This database will contain download links for macOS 12 full Installer pkg files (InstallAssistant.pkg). This file is the same full installer that you would download directly from the App Store for Intel and Apple Silicon M1 Mac Computers. The InstallAssistant.pkg is stored on Apple’s servers and contains the full “Install macOS.app”. Once downloaded, all you need to do is install the pkg and the full installer of macOS will be in your applications folder. This change was made when Apple revised the full installer for Big Sur. The InstallAssistant.pkg is not available for Catalina or Mojave.
UPDATED: 3/25/24
NOTE:Depending on the browser you are using, you might need to right click and select “Copy link address”. Past this link into a new tab and it should start to download.
NOTE:Depending on the browser you are using, you might need to right click and select “Copy link address”. Past this link into a new tab and it should start to download.
The InstallAssistant.pkg is just a standard package that includes the full macOS 12 installer.app. All the pkg does is install/move the app to your applications folder. Let’s take a closer look.
macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 via SUS Inspector
I am using SUS Inspector to view the full installer for macOS Big Sur 11.2.3. You can see the InstallAssistant.pkg file listed. You can also see the direct download path from Apple’s servers. The link does not last forever. For example, the download link for beta full installers only seem to last for a month or so.
Production links last a little longer. For example 11.2.1 is still available but 11.2 is not. This database will be updated when a new full installer is released.
Thank You
A big thanks to Eric Holtam @eholtam. When I need to verify something in SUS, he always lends a hand!
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)
MacOS Big Sur 11.0 – Updated Index of Need to Know Changes & Links
WWDC 2020 – macOS Big Sur 11.0
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/
This page will be updated when new 10.15 new information or links come in.
WWDC 2019
WWDC is here again! On Monday, June 3rd, 2019 Apple Released macOS 10.15 Catalina. The first question MacAdmins have is, what changes do I need to know about and how will they affect my macOS deployments? Hopefully, I will help you answer that question with this article. I am following the same format as my previous Notarization Index post. MacAdmins have told me they really liked having all the important information on a topic in one place. MacAdmins like Robert Hammem, Charles Edge and Rich Trouton are already crushing it by gathering information on all the latest changes. In this post, I will keep an updated index of changes and links to keep you informed of the latest public information regarding macOS 10.15 Catalina.
zsh is now the default shell instead of Bash – Starting with the macOS Catalina beta, your Mac uses zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell. You can make zsh the default in earlier versions of macOS as well. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208050
Python 2.7 is deprecated.
Scripting language runtimes such as Python, Ruby, and Perl are included in macOS for compatibility with legacy software. Future versions of macOS won’t include scripting
language runtimes by default, and might require you to install additional packages. If your software depends on scripting languages, it’s recommended that you bundle the runtime within the app.
Use of Python 2.7 isn’t recommended as this version is included in macOS for compatibility with legacy software. Future versions of macOS won’t include Python 2.7. Instead, it’s recommended that you run python3 from within Terminal.
32 Bit applications are now deprecated
If you still have older software that is 32bit they will NOT load.
Profile installation using the profiles command-line tool will be deprecated in future releases of macOS.
New Activation Lock Option for T2 Macs. – All Mac models with the Apple T2 Security Chip now support Activation Lock — just like your iPhone or iPad. So if your Mac is ever misplaced or lost, the only person who can erase and reactivate it is you. More info: forums.developer.apple.com/message/363374
New Read-Only Filesystem Partition. User data is stored on the 2nd partition “Macintosh HD — Data”. MacOS Catalina runs in a dedicated, read-only system volume — which means it is completely separate from all other data, and nothing can overwrite your critical operating system files.
NOTE: Beta 1 – The Macintosh HD Read Only Partition is writeable
If you want to enable read only you have to place a file in the root of the drive.
sudo touch /.rootro
Then reboot to enable read-only mode.
Verify by trying to create /.rootro2
sudo touch /.rootro2
You should get touch /.rootro2: Read-Only file system
NOTE #2: Beta 2 – The Macintosh HD Read Only Partition is now protected by default
When checking on beta 2 you should get touch /.rootro2: Read-Only file system from running sudo touch /.rootro
TCC now covers the users Desktop & Documents Folder, cloud and external drives. – macOS Catalina checks with you before allowing an app to access your data in your Documents, Desktop, and Downloads folders; iCloud Drive; the folders of third-party cloud storage providers; removable media; and external volumes. In addition, you’re asked before an app can perform key logging or capture a still or video recording of your screen.
User Space System Extensions and SDriverKit. – Previously many hardware peripherals and sophisticated features needed to run their code directly within macOS using kernel extensions, or kexts. Now these programs run separately from the operating system, just like any other app, so they can’t affect macOS if something goes wrong.
Marzipan is now Project Catalyst – Allowing iOS apps to be ported over to macOS using Xcode.
lpadmin: Printer drivers are deprecated and will stop working in a future version of CUPS. CUPS printer drivers and backends are deprecated and will no longer be supported in a future feature release of CUPS. Printers that do not support IPP can be supported using applications such as ippeveprinter.
Enterprise Connect is transforming from an app into a new Apple first-party Single Sign-On macOS extension. This new extension delivers improved Kerberos support on macOS. Developers can now build SSO extensions that integrate with websites or native apps and support identity providers like Microsoft Azure AD, Okta and Ping. 10.14 and under will still support the old application for 1 year.
SecureToken BootStrap or Active Directory BootStrap Tokens will be a new way for Active Directory Accounts to get a SecureToken. This will need to be applied from a UAMDM via profile. This new feature will be for the 2nd 3rd or 4th Active Directory SecureToken User only, NOT the first user to log into the system.
4. Security Changes
Notarization is now enforced for all packages, applications and installers built or after June 1st 2019EDIT: See Update Below.
This includes Kexts, but enforcement was already put into place on macOS Mojave 10.14.5.
Gatekeeper Improvements – Gatekeeper will ensure that all new apps you install — from the App Store or the internet — have been checked for known security issues by Apple before you run them the first time and periodically thereafter. This extends the protection from the app’s source to include automated checks for what’s in the app.
UPDATE: 10/03/19 – Apple has changed this and Kexts will NOT require a reboot! – Kernel Extensions (Kexts) now require a reboot to load – Installing third party kernel extensions now requires that you restart your Mac before they’re permitted to load.
Requirements for trusted certificates in macOS 10.15 – Learn about new security requirements for TLS server certificates in iOS 13 and macOS 10.15. support.apple.com/en-us/HT210176
FileVault & fdesetup changes – FileVault FV2 now requires User-Approved MDM Enrollment or UAMDM. You also can’t pass username/password authentication to fdesetup enable. These changes may break existing scripts, workflows or MDM agents. Be sure to check man fdesetup in 10.15 beta to read more about the new Authorization policy. You will need to follow at least one path to use fdesetup to enable FileVault Encryption.
Advances in macOS Security– We are on a journey to continuously improve macOS security, with a particular focus on preventing malware and protecting user data. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/701/
Network Extensions for the Modern Mac – Learn about powerful new APIs in macOS that you can use to create apps that extend and customize the networking capabilities of macOS without using kernel extensions. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/714
What’s New in Apple File Systems – Learn about what’s new in file system technology, including changes to file system layout and imaging technologies. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/710/
What’s New in Managing Apple Devices – Learn about the latest management enhancements for iOS, macOS, and tvOS and the evolution of management tools over the past year. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/303
App Distribution – From Ad-hoc to Enterprise – Whether you want to share your app with a few colleagues, deliver it to employees within an organization, or release it to the world, there’s a distribution mechanism designed to fit your needs. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/304
Advances in Networking – Part 1 – Keep up with new and evolving networking protocols and standards by leveraging the modern networking frameworks on all Apple platforms and following best practices for efficiency and performance. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/712/
Advances in Networking – Part 2 – Take your networking apps to the next level with advances in Bonjour, custom message framing handlers, and the latest in security. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/713/
Introducing Sign In with Apple – Sign In with Apple is the fast, easy way for people to sign in to apps using the Apple IDs they already have. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/706/
System Extensions and DriverKit – One of the next steps in modernizing and improving the security and reliability of macOS is to provide a better architecture for kernel extensions and drivers. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/702
All About Notarization – Notarization is all about identifying and blocking malicious Mac software prior to distribution, without requiring App Review or the Mac App Store. developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2019/703
7. MacAdmins Blog Links
This list is specifically for MacAdmins. This will be an ongoing list of articles and posts that will help you learn the latest 10.15 changes.
The macOS 10.15 SDK provides support for developing apps for Macs running macOS Catalina 10.15. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11 beta available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11, see Xcode 11 Beta Release Notes.
Installing third party kernel extensions now requires that you restart your Mac before they’re permitted to load.
Deprecations
macOS frameworks are now thinned for the x86-64 architecture. Apps that execute i386 code now fail with the EBADARCH error code. The remaining stub frameworks are nonfunctional and exist only for compatibility purposes.
9. macOS Catalina 10.15 Beta 1 Known Issues
Migration Assistant is currently unable to correctly migrate data from a Mac running macOS 10.15 to another Mac running macOS 10.15.
WarningYour Secure Token might be lost if FileVault is enabled on a non-APFS formatted volume while upgrading to macOS 10.15. You might be able to work around this by disabling FileVault before upgrading to macOS 10.15, then reenabling FileVault once the upgrade has completed.
During installation of macOS 10.15 you might be prompted to enter your administrator password multiple times to allow installation to proceed.
macOS 10.15 cannot be installed onto an encrypted volume unless it is already in the APFS format.
During upgrades to macOS 10.15, files and folders stored at the root-level of a volume are moved aside to /Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-UUID/QuarantineRoot/.
If your Mac currently has macOS 10.10 or earlier installed, you must first upgrade to macOS Mojave 10.14 before upgrading to macOS 10.15.
The Install macOS 10.15 app might quit unexpectedly when run on macOS 10.9.
On Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip, if you’ve used Startup Security Utility to lower Secure Boot to Medium Security or No Security, you’re currently unable to modify Secure Boot settings after upgrading to macOS 10.15.
Workaround: Set Secure Boot to Full Security before upgrading to macOS 10.15. Alternatively, disabling and reenabling FileVault might resolve the issue.
Some apps might not automatically relaunch after installation or updating and must be manually relaunched.
On Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip, VoiceOver is currently unavailable while in macOS Recovery.
When using the SecureEnclave API with access control set on keys, users might not be prompted to authenticate. This might cause subsequent operations requiring authentication to fail.
Volume replication shouldn’t be used with Fusion volumes, either as a source or destination.
