Big Sur Update: No "Boot macOS Install from Macintosh HD" option on clover boot screen

[realgamer1]

I'm following the Update Directly to macOs Big Sur Guide. I've completed steps 1-4, but I see no "Boot MacOS Install from Macintosh HD" (or similar) option in the clover boot menu after the forced restart at the end of step 4. I'm not sure what to do from here.

My complete process so far:

1. I started on 10.15.3. I've used this configuration with Catalina successfully for 12+ months or so?
2. I updated my clover from 2.5k_r5104 to r5138. I ran into issues booting, but resolved them by updating all my UEFI drivers and kexts to the latest versions and some config.plist updates derived from this post. This allowed me to successfully boot and run 10.15.3 with clover r5138.
   
3. I then moved through the update guide successfully until step 5. After the reboot at the end of step 4, there is no "Boot MacOS Install" (or similar) option on my clover boot screen. I've hidden some options from the list there, but even after using F3 to show all hidden options, the option isn't there.
4. I instead moved through the list, but with the update to 10.15.7 instead of Big Sur. After reboot, I do see the appropriate install option and can successfully move through the update to 10.15.7. I'm now successfully running MacOS 10.15.7 with the latest clover, r5138, without issue.
5. Again, I return to the Big Sur update guide, but have the same issue with step 5 - there's no "Boot MacOS Install" option after installation prompts a restart.

I don't see any errors or any other indication that something isn't working. Everything boots properly and the clover boot menu loads without issue.

Notes:

• I'm trying to use the v11.4 of the Big Sur installer and am currently on macOS 10.15.7 using Clover r5138.
• I'm using "iMac19,1" system definition and have been successfully for 18 months or so.
• As part of my clover update (#2 above), I had to remove FwRuntimeServices.efi in favor of OpenRuntime.efi. I don't believe this has any significance here, as everything has worked with macOS 10.15.3 and 10.15.7 since this change.

I'm using the following UEFI drivers and kexts. All are the latest version available.

UEFI Drivers (EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI/*):

• ApfsDriverLoader.efi
• AppleImageCode.efi
• AppleKeyAggregator.efi
• AppleUITheme.efi
• AudioDxe.efi
• FirmwareVolume.efi
• FSInject.efi
• HFSPlus.efi
• OcQuirks.efi (with OcQuirks.plist)
• OpenRuntime.efi
• SMCHelper.efi
• UsbKbDxe.efi
• UsbMouseDxe.efi

Kexts (EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/*):

• AppleALC.kext
• FakeSMC.kext
• IntelMaui.kext
• Lilu.kext
• WhateverGreen.kext

 

[Edhawk]

Have you checked that you have HFSPlus.efi or VBoxHfs.efi present in the /CLOVER/drivers/UEFI folder?

One of these two drivers not being present is the usual reason for the macOS installation partition not showing on the Clover boot screen.

 

[realgamer1]

Hi @Edhawk -

Thanks for your reply. It turns out that I had both HFSPlus.efi and VBoxHfs.efi installed. Your post seemed to imply that only one of them is needed. After looking around, I found this post by pastrychef which seemed to confirm that only one is needed.

So, my next steps were:

1. Delete VBoxHfs.efi and try installing MacOS Big Sur with just HFSPlus.efi (of the two) installed. This did not work, same issue as original post - everything appears to work, but no special boot option after restart.
2. Next, I deleted HFSPlus.efi and tried installing with just VBoxHfs.efi. Same issue.
3. I looked around a bit more and found a post on another forum where someone had no boot options at all (not related to an upgrade). Without any real information there, they said that their solution was to install the PartitionDxe.efi driver.
4. Next, I tried using PartitionDxe.efi with HFSPlus.efi, then with VBoxHfs.efi. Neither worked - same issue.

I will say that my machine does seem to boot faster with only one of those drivers installed (vs both). It doesn't feel significantly faster, and tbh, I'm not sure it's even actually faster lol. I just feel like the little loading bar is going faster than it did before.

Since PartitionDxe.efi seemed like a longshot (it seemed like if I needed it then I wouldn't see any boot options at all), I removed it. I updated my original post with all of the drivers and kexts that I have installed.

Additionally, I do see a partition where the MacOS Big Sur Installer is installed. In Disk Utility, I see a new disk, "Apple UDIF read-only Media" which seems to contain data that is 12.43GB (exactly the size of the Big Sur installer in my applications folder). I see this same disk in Clover Configurator too, with an accompanying EFI partition.

Do you think that it's worth creating a USB installer and trying that? Would I be able to upgrade, i.e. keep all of my files, etc with that approach?

Thanks again for your help so far.

 

[Edhawk]

Having HFSPlus.efi or VBoxHfs.efi present in your CLOVER setup is essential for booting a HFS+ drive, i.e. non-APFS Apple formatted drive. As you said you only need one, never both of these kexts.

FYI, HFSPlus.efi is deemed to be a faster and better driver than VBoxHfs.efi. But some licensing issues prevent the developers of Clover and OpenCore from including the HFSPlus.efi driver with their releases. OpenCore have recently added an alternative driver, OpenHFSPlus.efi. I have no idea if that is any good, but I would assume it works as well as HFSPlus.efi, given the OC developers endeavours for getting things correct.

Looking at the list of drivers in your /CLOVER/drivers/UEFI folder I would say that unless you are using FileVault, you have a number of drivers that are never used. Plus the last two drivers are completely unnecessary for booting your hack. The Quirks.plist is also unnecessary, if you have included the quirks listed in the file in your config.plist.

This is the list of drivers I think you need in your /CLOVER/drivers/UEFI folder:

• ApfsDriverLoader.efi
• FSInject.efi
• HFSPlus.efi
• OcQuirks.efi
• OpenRuntime.efi
• SMCHelper.efi

The PartitionDxe.efi driver is not required for booting newer versions of macOS. It was last required when booting OSX Mavericks.

As you aren't showing a USBPorts.kext is available for your USB port configuration, I would recommend you add these two kexts to your /CLOVER/kexts/Other folder:

• USBInjectAll.kext
• XHCI-unsupported.kext

Regarding the Boot Screen entries not showing. Check that you have the Scan > Custom > Entries & Tools options selected/enabled in your config.plist.



close up of Scan section in Clover Configurator.

 

[realgamer1]

Thanks again, @Edhawk -

I appreciate the various HFS drivers and why many of the other drivers would be needed.

I removed the extra drivers as you suggested and that change seems fine and good. Thank you!

Re: USBInjectAll.kext and XHCI-unsupported.kext - I'm hesitant to make changes to USB things as I did a mapping when I installed Catalina in 2020. I do have a CLOVER/ACPI/patched/SSDT_USB.aml file that maps the USB ports I want to use. And all of that seems to work flawlessly. Unfortunately, I'm a ding dong and didn't document why I did that or any other parts of my build. That said, I will try installing those kexts at some point.

Re: Gui > Scan > Custom settings - I did not previously have the Tool checkbox checked. I did check that and tried to install again, but ran into the same issue.

One thing that I may have overlooked previously, and unfortunately may have sent both of us down the wrong path, is that when I successfully updated to from 10.15.3 to 10.15.7 yesterday, after running the installer (i.e. step #4 from the Update Directly to macOs Big Sur Guide), during the restart, but before my computer actually restarted, I did go to a screen where I saw the apple logo and a loading bar for a few seconds (idk how long exactly, definitely not several minutes), then the computer restarted and I could select the Install MacOS option in the clover boot menu. However, when I do this step with the Big Sur install, I never see that logo / loading bar and the computer just restarts the same as if I just clicked restart in the menu. Thinking back to other updates on macs, I feel like it always goes to the apple logo / loading bar before restarting.

 

[P1LGRIM]

Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere so just in case, with a RX 5700 XT you must boot with agdpmod=pikera.

 

[Edhawk]

Let's try to make this simpler. Can you post a copy of your Clover folder, redact or delete the Serial number, Board Serial number, SmUUID, MLB and ROM from the config.plist you post here. We can then get a better picture of what you are using and what you are not using.

 

[realgamer1]

P1LGRIM, thank you. Yes, I am using that boot arg.

@Edhawk - I believe my issue is resolved by enabling SIP. In my config.plist, I had RT Variables > CsrActiveConfig set to 0x67. I changed this to 0x00, rebooted, and then ran the installer. After the forced restart, I now have the "Install MacOS" option in my clover boot menu. The install hasn't finished, but seems to be working.

For my new build last year I mostly followed pastrychef's guide: Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming build with working NVRAM. In the third post in that thread, they mention that not enabling SIP might cause issues with Big Sur or newer:

Should I disable System Integrity Protection (aka SIP)?
I don't recommend it, especially if you are running Big Sur (or newer).
Please see here for a great explanation of changes in Big Sur that makes this impractical.

As far as posting my clover folder, I'm happy to do that still if you still think it will be helpful for me or future readers.

Thank you again for all of your help.

 

[Edhawk]

There is no need to post your CLOVER folder if you have it working again.