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Big Sur install guide?

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Nov 10, 2016
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Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 6
CPU
i7-6700K
Graphics
RX 5700 XT
Mac
  1. MacBook
  2. Mac Pro
Mobile Phone
  1. Android
For other Mac OSes, there have been step by step guides. Like this one for Catalina -> https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...alina-on-any-supported-intel-based-pc.285366/

But I do not see one for Big Sur. I only see one for the Big Sur Beta -> https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-big-sur-public-beta-installation-usb.300100/

Am I missing something? should I use the guide for the Big Sur Beta?

thanks!
The reason is that Unibeast and MultiBeast have not yet been updated for Big Sur so you can't use them to install and configure Big Sur.

You will have to use OpenCore (or Clover 5124 and later) as bootloader for Big Sur and for making the USB installer. You can use the guide to make the USB installer for Big Sur but you will have to install and configure the bootloader yourself.

You may also consult the Dortania Guide.
 
Thank you for your reply.

I'm updating my GPU from a 1080 to a Radeon Rx 5700 Xt, so currently my hackintosh is running High Sierra. I do not consider myself an expert hardware guy nor an expert hackintosher but I have had this current hachintosh since 2016 and I've done a couple of clean installs.

What do you recommend: Should I use Unibeast (which I'm familiar with) and install Catalina? Or should I use OpenCore and install Big Sur? My concern with OpenCore and Big Sur is that both are relatively new and I don't have the time and skill to deal with blockers.

Thank you for any advice.
 
Thank you for your reply.

I'm updating my GPU from a 1080 to a Radeon Rx 5700 Xt, so currently my hackintosh is running High Sierra. I do not consider myself an expert hardware guy nor an expert hackintosher but I have had this current hachintosh since 2016 and I've done a couple of clean installs.

What do you recommend: Should I use Unibeast (which I'm familiar with) and install Catalina? Or should I use OpenCore and install Big Sur? My concern with OpenCore and Big Sur is that both are relatively new and I don't have the time and skill to deal with blockers.

Thank you for any advice.
If you will have a RX 5700 XT, then sure, you can go ahead with Unibeast to install Catalina instead of Big Sur.

Personally I am probably never going to upgrade to Big Sur myself, and I would suggest just going to Catalina at this time for your hardware if you are familiar with Clover.

Do any of the software you are using require upgrades after an OS upgrade to either Catalina or Big Sur? If so make sure they are compatible with the OS you are going to install before doing the OS upgrade.
 
Thank you for the advice. Why do you think you will probably never upgrade to Big Sur?
My work does not require "the latest and greatest OS", actually I don't even need Catalina. More importantly, I have several issues with Big Sur which I don't think will be resolved during the lifetime of Big Sur :

(1) Lack of standalone updaters.
(2) Inability to perform a bootable clone of the system from one disk to another (or from one partition to another partition on the same disk) using cloning software like SuperDuper. (Carbon Copy Cloner may work in this case but I don't use it at this time so cannot confirm.)
(3) Performance problems with VMware Fusion due to Apple's hypervisor framework in Big Sur.

(1) and (2) are my major objections. As for (3) I currently run VMware Fusion 11 on Sierra and High Sierra with no performance problems and will not upgrade so that at least can be avoided.
 
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In Big Sur you can not use something like Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable clone?!
Not with SuperDuper, at least, not in the way you can with previous versions like Mojave and Catalina, where you can direct the software to make the clone and the clone will be bootable afterwards. I am not sure about Carbon Copy Cloner as I don't use it myself.

A workaround provided by the author of SuperDuper basically says that you can clone the Data volume (including applications and data) using an older version of SuperDuper and then install Big Sur onto the clone.

That "install Big Sur" part is what I don't like. It was not necessary before. I blame Apple's implementation of Big Sur's SSV (Signed System Volume) for that. In my opinion this is a case of "too much security" sacrificing convenience.

I don't want to deal with Big Sur (and later versions) if these issues are not resolved to my satisfaction.

Edit : Reading the CCC site and it seems to say that Carbon Copy Cloner should be able to make bootable clones with Big Sur (but with caveats). If in the future I am forced to upgrade MacOS (I don't think I will need to, but who knows?) I may have to test CCC to see if it works to my satisfaction. Still, the lack of standalone OS updaters will be a big minus to me.
 
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Carbon Copy Cloner does work BTW. I just made a clone last week. The only stipulation is you put the clone back on the same computer as Big Sur has cryptographic signature (I presume, tied to your motherboard). It is alsways a good idea to make a clone before you do an update/upgrade in case it all goes wrong.
Thank you for your confirmation.

You say "The only stipulation is you put the clone back on the same computer as Big Sur has cryptographic signature (I presume, tied to your motherboard)."

Does this mean that we can't clone Big Sur to another disk and then use that disk to boot it on another machine, like it was possible on previous MacOS versions? Or, if the motherboard dies, then Big Sur has to be reinstalled from source and I can't use the copy on the same disk to boot on a new motherboard?
 
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