Cloning Big Sur possible?

[Connie Mac]

So you have elected to install Big Sur fresh on a new SSD and then migrate the user data from another disk, and not cloning the old Big Sur disk to the new?

That's correct. I just put in the 2 TB SATA m.2 SSD, reinitialized as APFS (naming it BigSur) and then fresh install of Big Sur, then Migration Assistant to move my home folder and Applications folder over from my old Mojave install. Surprisingly, my copy of Aperture was not moved over by Migration Assistant. So, I went to the App Store to log in and it won't let me, so I couldn't re-download Aperture. Password was correct but clearly an issue that I need to sort out. I tried logging into Messages and same issue. I used the same serial number, UUID, etc. from my previous Mojave install that worked just fine. I probably need to review the Idiot's Guide to iMessage to diagnose the problem. This computer is ethernet-only; it has no WiFi abilities (and Bluetooth is via a USB device for my Magic Mouse). Unfortunately, I changed my SSD's name from "BigSur" to "macOS" and when I tried to reboot, it failed to start. In OpenCore list, the SSD's name was still "BigSur". So, I thought I could just boot back up in Mojave and rename the SSD, but upon boot, I had a message saying that the BigSur/macOS drive wasn't compatible with Mojave (probably the Signed System Volume you mentioned above?). Of course, a volume named "macOS Data" mounted on my desktop, but that clearly isn't the boot partition, I suspect.

I had a couple of other issues. The first was that the DropBox app would not launch, indicating there was a potential permissions issue with /var/folders/v5. From Get Info, I set the permission to Read and Write (and all enclosed items) but that did not resolve it. The second, and bigger problem, was that a genetic analysis program I use that runs on JAVA would not complete its open, stating that there was a problem creating the graphical display window. If I can't get this fixed, then I won't be updating to Big Sur. This is a critical software package that I need. Perhaps it just requires a newer version of JAVA?

There may have been other issues, but I won't have time to really dig into it until mid-April. So, for now, I'll stay with Mojave.

May I hear the reason why you decided against the cloning procedure?

Mostly because I was sure it would work. When I get time in a few weeks I will try it again but use the cloning procedure.

 

[Connie Mac]

I updated Mojave on my Z97 to Big Sur without issues, I did not update over the Mojave volume, but used a separate hard drive for Big Sur. This was straight forward. When Big Sur was up and running I installed CCC and cloned the drive to a bare drive as CCC wanted full access to erase it. The clone booted without problem on another machine, it even updated to 11.2.3. I'm not 100% sure but I think the main issue maybe CCC might need to be on Big Sur to actually clone it. I upgraded first to Big Sur, so can't say for sure. But that's the way I did it.

Hmm, pretty sure this is what I tried to do, but CCC wouldn't do the job. Can you provide step-by-step instructions?

 

[Jamesbond007]

That's correct. I just put in the 2 TB SATA m.2 SSD, reinitialized as APFS (naming it BigSur) and then fresh install of Big Sur, then Migration Assistant to move my home folder and Applications folder over from my old Mojave install. Surprisingly, my copy of Aperture was not moved over by Migration Assistant. So, I went to the App Store to log in and it won't let me, so I couldn't re-download Aperture. Password was correct but clearly an issue that I need to sort out. I tried logging into Messages and same issue. I used the same serial number, UUID, etc. from my previous Mojave install that worked just fine. I probably need to review the Idiot's Guide to iMessage to diagnose the problem. This computer is ethernet-only; it has no WiFi abilities (and Bluetooth is via a USB device for my Magic Mouse). Unfortunately, I changed my SSD's name from "BigSur" to "macOS" and when I tried to reboot, it failed to start. In OpenCore list, the SSD's name was still "BigSur". So, I thought I could just boot back up in Mojave and rename the SSD, but upon boot, I had a message saying that the BigSur/macOS drive wasn't compatible with Mojave (probably the Signed System Volume you mentioned above?). Of course, a volume named "macOS Data" mounted on my desktop, but that clearly isn't the boot partition, I suspect.

I had a couple of other issues. The first was that the DropBox app would not launch, indicating there was a potential permissions issue with /var/folders/v5. From Get Info, I set the permission to Read and Write (and all enclosed items) but that did not resolve it. The second, and bigger problem, was that a genetic analysis program I use that runs on JAVA would not complete its open, stating that there was a problem creating the graphical display window. If I can't get this fixed, then I won't be updating to Big Sur. This is a critical software package that I need. Perhaps it just requires a newer version of JAVA?

There may have been other issues, but I won't have time to really dig into it until mid-April. So, for now, I'll stay with Mojave.

I believe Aperture no longer works under Catalina already :

Aperture bites the dust: macOS Catalina and 32-bit applications - Macfilos

News - Aperture bites the dust: macOS Catalina and 32-bit applications

www.macfilos.com

So it is no surprise it does not work under Big Sur and is not migrated.

 

[Connie Mac]

There's a patcher called "Retroactive" that allows Aperture (and iPhoto and iTunes) to run on Catalina and Big Sur.

 

[madhouse28]

Hmm, pretty sure this is what I tried to do, but CCC wouldn't do the job. Can you provide step-by-step instructions?

So this is what I did please excuse any rambling on....

I aquired a new (second hand) edition of hardware (well new to me), a Gigabyte GAZ97-HD3 motherboard. Not knowing if it was any good and didn't want to spend out on a processor in case it was no good, I purchased the lowest cheapest CPU I could find. This was a Pentium G3240 Haswell. I got this to work in clover (and am amazed just how well this runs for a £5 (5GBP) chip, I then studied open core for ages and finally got it to boot up Mojave that was a previous installation on the Optiplex 990 I have. Filled with joy and excitement at my achievement I thought... would it update to Big Sur?? Sure enough it updated to Big Sur very, very easily to another hard drive I had. So Big Sur was on 11.2.2 and was running just sweet on the GA97-Z97-HD3.

I downloaded CCC and cloned the BS drive to another drive, that drive was in a USB3 external caddy (Orico 6139U3), and it cloned easily, and CCC confirmed it was a successful clone.

I then put this clone into a very old legacy Dell T5400 and rearranged the config file to suite. low and behold that boots up just fine too!!! (except I have to break the rules and use a dsdt file else it won't boot)

After I posted that comment the other day here, I re-cloned the GA-Z97-HD3 spinning disk yesterday using CCC version 5.1.25 (6155) to an SSD, again another successes. So I know for sure that CCC will clone BS as I have 2 hacks running it.

The one thing I would say is that CCC asks/suggests to allow it to erase the destination drive, did you allow it to do that? I did. Wether or not using an external caddy for the clone also has any bearing I don't know. Finally; both installations of BS have been upgrades though, and not direct usb installs. This is all I can say..... Again apologies for any rambling.

 

[foster]

I use Carbon Copy Cloner with no issues
in fact I was forced to use a clone to restore Big Sur do to accidently wiping the Big Sur NVMe SSD while trying to install Windows 10. I did not loose anything critical. Just note USB HDD Are slow

 

[djbuddha]

Hey all, not sure if this applies here, or if there is something I'm missing for Monterey, but maybe someone can shine some light on this.

Previously, I was running Mojave w/ Clover and my process was simple, mount the EFI from my boot NVME with my stable install, mount my external SSD's EFI, both drives being formatted identically (APFS) - which seems to make the EFI folder FAT-32 (which makes sense for the machine to see it). Copy the EFI folder from the root from the NVME into the root of the external SSD. Unmount both, run Carbon Copy Cloner from the NVME to the external SSD and it would boot with no issue. I have my old Mojave install and it boots / runs fine.

But now, I've done a complete wipe of internal NVME and did a fully clean, fully stable working install of Monterey using OpenCore with all my plugins, keyboard shortcuts, programs etc. And it's flawless. So naturally I want to back this up before I install anything that could be system-breaking or have any other issues. This install would be my default to recover from.

So I did the same process using the latest version of Carbon Copy Cloner and the same EFI process noted above. No dice. It seems to boot off the drive into the OpenCore boot-loader, but my drive doesn't show up at all as a choice. I can choose my internal NVME.

The EFI folders are identical between the internal NVME & the external SSD.

In my config.plist, I have ScanPolicy set to 0 (to show all drives) on both the NVME & the SSD
I've tried a different SSD.
I've tried using both SSDs in the enclosure that boots the Clover/Mojave install successfully.
I've tried banging my head against the desk & crying.

I know I'm doing this right, I've done it so many times before. But is there something I'm missing here w/ OC or Monterey or both? I know this is a Big Sur thread, but if it needs to be moved to Monterey, it's all good, I can re-post it there if need be.

Here's the EFI folder structure. First is from the internal NVME, 2nd is from the external SSD. They're identical.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[zipb]

Making a bootable external copy of your boot disk is more involved now(thanks, Apple!). Check the CCC FAQ.

 

[djbuddha]

Making a bootable external copy of your boot disk is more involved now(thanks, Apple!). Check the CCC FAQ.

Trying their workaround now. Wow Apple, wow. I set it to Legacy Bootable Copy Assistant. I’ll double check that it didn’t wipe the EFI, but if it did, I guess just copy the EFI folder back in?

 

[zipb]

Yes, that should work. AFAIK.