[Guide] Intel NUC7/NUC8 using Clover UEFI (NUC7i7Bxx,NUC8i7Bxx,etc)

[spottsy]

Worked out deleted post

 

[endera]

Hello,
Is there any progress for Intel Nuc11?

 

[Leesureone]

Hello,
Is there any progress for Intel Nuc11?

As far as I know the NUC11 are few and far between, one site that typically sells all flavors of NUC (Simply NUC) show all of them as unavailable. All NUC11's feature 11 generation CPUs which is an issue being there is no support for them in OSXI. Even in the desktop segment 11th generation CPUs are not being recommended for the same reason. Some of us have 10th generation supported CPUs running on 500 series motherboards, without an external graphics card we have been unable to get accelerated video and USB configuration is wierd.

Like some of the 10th Generation NUC10s they will likely require CPU emulation to be able to boot and graphics performance will be poor. If you do have the ability to buy one I wouldn't bother at this time.

 

[spottsy]

@Leesureone Thanks heaps for keeping page 90 files up to date. I want to do a clean install of Big Sur on my Nuc8i7BEH and downloaded your NUC8i7OC6.8.EFI.zip and copied both "OC" and "Boot" to EFI folder I created on the USB. My existing nuc Catalina is using your Clover files so I'm new to OC. I watched some videos online and I thought I did it right.
Also when I used apples terminal command it didn't create a hidden EFI patition so I did it manually.

Problem is when I boot the nuc using F10 there is no bootloader to choose to boot at present.
Thanks in advance.

I'm formatting and doing all again to see if I messed up somewhere.

 

[Leesureone]

Hi @spottsy, its been a while, hope all is well. So I used to recommend anyone wanting to create a bootable USB drive to use Unibeast and follow the how to guide that supported it but there isn't a Big Sur version (probably because it gets too complicated with how Clover needs to be configured to work with BS and actually work).

When I want to create a bootable drive I format it first with Disk Utility to create a 16 GB GUID Mac OS Extended (Journaled) partition and I name it "MyVolume". Then I use the terminal "Create Media" command to copy the install files over. Here's the link to the commands by OS X version. (make sure you have already downloaded Big Sur already from the App Store).
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

It takes quite a while for that process to complete but terminal will let you know progress. I always adjust my power settings to keep the machine from trying to go to sleep, had some aborted attempts because of that.

Then once done I use EFI Agent to mount the hidden EFI partition on the drive (OpenCore Configurator will work but I don't recommend it for anything else) and delete anything in there. Then empty the trash and copy and paste my EFI folder over to it. Makes sure the folder is only named "EFI" when done and that should boot.

 

[spottsy]

Your a champ thanks. I'll do that now and get back to you. Thanks for the opencore files that is all the hard work of hackintosh which I cannot do. I'll let you know how I go.

Install has started. I got worried there when I booted the USB I briefly got to see the boot and reset nvram icons and then it just did pages and pages of white test scrolling past but eventually it started the install process so it is installing now. Is the white text normal for OC install?

Also I checked unibeast for Big sur support but as you said it is only Catalina for now. In time I guess.

Anyway thanks for confirming the process. Looking forward to Big Sur and playing with OC and getting to know it.

I think the timeout is short is why I didn't get to choose as the install just rebooted and chose before I can click all good. I'm guessing verbose mode is the white text?

 

[Leesureone]

Your a champ thanks. I'll do that now and get back to you. Thanks for the opencore files that is all the hard work of hackintosh which I cannot do. I'll let you know how I go.

Install has started. I got worried there when I booted the USB I briefly got to see the boot and reset nvram icons and then it just did pages and pages of white test scrolling past but eventually it started the install process so it is installing now. Is the white text normal for OC install?

In verbose mode (-v boot argument like clover) yes

Also I checked unibeast for Big sur support but as you said it is only Catalina for now. In time I guess.

Anyway thanks for confirming the process. Looking forward to Big Sur and playing with OC and getting to know it.

I think the timeout is short is why I didn't get to choose as the install just rebooted and chose before I can click all good. I'm guessing verbose mode is the white text?

 

[spottsy]

In verbose mode (-v boot argument like clover) yes

Thanks @Leesureone for the help Bir Sur is working and used OCC to mount EFI partition.

One last question I want to change serial etc is it safe to use either OCC or Clover Configurator to edit serial still on the config.plist? I read elsewhere not to use either due to them being out of date but they were speaking I presume they meant for EFI creation. I know Clover Configurator for doing this. I'll try and see if it breaks I guess. I have my old serial etc from my catalina install which I want to use.

I tried opening config.plist in both OCC and Clover configurator and all fields are empty unlike when I would load using clover.

 

[Leesureone]

Thanks @Leesureone for the help Bir Sur is working and used OCC to mount EFI partition.

One last question I want to change serial etc is it safe to use either OCC or Clover Configurator to edit serial still on the config.plist? I read elsewhere not to use either due to them being out of date but they were speaking I presume they meant for EFI creation. I know Clover Configurator for doing this. I'll try and see if it breaks I guess. I have my old serial etc from my catalina install which I want to use.

I tried opening config.plist in both OCC and Clover configurator and all fields are empty unlike when I would load using clover.

Clover Configurator should be off limits, the two boot loaders are just too different. You could use it to generate serial numbers, like OCC but I would stay away from both. If you find you want to know more about OpenCore you could start reading the Dortania OpenCore Install Guide.
Meanwhile there is a program by CorpNewt called GENSymbios that will help you with serial numbers. You run the program via terminal.

GitHub - corpnewt/GenSMBIOS: Py script that uses acidanthera's macserial to generate SMBIOS and optionally saves them to a plist.

Py script that uses acidanthera's macserial to generate SMBIOS and optionally saves them to a plist. - corpnewt/GenSMBIOS

github.com

 

[spottsy]

Clover Configurator should be off limits, the two boot loaders are just too different. You could use it to generate serial numbers, like OCC but I would stay away from both. If you find you want to know more about OpenCore you could start reading the Dortania OpenCore Install Guide.
Meanwhile there is a program by CorpNewt called GENSymbios that will help you with serial numbers. You run the program via terminal.

GitHub - corpnewt/GenSMBIOS: Py script that uses acidanthera's macserial to generate SMBIOS and optionally saves them to a plist.

Py script that uses acidanthera's macserial to generate SMBIOS and optionally saves them to a plist. - corpnewt/GenSMBIOS

github.com

Thanks I found a video using GenSMBIOS and propertree now all is working and logged in with apple id. Thanks so much all working and finished now using OC. I only use OCC to mount the EFI partion and that is all. Thanks for your quick answers all up and running.

Also been using "Dortania OpenCore Install Guide" guide thanks for suggestion. It was a little complicated for me as it is about putting together the EFI but you did that for me.

Also ages ago you might remember I had problems resuming from sleep with Mojave and Catalina. I actually had a FAULTY unit and Intel replaced it for me now all works. So glad I persisted with Intel to work out it was actually faulty.

Anyway off to install some programs etc. Great forum I don't think I would attempt hachintosh without these files on page 90 and the advice you give.