use my previous machine IDs with a new Big Sur installation?

[kentval]

I've got a running Catalina system I want to move to Big Sur by replacing the EFI folder with one set up for OC and Big Sur.

Everything here says I need iMac19,1, and a new serial number and UUID and other machine fingerprints to install Big Sur.
That will mess up some pretty expensive software if it thinks it's on a new machine. Can I copy my serial number, my UUID, my Machine ID (iMacPro1,1) into the BS config.plist and still boot?

I'm hoping to take my newly-configured OC EFI folder, and just replace the current one I'm using with Catalina. If that works, then I"ll do a system update to Big Sur.

Any comments?

 

[Jamesbond007]

I've got a running Catalina system I want to move to Big Sur by replacing the EFI folder with one set up for OC and Big Sur.

Everything here says I need iMac19,1, and a new serial number and UUID and other machine fingerprints to install Big Sur.
That will mess up some pretty expensive software if it thinks it's on a new machine. Can I copy my serial number, my UUID, my Machine ID (iMacPro1,1) into the BS config.plist and still boot?

I'm hoping to take my newly-configured OC EFI folder, and just replace the current one I'm using with Catalina. If that works, then I"ll do a system update to Big Sur.

Any comments?

Are you going to directly upgrade your Catalina installation to Big Sur without doing a clean install?

No reason not to boot if you can boot with your current configuration. There is no need to change to another SMBIOS / serial number which as you said will definitely cause your software to believe they are on another machine and may be deactivate themselves.

However, if you have expensive software at stake, perhaps you may consider cloning your installation to another disk and try to do the modifications on that disk first?

 

[kentval]

Greatly appreciate your prompt reply. Thanks.
Yes, to question #1. I believe I've got a good OC EFI folder. Spent a few hours creating it closely following instructions.
Question #2: yes, again. I've duped myboot nVME to a sata SSD, and built my rig with easily accessible SATA access. So my plan was to take my Clover based Catalina SSD clone; replace the Clover EFI folder on the EFI partition, with the new OC EFI folder, and see if it boots.

I'd think that theoretically that would work.

If so, I'll play with it a bit: check the USB, ethernet, AppleStore and usual suspects. If -that- all works, I'll take my downloaded "install MacOS Big Sur" and run it, again on the SSD clone.

THEN if that all works, I'll repeat the process on my nVME.

Am I overlooking anything?

 

[Jamesbond007]

Greatly appreciate your prompt reply. Thanks.
Yes, to question #1. I believe I've got a good OC EFI folder. Spent a few hours creating it closely following instructions.
Question #2: yes, again. I've duped myboot nVME to a sata SSD, and built my rig with easily accessible SATA access. So my plan was to take my Clover based Catalina SSD clone; replace the Clover EFI folder on the EFI partition, with the new OC EFI folder, and see if it boots.

I'd think that theoretically that would work.

If so, I'll play with it a bit: check the USB, ethernet, AppleStore and usual suspects. If -that- all works, I'll take my downloaded "install MacOS Big Sur" and run it, again on the SSD clone.

THEN if that all works, I'll repeat the process on my nVME.

Am I overlooking anything?

Sounds good to me.

 

[kentval]

Yep: worked just fine. Thanks again!