Contribute
Register

[SUCCESS] Gigabyte Designare Z390 (Thunderbolt 3) + i7-9700K + AMD RX 580

Mojave install is still intact/fine, less kexts deleted from /Library/Extensions per the Update Micro-Guide, plus have a backup before those deletions (and checked to make sure that was OK, EFI and OSX).
You can always mount the EFI partition of the backup drive and copy the entire EFI folder to the EFI partition of the internal Mojave SSD. Then boot from the internal Mojave SSD to ensure that Mojave still boots up. Don't worry if some Ethernet ports don't work or audio doesn't work (because those kexts were removed from /L/E). We just want to check if Mojave still boots up, and nothing more. If it boots up, you can then start the Mojave-to-Catalina update process again.

Can't update to Catalina via System Preferences (can only go to Big Sur there), but I s'pose should be possible to update from App Store.
We use GibMacOS to download and install Catalina. Please refer to Post 1 in the Z490 Vision D build guide, Step 1.

But before doing this I guess I need to do some homework on config.plist. Moving RtVariables and SMBIOS blocks over from my Mojave install did not seem to do the trick, maybe those sections don't include system definitions (so showing 18,1 instead of 19,1) and for some reason SerialNumber in System Info was different from what was in config.plist file in boot EFI. The SMBIOS block I copied over from my Mohave install also had incorrect BIOS info, as I had updated from F8 to F9i, date and version at least.
There should be no confusion about system definition. If you are currently using iMac19,1 there is no reason that should change. Use Hackintool to see the current system credentials, like this:
Screen Shot 2020-12-06 at 5.17.23 AM.png


I also have to refresh my memory on how Hackintosh serial numbers work. Not sure if they are supposed to show as valid when you check coverage, or not …
They should be invalid when you check coverage.
 
You can always mount the EFI partition of the backup drive and copy the entire EFI folder to the EFI partition of the internal Mojave SSD. Then boot from the internal Mojave SSD to ensure that Mojave still boots up. Don't worry if some Ethernet ports don't work or audio doesn't work (because those kexts were removed from /L/E). We just want to check if Mojave still boots up, and nothing more. If it boots up, you can then start the Mojave-to-Catalina update process again.

I never copied the EFI over to my Mojave SSD, that would have been after updating to Catalina. My Mojave install is still in good shape, if the kexts that were deleted did anything I haven't noticed (Ethernet is fine, and for audio I just just use digital speakers). Turns out I guess I botched copying RtVariables and SMBIOS sections from Mojave config.plist to the new Catalina config.plist. Just tried fixing that and can't boot into Mojave with the Catalina EFI, maybe I goofed something else up. Happy to post the config.plist file, is the only thing that needs to be redacted the serial number?

We use GibMacOS to download and install Catalina. Please refer to Post 1 in the Z490 Vision D build guide, Step 1.

What's the advantage of this approach for a Mojave to Catalina upgrade vs just doing a clean Catalina install (with your May 2020 updated files) and then using Migration Assistant to bring everything over? Having enough problems with the upgrade path that maybe this would be easier, and I have plenty of SSDs. Still a little curious how each of these will handle home folder on a different drive from the OS.

There should be no confusion about system definition. If you are currently using iMac19,1 there is no reason that should change. Use Hackintool to see the current system credentials, like this:
View attachment 500020

Again my bad on this, and understood.

They should be invalid when you check coverage.

Got it, thanks. Valid at EveryMac.com, and invalid with Apple.
 
I never copied the EFI over to my Mojave SSD, that would have been after updating to Catalina. My Mojave install is still in good shape, if the kexts that were deleted did anything I haven't noticed (Ethernet is fine, and for audio I just just use digital speakers). Turns out I guess I botched copying RtVariables and SMBIOS sections from Mojave config.plist to the new Catalina config.plist. Just tried fixing that and can't boot into Mojave with the Catalina EFI, maybe I goofed something else up. Happy to post the config.plist file, is the only thing that needs to be redacted the serial number?
It's possible that the EFI memory driver in the Catalina EFI folder is not playing nicely with Mojave. Please try creating an OpenCore 0.6.3 EFI folder instead by following the OpenCore 0.6.3 mini-guide. Once the OpenCore EFI folder is copied to the EFI partition of a USB flash disk (not to the internal SSD), try booting Mojave from it (press F12 at BIOS splash screen and select the USB flash disk).

Let's just get Mojave to boot with the new EFI folder, then we can worry about the next step.
 
It's possible that the EFI memory driver in the Catalina EFI folder is not playing nicely with Mojave. Please try creating an OpenCore 0.6.3 EFI folder instead by following the OpenCore 0.6.3 mini-guide. Once the OpenCore EFI folder is copied to the EFI partition of a USB flash disk (not to the internal SSD), try booting Mojave from it (press F12 at BIOS splash screen and select the USB flash disk).

Let's just get Mojave to boot with the new EFI folder, then we can worry about the next step.
Yeah no obvious problem booting into my Mojave installation with OpenCore 0.6.3, following your guide. I didn't need to reset NVRAM.

1607277951599.png


But still wondering about upgrade vs clean install/migrate choice.
 
Yeah no obvious problem booting into my Mojave installation with OpenCore 0.6.3, following your guide. I didn't need to reset NVRAM.

View attachment 500040

But still wondering about upgrade vs clean install/migrate choice.
Great, now we can just forget about Clover... :)

If you have many applications already installed, it's better to perform an in-place upgrade. You can still download the Catalina installer via GibMacOS, which will create a file called Install macOS Catalina in the Applications folder. Just launching that application will perform an in-place upgrade.

You can always do a fresh installation as well, but that would mean reinstalling applications (and plug-ins), relicensing applications (and plug-ins), and copying your Documents, Photos, Movies, etc. to the new drive. I do not recommend using Migration Assistant.
 
Great, now we can just forget about Clover... :)

If you have many applications already installed, it's better to perform an in-place upgrade. You can still download the Catalina installer via GibMacOS, which will create a file called Install macOS Catalina in the Applications folder. Just launching that application will perform an in-place upgrade.

You can always do a fresh installation as well, but that would mean reinstalling applications (and plug-ins), relicensing applications (and plug-ins), and copying your Documents, Photos, Movies, etc. to the new drive. I do not recommend using Migration Assistant.
Yeah no drama with OpenCore for me. Thanks for pushing me forward on that.

I do have a fair number of apps installed, so not using Migration Assistant would be somewhat painful. I will try the in-place upgrade as you suggest, maybe on a scratch SSD first, then if that is OK I can do it on my NVMe OS drive, or clone the SSD to the NVMe. Speaking of the NVMe, man does that thing (Samsung Pro) get hot. 58 degC now while backing up to a SSD. I didn't put the heatsink that came with the MoBo on it, maybe I should do …
 
Last edited:
Try NVMeFix.kext, for me it lowered the temperature of my 970 Pro by almost 10° Celsius...
Thought about that, but Casey already included that in his install files.

1607293566287.png
 
Back
Top