore to block macOS Catalina.
If you use softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Catalina to ignore Catalina, you will need a different plan. I mentioned this in my Catalina 10.15.5 Update Article.
After installing the 2020-003 Security update on Mojave, you will no longer be able to ignore macOS Catalina from showing up in System Preferences > Software Update.
UPDATE: 5/27/20 – I just wrote an article explaining this a little better below.
How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?
I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2020-003 High Sierra 2020-003 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.
macOS Catalina 10.15.5 introduces battery health management in the Energy Saver settings for notebooks, an option to control automatic prominence of video tiles on Group FaceTime calls, and controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.
Battery Health Management
Battery health management to help maximize battery lifespan for Mac notebooks
Energy Saver preference pane now displays battery condition and recommends if the battery needs to be serviced
Option to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks
Calibration Fine-Tuning for Pro Display XDR
Controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR by adjusting the white point and luminance for a precise match to your own display calibration target
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.
Fixes an issue that may prevent Reminders from sending notifications for recurring reminders
Addresses an issue that may prevent password entry on the login screen
Fixes an issue where System Preferences would continue to show a notification badge even after installing an update
Resolves an issue where the built-in camera may not be detected when trying to use it after using a video conferencing app
Addresses an issue for Mac computers with the Apple T2 Security Chip where internal speakers may not appear as a sound output device in Sound preferences
Fixes a stability issue with uploading and downloading media files from iCloud Photo Library while your Mac is asleep
Resolves a stability issue when transferring large amounts of data to RAID volumes
Fixes an issue where the Reduce Motion Accessibility preference did not reduce the speed of animations in a FaceTime group call
Enterprise Fixes
Improves performance on certain Mac models when enabling hardware acceleration in GPU-intensive apps such as those used for video conferencing.
Addresses an issue where Microsoft Exchange accounts were unable to sign in during account setup when using Conditional Access.
Resolves an issue that prevented some displays connected to MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) from waking from sleep when the Mac wakes
Single sign-on (SSO) works immediately after installing an app that contains a third party SSO extension.
Apple Push Notification Service traffic now uses a web proxy when specified in a PAC file via the Proxies payload
Announcements
Software Update For increased security, major releases of macOS are not hidden when using the --ignore flag and the softwareupdate command starting with macOS 10.15.5. A major release is defined as one which receives a name, such as macOS Catalina. Starting with macOS 10.15.4, major releases of macOS can be deferred for up to 90 days using MDM.
networksetup Command Starting with macOS 10.15.5, the networksetup command behaves differently when run as a standard user versus an admin user. Standard users can do the following: • 1. Read various network settings • 2. Turn Wi-Fi power on or off (networksetup -setairportpower en0 on) • 3. Change the Wi-Fi access point (networksetup -setairportnetwork en0 ExampleWiFiAP) Other network settings can no longer be modified by standard users via networksetup. For admin users, networksetup will continue to behave as it has in previous releases of macOS, provided System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Advanced… > “Require an administrator password to access system-wide preferences” is unchecked (which is the default state). If it is checked, admins will be bound by the same constraints as standard users when using networksetup.
It’s good practice to have a backup of important things in your life. You wouldn’t only keep one set of keys to your house or car. The same goes for your FV2 Encrypted Mac. The FileVault Personal Recovery Key is your backup key to your Mac. If your account password is not working or if you can’t remember the password, the Recovery Key will be the only way to get to your data.
Two Different Types of FileVault 2 Recovery Keys
When encrypting your Mac, you have two different types recovery key options.
(PRK) Personal Recovery Key – Every Mac has a unique Recovery Key.
(IRK) Institutional Recovery Key – One Recovery Key for every Mac
While it may be convenient to have one key for every Mac, having a Institutional Recovery Key is like having a Master Key to an Apartment Complex. If that key is stolen or lost, the bad guy has a key to every single apartment unit. The same thing goes for the (IRK) if one user has the key, it’s known for every single Mac.
The PRK is the way to go, as each Mac has a unique key.
I previously wrote about how to use the PRK to recover data from a Mac using Target Disk Mode.
Reissue the FileVault 2 Recovery Key with FV2 Enabled Username and Password
To generate a new FileVault 2 Personal Recovery Key we will be using the fdesetup binary.
First you can check to see if your Mac is using a PRK or IRK.
sudo fdesetup haspersonalrecoverykey = true or false
sudo fdesetup hasinstitutionalrecoverykey= true or false
Now we can change the recovery key using username and password.
sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal
Enter the user name:mrmacintosh
Enter the password for user 'mrmacintosh':
New personal recovery key = 'Z5V7-K464-PEVT-09OX-Q2EW-8FO8'
This works for 10.13 – 10.15
Reissue the FileVault 2 Recovery Key using the Current Personal Recovery Key (PRK)
Staring in 10.14, you can now use the current Personal Recovery Key to generate a new PRK.
You will be using the UUID of the Personal Recovery User and the current PRK as the password.
Find the UUID of the Personal Recovery Key User
sudo fdesetup list -extended
ESCROW UUID TYPE USER
0A1BCDC3-49BD-4E00-B741-813E143AD1E2OS User mrmacintosh
EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC Personal Recovery Record
Note: The UUID of the Personal Recovery User is the same very every FV2 Encrypted Mac.
Let’s change it.
sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal
Enter the user name:EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
Enter the password for user 'EBC6C064-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC':
New personal recovery key = 'Z5V7-K464-PEVT-09OX-Q2EW-8FO8'
For the password field, all we need to do is enter in the current FV2 PRK.
NOTE: If you want to send the Recovery Key to Jamf Pro, you need to run Recon twice.
Running commands are great for 1 or 2 Macs, but what if I have to fix more than that?
The guys at HCS Technology Group wrote up an excellent article showing us how to create a policy for this. The policy will search for all Macs that do not have a valid recovery key and will remediate with a script kicked off by a Jamf Policy.
Hat Tip goes out to Johan McGwire aka yohan on #MacAdmins. He brought up the 2nd way to reissue the Personal Recovery Key with the current PRK. Johan the expert behind the following projects. Check them out!
Do you need to downgrade or upgrade macOS on your Mac? This page will show you the oldest and newest version of macOS that you can install on your Mac.
Can I upgrade or downgrade macOS? How many times has this question come up over the years? Probably hundreds if not thousands of times. Mac Hardware has a minimum and maximum version of macOS that can be installed. MacOS versions that come before or after the minimum and maximum listed OS do not have the correct drivers required. At a certain point Apple will decide that a Mac is no longer supported and will not include drivers.
Internet Recovery Version
If your Mac supports Internet Recovery, you can use this guide to find out which version of macOS you will get using the following options.
Newest OS – Option-⌘-R
This option will be the newest or latest version of macOS that can be installed on your Mac.
Shipping OS (Oldest OS Available) – Shift-Option-⌘-R
The “Shipping OS Version” is the macOS version that your Mac originally shipped with from the factory. This is the IR Version that you will see if you use Shift-Option-⌘-R.
NOTE! The “Shipping OS can change to a newer OS release as the hardware gets older. An example of this is a MacBook Pro released with 10.13 but later is shipped with 10.14.
Fun Hardware Info
As of 5/1/321, Apple has released over 150 different Intel Model Identifiers.
MacBook1,1 (13-inch Core Duo 2006) – 10.4.6 – 10.6.8 = 3 OS Versions
Updates
In the future when Apple releases new hardware or OS, I will update this page. You can keep track of future updates from my Twitter Account @ClassicII_MrMac using the hashtag –
#UpgradeorDowngradeMacOS
Index of Intel-Based Mac Hardware From (2006-2020)
1. MacBook Pro – (2006-2020)
2. MacBook Air – (2008-2020)
3. MacBook – (2006-2017)
4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)
5. iMac – (2006-2020)
6. iMac Pro – (2017)
7. Mac Mini – (2006-2018)
8. Xserve – (2006-2009)
1. MacBook Pro (2006-2020)
The MacBook Pro was introduced by Steve Jobs at Macworld Conference & Expo on January 10th, 2006. The MacBook Pro has seen five redesigns over the last 15 years. Starting with Gen 1 (2006-2008), Gen 2 Unibody (2008-2012), Gen 3 Retina (2012-2015), Gen 4 Touch Bar (2016-2019) & Gen 5 16″ Scissor (2019).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
T1 T2
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
MacBookPro16,2
(13-inch 2020)
T2
10.15.4
10.15 >
11.0 >
MacBookPro16,2
(13-inch 2020)
T2
10.15.4
10.15 >
11.0 >
MacBookPro16,1
(16-inch Late 2019)
T2
10.15.1
10.15 >
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,4
(13-inch Mid 2019)
T2
10.14.5
10.14.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,1
(15-inch 2019)
T2
10.14.5
10.14.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,3
(15-inch 2019 Vega)
T2
10.14.5
10.14.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,3
(15″ Mid 2018 Vega)
T2
10.14.1
10.14.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,2
(13-inch Mid 2018)
T2
10.13.6
10.13.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro15,1
(15-inch Mid 2018)
T2
10.13.6
10.13.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro14,3
(15-inch Mid 2017)
T1
10.12.5
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro14,2
(13-inch Mid 2017)
T1
10.12.5
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro14,1
(13-inch Mid 2017)
T1
10.12.5
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro13,3
(15-inch Late 2016)
T1
10.12.1
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro13,2
(13-inch Late 2016)
T1
10.12.1
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro13,1
(15-inch Late 2016)
T1
10.12.1
10.12.6
11.0 >
MacBookPro11,5
(15-inch Mid 2015)
10.10.3
10.10.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro11,4
(15-inch Mid 2015)
10.10.3
10.10.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro12,1
(13-inch Early 2015)
10.10.2
10.10.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro11,3
(15-inch Mid 2014)
10.9.4
10.9.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro11,2
(15-inch Late 2013)
10.9.0
10.9.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro11,1
(13-inch Late 2013)
10.9.0
10.9.5
11.0 >
MacBookPro10,2
(13-inch Early 2013)
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro10,1
(15-inch Early 2013)
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro10,2
(13-inch Ret 2012)
10.7.4
10.7.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro10.1
(15-inch Ret 2012)
10.7.4
10.7.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro9,2
(13-inch Mid 2012)
10.7.3
10.7.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro9,1
(15-inch Mid 2012)
10.7.3
10.7.5
10.15 >
MacBookPro8,3
(17-inch Late 2011)
10.7.2
10.7.5
10.13.6
MacBookPro8,2
(15-inch Late 2011)
10.7.2
10.7.5
10.13.6
MacBookPro8,1
(13-inch Late 2011)
10.7.2
10.7.5
10.13.6
MacBookPro8,3
(17-inch Early 2011)
10.6.6
10.6.6*
10.13.6
MacBookPro8,2
(15-inch Early 2011)
10.6.6
10.6.6*
10.13.6
MacBookPro8,1
(13-inch Early 2011)
10.6.6
10.6.6*
10.13.6
MacBookPro7,1
(13-inch Mid 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3*
10.13.6
MacBookPro6,2
(15-inch Mid 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3*
10.13.6
MacBookPro6,1
(17-inch Early 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3*
10.12.6
MacBookPro5,5
(13-inch Mid 2009)
10.5.7
10.5.7*
10.11.6
MacBookPro5,4
(15-inch Mid 2009)
10.5.7
10.5.7*
10.11.6
MacBookPro5,3
(15-inch Mid 2009)
10.5.7
10.5.7*
10.11.6
MacBookPro5,2
(17-inch Early 2009)
10.5.6
10.5.6*
10.11.6
MacBookPro5,1
(15-inch Late 2008)
10.5.5
10.5.5*
10.11.6
MacBookPro5,1
(17-inch Late 2008)
10.5.5
10.5.5*
10.11.6
MacBookPro4,1
(15-inch Early 2008)
10.5.2
10.5.2*
10.11.6
MacBookPro4,1
(17-inch Early 2008)
10.5.2
10.5.2*
10.11.6
MacBookPro3,1
(15-inch Late 2007)
10.4.9
10.4.9*
10.11.6
MacBookPro3,1
(17-inch Late 2007)
10.4.9
10.4.9*
10.11.6
MacBookPro2,2
(15-inch Late 2006)
10.4.8
10.4.8*
10.7.5
MacBookPro2,1
(17-inch Late 2006)
10.4.8
10.4.8*
10.7.5
MacBookPro1,2
(17-inch 2006)
10.4.5
10.4.5*
10.6.8
MacBookPro1,1
(15-inch 2006)
10.4.5
10.4.5*
10.6.8
*Available on
Reinstall DVD or CD
2. MacBook Air (2008-2020)
The MacBook Air was first introduced at Macworld San Fransisco by Steve Jobs on January 15th, 2008. For the 1st Generation from 2008-2010 the screen size was or a 13.3″ and included a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. The Second Generation introduced in 2010 added an 11″ version. From 2017 on you could only get the 13″ Model. The 3rd Generation 13-inch MacBook Air was released in 2018.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
T1 T2
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
MacBookAir9,1
(Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
T2
10.15.3
10.15>
10.15>
MacBookAir8,2
(Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
T2
10.14.5
10.14.6
10.15>
MacBookAir8,1
(Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
T2
10.14.1
10.14.6
10.15>
MacBookAir7,2
(Mid 2017)
10.12.6
10.12.6
10.15>
MacBookAir7,2
(13-inch Early 2015)
10.10.2
10.10.5
10.15>
MacBookAir7,1
(11-inch Early 2015)
10.10.2
10.10.5
10.15>
MacBookAir6,2
(13-inch Early 2014)
10.10.2
10.10.5
10.15>
MacBookAir6,1
(11-inch Mid 2013)
10.8.4
10.8.5
10.15 >
MacBookAir6,2
(13-inch Mid 2013 )
10.8.4
10.8.5
10.15 >
MacBookAir6,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
10.7.4
10.7.5
10.15 >
MacBookAir5,2
(13″ EDU Mid 2012)
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
MacBookAir5,2
13-inch Mid 2012)
10.7.4
10.7.4*
10.15>
MacBookAir5,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
10.7.4
10.7.4*
10.15 >
MacBookAir4,2
(13″ EDU Mid 2012)
10.7.3
10.7.4*
10.15 >
MacBookAir4,1
(11-inch Mid 2012)
10.7
10.7.4*
10.15 >
MacBookAir3,2
(13-inch Late 2010)
10.6.4
10.6.4*
10.13.6
MacBookAir3,1
(11-inch Late 2010)
10.6.4
10.6.4*
10.13.6
MacBookAir2,1
(13-inch Mid 2009)
10.5.7
10.5.7
10.11.6
MacBookAir2,1
(13-inch Late 2008)
10.5.5
10.5.5
10.11.6
MacBookAir1,1
(13-inch Early 2008)
10.5.1
10.5.1
10.11.6
*USB Installer
3. MacBook – (2006-2017)
This Section covers the original 2006 13-inch MacBook all the way to the 2017 12″ Version. The MacBook has seen 4 different designs since 2006. Gen 1 Polycarbonate (2006-2008), Gen 2 Aluminum Unibody (2008-2009). Gen 3 Polycarbonate Unibody (2009-2010) & Gen 4 12″ USB-C (2015-2017).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
MacBook10,1
(Mid 2017)
10.12.5
10.12.6
10.15 >
MacBook9,1
(Early 2016)
10.11.4
10.11.6
10.15 >
MacBook8,1
(Early 2015)
10.10.2
10.10.6
10.15 >
MacBook7,1
(Unibody Mid 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3 DVD
10.11.6
MacBook6,1
(Unibody Late 2009)
10.6.1
10.6.1 DVD
10.13.6
MacBook5,2
(White Mid 2009)
10.5.7
10.5.7 DVD
10.11.6
MacBook5,2
(13-inch C2D Early 2009)
10.5.6
10.5.6 DVD
10.11.6
MacBook5,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2008 Aluminum)
10.5.5
10.5.5 DVD
10.11.6
MacBook4,1
(13-inch C2D Early 2008)
10.5.2
10.5.2 DVD
10.7.5
MacBook3,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2007)
10.5
10.5 DVD
10.7.5
MacBook2,1
(13-inch C2D Mid 2007)
10.4.9
10.4.9 DVD
10.7.5
MacBook2,1
(13-inch C2D Late 2006)
10.4.8
10.4.8 DVD
10.7.5
MacBook1,1
(13-inch Core Duo 2006)
10.4.6
10.4.6 DVD
10.6.8
4. Mac Pro – (2006-2019)
The Mac Pro was first introduced at WWDC on August 7, 2006. It has seen 3 Generations from 2006-2019. Gen 1 “Cheese Grater” V1 (2006-2012), Gen 2 “Trash Can” (2013) & Gen 3 “Cheese Grater” V2 (2019).
Model Identifier
Machine Model
T1 T2
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
MacPro7,1
(2019)
T2
10.5.1
10.15 >
10.15 >
MacPro6,1
(Late 2013)
NA
10.9.1
10.9.5
10.15 >
MacPro5,1
(2012 Server)
NA
10.7.4
10.7.5
10.14.6*
MacPro5,1
(Mid 2010)
NA
10.6.4
10.6.4 DVD
10.14.6*
MacPro4,1
(Nehalem 2009)
NA
10.5.6
10.6.6 DVD
10.11.6
MacPro3,1
(Eight Core 2008)
NA
10.5.1
10.5.1 DVD
10.11.6
MacPro2,1
(Eight Core 2007)
NA
10.4.9
10.4.9 DVD
10.7.5
MacPro1,1
(Quad Core 2006)
NA
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.7.5
*Metal Graphics
Video Card Required
5. iMac – (2006-2019)
The iMac was first introduced at an Apple Special Event at the Flint Center, Cupertino on May 6, 1998 by Steve Jobs. The First Intel Based iMac was introduced at Macworld Conference and Expo on January 10, 2006 by Steve Jobs. It has seen seven different designs since 1998.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
iMac20,2
(5K, 2020; 5700/XT)
10.15.6
10.15.6
10.15>
iMac20,1
(27-Inch 5K, 2020)
10.15.6
10.15.6
10.15>
iMac19,2
(21.5-Inch 4k, 2019)
10.14.4
10.14.6
10.15 >
iMac19,1
(27-Inch 5k, 2019)
10.14.4
10.14.6
10.15 >
iMac18,3
(27-Inch 5k Mid-2017)
10.12.4
10.12.6
10.15 >
iMac18,2
(21.5-Inch 4k Mid-2017)
10.12.4
10.12.6
10.15 >
iMac18,1
(21.5-Inch Mid-2017)
10.12.4
10.12.6
10.15 >
iMac17,1
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2015)
10.11
10.11.6
10.15 >
iMac16,2
(21.5-Inch 4k. Late 2015)
10.11
10.11.6
10.15 >
iMac16,2
(21.5-Inch Late 2015)
10.11
10.11.6
10.15 >
iMac16,1
(21.5-Inch Late 2015)
10.11
10.11.6
10.15 >
iMac15,1
(27-Inch 5K, Mid-2015)
10.10.2
10.10.5
10.15 >
iMac15,1
(27-Inch 5k, Late 2014)
10.10
10.10.5
10.15 >
iMac14,4
(21.5-inch Mid 2014)
10.9.3
10.9.5
10.15 >
iMac14,3
(21.5-inch Late 2013)
10.8.4
10.8.5
10.15 >
iMac14,2
(27-inch Late 2013)
10.8.4
10.8.5
10.15 >
iMac14,1
(21.5-inch Late 2013)
10.8.4
10.8.5
10.15 >
iMac13,2
(27-Inch Late 2012)
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
iMac13,1
(21.5-inch Late 2012)
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
iMac12,1
(21.5-inch Late 2011)
10.7.2
10.7.5
10.13.6
iMac12,2
(27-inch Mid 2011)
10.6.6
10.6.6 DVD
10.13.6
iMac12,1
(21.5-inch Mid 2011)
10.6.6
10.6.6 DVD
10.13.6
iMac11,3
(27-inch Mid 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3 DVD
10.13.6
iMac11,2
(21.5-inch Mid 2010)
10.6.3
10.6.3 DVD
10.13.6
iMac11,1
(27-inch Late 2009)
10.6.2
10.6.2 DVD
10.13.6
iMac10,1
(21.5-inch Late 2009)
10.6.1
10.6.1 DVD
10.13.6
iMac10,1
(27-inch Late 2009)
10.6.1
10.6.1 DVD
10.13.6
iMac9,1
(20-inch Mid 2009 EDU)
10.5.8
10.5.8 DVD
10.11.6
iMac9,1
(24-inch Early 2009)
10.5.6
10.5.6 DVD
10.11.6
iMac9,1
(20-inch Early 2009)
10.5.6
10.5.6 DVD
10.11.6
iMac8,1
(24-inch Early 2008)
10.5.2
10.5.2 DVD
10.11.6
iMac8,1
(20-inch Early 2008)
10.5.2
10.5.2 DVD
10.11.6
iMac7,1
(24-inch Mid 2007)
10.4.10
10.4.10 DVD
10.11.6
iMac7,1
(20-inch Mid 2007)
10.4.10
10.4.10 DVD
10.11.6
iMac6,1
(24-inch Late 2006)
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.7.5
iMac5,2
(17-inch Late 2006)
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.7.5
iMac5,1
(20-inch Late 2006)
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.7.5
iMac5,1
(17-inch Late 2006)
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.7.5
iMac4,2
(17-inch Mid 2006)
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.6.8
iMac4,1
(20-inch Early 2006)
10.4.4
10.4.4 DVD
10.6.8
iMac4,1
(17-inch Early 2006)
10.4.4
10.4.4 DVD
10.6.8
6. iMac Pro (2018)
The iMac Pro was introduced at WWDC on June 5, 2017.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
T2
Ship OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
iMacPro1,1
(5k, 27-inch Late 2017)
T2
10.13.2
10.13.6
10.15 >
7. Mac Mini – (2006 -2018)
On January 10, 2005, the Mac mini was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo by Steve Jobs. He said at the time the Mac Mini was “the cheapest, most affordable Mac ever”. The Intel Version was announced on February 28, 2006.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
T1 T2
Shipping OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
Macmini8,1
(Late 2018)
T2
10.14
10.14.6
10.15 >
Macmini7,1
(Late 2014)
NA
10.10
10.10.5
10.15 >
Macmini6,2
(Late 2012 Server)
NA
10.8.2
10.8.5
10.15 >
Macmini6,2
(Late 2012)
NA
10.8.1
10.8.5
10.15 >
Macmini6,1
(Late 2012)
NA
10.8.1
10.8.5
10.15 >
Macmini5,3
(Mid 2011 Server)
NA
10.7
10.7.5
10.13.6
Macmini5,2
(Mid 2011)
NA
10.7
10.7.5
10.13.6
Macmini5,1
(Mid 2011)
NA
10.7
10.7.5
10.13.6
Macmini4,1
(Mid 2010 Server)
NA
10.6.4
10.6.4 DVD
10.13.6
Macmini4,1
(Mid 2010)
NA
10.6.4
10.6.4 DVD
10.13.6
Macmini3,1
(Late 2009 Server)
NA
10.6.1
10.6.1 DVD
10.11.6
Macmini3,1
(Late 2009)
NA
10.6.1
10.6.1 DVD
10.11.6
Macmini3,1
(Early 2009)
NA
10.5.6
10.5.6 DVD
10.11.6
Macmini2,1
(Mid 2007)
NA
10.4.10
10.4.10 DVD
10.7.5
Macmini1,1
(Late 2006)
NA
10.4.7
10.4.7 DVD
10.6.8
Macmini1,1
(Early 2006)
NA
10.4.5
10.4.5 DVD
10.6.8
8. Xserve – (2006-2009)
I almost forgot about Xserve. How could I forget about one of my favorite most reliable Macs ever created? The Xserve was introduced on May 14, 2002. The First Generation was based on a G4 Processor. The 2nd Generation was based on the G5 and the 3rd and final Generation was based on Intel’s Xeon Processor.
Model Identifier
Machine Model
Shipping OS
Oldest OS
Latest OS
Xserve3,1
(Quad Core Early 2009)
10.5.6 Server
10.5.6 Server DVD
10.11.6
Xserve2,1
(Eight Core Early 2008)
10.5 Server
10.5.0 Server DVD
10.7.5
Xserve1,1
(Quad Core Late 2006)
10.4.8 Server
10.4.8 Server DVD
10.7.5
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