Beginners Guide to using OC Auxiliary Tools App (Also known as OCAT)

[trs96]

It will always show the one you're currently on before trying the update.

After clicking the dropdown menu (small triangle) then the Latest Version option shows up.

Since 0.8.8 is the newest, there's no point in updating. You'd just get what you already have.

 

[Chimiel]

It will always show the one you're currently on before trying the update.

View attachment 561659
After clicking the dropdown menu (small triangle) then the Latest Version option shows up.

View attachment 561660

Since 0.8.8 is the newest, there's no point in updating. You'd just get what you already have.

Thnx, your efforts are appreciated

 

[esafeddie]

It may be because the developer of the app doesn't want to keep changing it every month when the newer version of OC comes out by the tenth of the month.

Actually that is the exact reason. In the early stages of OC development, the developer changed the version with every release of OC but announced it was too time consuming for him to keep changing as he had other projects to attend to so he changed the operation for the user to fetch the latest OC version and insert it to the app as needed.

I think this is what is confusing new users but a little reading of the many Guides and How to will explain exactly what the app is all about and its operation. Github has a really deep dive of the app and it's operation by another tester by the name 5T33Z0.

 

[trs96]

Here's the most concise way to demonstrate how easily updating the OpenCore version via OCAT works. Make a video !

If the video doesn't play here, watch on YT. Thanks.

 

[craighazan]

Here's the most concise way to demonstrate how easily updating the OpenCore version via OCAT works. Make a video !

If the video doesn't play here, watch on YT. Thanks.

You are god to 'visual learners' everywhere!. Thanks.

 

[esafeddie]

• Where to start? I hit the EFI mounter and it gives me a list of partitions from my drives (I have many)... Unfortunately, there is a bug and the list is half improperly labelled duplicates of the boot drive, and the drive I want to work with is mounted, but not listed.

Not wanting to prolong the debate of what is lacking in OCAT or good about it, I went through all the posts again with the thought of possibly requesting some recommended features to the Developer and came across this comment which I thought was a valid point.

To be honest I don't know at what stage this feature was added as I just has OCAT set to fetch 'Nightly' (beta) OC and kexts versions but this was a good discovery to settle the above query I think or am I missing the mark?
(Forgive me if this has been covered already my problem is age related ....That excuse works every time)

 

[Bustycat]

OCAT is very handy for me. I no longer need to manually check the differences between my config.plist and sample.plist every time, or what files I need to update. The UI has to be improved however as showing icons only is not that user-friendly.

 

[zipb]

It may not be ideal, but it sure is more convenient than OC Configurator, or editing by hand with BBEdit

 

[esafeddie]

The UI has to be improved however as showing icons only is not that user-friendly.

If you hover over the icons with the mouse pointer long enough, a small popup comes into view with the function of the icon tab when selected.

 

[5T33Z0]

Some rectifications about OCAT:

1. Gabriel Luchina was not involved in creating content for the database! I reviewed his "base" configs, adopted them and created (improved) config templates covering all sorts of Intel CPUs (Desktop and HEDT). My base configs include framebuffer patches and variations for useage scenarios (iGPU/GPU) and SMBIOSes as well – his don't. These config templates have then been integrated into the App's Database. It took a lot of time to do it…
2. OCAT doesn't "download" EFI folders. Instead it generates them based on the selected config.plist template itself, with all the files and kexts as explained here in detail: https://github.com/5T33Z0/OC-Little-Translated/blob/main/F_Desktop_EFIs/README.md
3. As far as Credits are concerned: I did create all of the Intel config templates (about 40!) and all the Quirk settings for Intel CPU in the "Preselection" dropdown menus in OCAT. All AMD Templates were created by Fabiosun, not Gabriel, since I am unfamilar with AMD. AMD is a different beast in terms of creating templates for it since they require MMIO whitelists and sets of different kernel patches depending on the CPU, etc, etc.