Advice Needed for Upgrading from Sierra to Catalina

[Texangeek]

I have a machine based around an ASRock H97M-ITX/AC motherboard that currently runs Sierra. I'd like to upgrade to Catalina but I'm very wary of breaking my hack if I update. What's the best and most foolproof way to update my system?

 

[Gigamaxx]

I have a machine based around an ASRock H97M-ITX/AC motherboard that currently runs Sierra. I'd like to upgrade to Catalina but I'm very wary of breaking my hack if I update. What's the best and most foolproof way to update my system?

Buy a USB and a spare SSD and follow the UniBeast guide. That way you still have a full backup or original working disk. Do a fresh experimental install on the new drive.
If you download Catalina from the AppStore just go to top tool bar after it opens up and hit close. It will save it to your applications folder so you can make the UniBeast USB.

 

[Texangeek]

Buy a USB and a spare SSD and follow the UniBeast guide. That way you still have a full backup or original working disk. Do a fresh experimental install on the new drive.
If you download Catalina from the AppStore just go to top tool bar after it opens up and hit close. It will save it to your applications folder so you can make the UniBeast USB.

As you will see from my signature, my processor/motherboard are fairly old (Haswell vintage). Is this combo likely to be able to run Catalina successfully using integrated graphics (HD4400)? Are there any specific issues that I ought to be considering before moving ahead with a Catalina upgrade.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Gigamaxx]

As you will see from my signature, my processor/motherboard are fairly old (Haswell vintage). Is this combo likely to be able to run Catalina successfully using integrated graphics (HD4400)? Are there any specific issues that I ought to be considering before moving ahead with a Catalina upgrade.

Thanks for your help!

Haswell works fine in Catalina I have several laptops and desktops working well. Just make sure to upgrade the Clover bootloader and use the latest lilu and whatevergreen Kexts in clover/Kexts/other folder.

 

[matony]

I also can confirm, that the h97m-itx works ok with Catalina.
I just hat to redo my Clover-Configuration. With Whatevergreen it becomes a lot simpler.
however, I still have "problems" with dual-monitor and waking from sleep...

 

[foster]

I am going to recommend OpenCore 0.5.8 for Haswell or newer

Guide here

OpenCore Desktop Guide · GitBook

dortania.github.io

It is more Catalina frendly
Clover has to be updated just about every time new version of Catalina comes out.

 

[matony]

I started with OpenCore and it runs Catalina fine for me. BT, Wireless, Airdrop all work fine. However I still can't get the Displays to connect properly (one has a HDMI-Speaker, which was enabled right away, when I used Clover). I'm having real problems with doing the framebuffer-patch for which I used hackintool so far.