MP 7,1 Mojave on a 2019 Mac Pro 7,1. Time to hack.

[jjhny]

I'm going through the possibilities of installing Mojave on a 7,1 Mac Pro. Please don't reply if you feel compelled to only say it's not possible (not interested in hearing defeatists rant on and on - please go enjoy your Catalina experience). Defeatists aren't useful - they're just thread destroyers.

In computing almost anything is possible if you have the right tools. Certainly they ran Mojave on the development 2019 Mac Pros, and Thunderbolt 3 existed since 2017 for Mojave installs. iMacs, MacBooks and MacMini's from 2017 had Thunderbolt 3. Same with T2 chip (since 2018)web. On a Polish site they showed how Mojave already had the built-in PCI port configurer app for the 2019 Mac Pro, among other 2019 Mac Pro kexts and system core apps.

Would like to hear from anyone who can be helpful. Again, if you want to say it isn't possible, thank you, you've already been heard from in other threads that tried to discuss this - so please don't hijack this thread (use your powers of defeatism somewhere else). The fact is, there is no reason Mojave can't be force installed on a new Mac if you turn off SIP and the T2 chip (which I've already done). It is possible to hack the installer to think the 2019 is an approved machine. I'm already running my 'Users' folder on an external HFS+ drive (this is not approved of but works fine). I'm running High Sierra off on an internal HFS+ SSD in a 5,1 Mac Pro - told I shouldn't do that. Well it works better than when it was formatted as APFS (horrible file system) much faster boot, etc.

So the only question is; how do we load it? Some approaches may be using the "macOS Mojave Patcher Tool" - will contact the author of that and see if it is doable. I am willing to use my $9k Mac Pro as a test bed, as Catalina is so buggy (sleep issues, etc.) that I'm willing to try anything. If it fails, can always do a clean install. Obviously this will not be an approved install so this isn't for novice users.

 

[profdraper]

Perhaps ... if anybody's going to be able to do this it may be Collin at dosdude. (eg, he got Catalina working on unsupported MP5,1). Maybe drop him a line?

 

[SecuritySteve]

The biggest thing you will need to do is to inject "-no_compat_check" into your boot arguments. There's
one way I can imagine you doing this.

The first way is to install Mojave on a secondary drive using a supported Mojave computer. Then once booted on the second computer, run this:

sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

Then reboot. Note that you will need to disable SIP to inject boot arguments at runtime. Then reboot to ensure that it will boot with the new boot argument.

Then take the drive and attach it to your Mac Pro 7,1. You should be able to boot from it right then and there (horray!) but if you want it on your internal Apple SSD blades, you will need to clone to those drives while booted from the external.

I'm not sure that'll work, and obviously I do not have a 7,1 to test it, but I think this is enough to get you started.

 

[rawweb]

A very interesting project! Poking around a bit today on my old 5,1, I noted that version 10.14.5 seems a bit confused about my Mac Pro 7,1. It produced a Classic CheeseGrater icon in network menus. While that doesn't mean anything, the icon obviously wasn't in the system files. Catalina has been out since October so assuming all pre-release review units were on 10.15. Out of curiosity, does anyone know someone that had a pre-production 7,1 that could report what build number the OS was? OP, do you have any concern over port mapping or video drivers? I just wonder if apple had a special build for pre-production, or if it was just on Catalina beta?

Best of luck to you on this! Look forward to learning more.

 

[star-affinity]

One possible problem is that Mojave probably won't include the graphics driver you need depending on the GPU you have or -- worth keeping that in mind. Can probably be other drivers and stuff missing in Mojave too, but I won't say it's impossible (simply because I don't know what would be required).

By the way, High Sierra always ran great for me on my MacPro5,1 using APFS on a SSD.

 

[jjhny]

The biggest thing you will need to do is to inject "-no_compat_check" into your boot arguments. There's
one way I can imagine you doing this.

The first way is to install Mojave on a secondary drive using a supported Mojave computer. Then once booted on the second computer, run this:

sudo nvram boot-args="-no_compat_check"

Then reboot. Note that you will need to disable SIP to inject boot arguments at runtime. Then reboot to ensure that it will boot with the new boot argument.

Then take the drive and attach it to your Mac Pro 7,1. You should be able to boot from it right then and there (horray!) but if you want it on your internal Apple SSD blades, you will need to clone to those drives while booted from the external.

I'm not sure that'll work, and obviously I do not have a 7,1 to test it, but I think this is enough to get you started.

I think I'll make an attempt - in the past I did this all the time - installed an OS on another compatible machine, the cloned it across (after changing the compatibility list) and then just dragged in the correct extensions (kexts now). I know this will be another level of hack, but right now it's sitting there doing nothing and I don't mind doing it (I find it weirdly enjoyable).

Also emailed Collin as he is the 'Pro from Dover' on these things.

 

[Tupilaq]

Wouldn't it be possible to use the method Apple has documented in January 2019 for other Macs, which is to create an additional APFS volume in the startup disk to install an older (or beta ) version of the OS ?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208891
Maybe the T2 security chip of the new model does not allow that, even if lowering the security level at the minimum. I wish I could have access to a Mac Pro 2019 to test that !

 

[ilandmac]

Wouldn't it be possible to use the method Apple has documented in January 2019 for other Macs, which is to create an additional APFS volume in the startup disk to install an older (or beta ) version of the OS ?
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208891
Maybe the T2 security chip of the new model does not allow that, even if lowering the security level at the minimum. I wish I could have access to a Mac Pro 2019 to test that !

Tried it, no luck ?

 

[shaun david]

I think I'll make an attempt - in the past I did this all the time - installed an OS on another compatible machine, the cloned it across (after changing the compatibility list) and then just dragged in the correct extensions (kexts now). I know this will be another level of hack, but right now it's sitting there doing nothing and I don't mind doing it (I find it weirdly enjoyable).

Also emailed Collin as he is the 'Pro from Dover' on these things.

Hi there. I am wondering if you had any luck with this? I have a 7,1 on the way, and am not ready to give up my dream of running Mojave on it just yet!

 

[Macschrauber]

Have you guys simply tried to boot an usb stick made with Dosdudes patcher?

Of course after altering the T2 settings to allow this?

Mojave supported GPU in of course and no specific patches of dosdudes preboot tool.

 

[shaun david]

Have you guys simply tried to boot an usb stick made with Dosdudes patcher?

Of course after altering the T2 settings to allow this?

Mojave supported GPU in of course and no specific patches of dosdudes preboot tool.

Have not tried this, nor have I used any dosdude software. I have a Mojave installer USB thumb drive; however I made it before the security certificates expired, so it probably won't work. I have heard it may be possible to run Mojave on a 7,1 with Parallels. I have not used Parallels before, myself...seems possibly a bit daunting.

 

[asimilon]

Have you guys simply tried to boot an usb stick made with Dosdudes patcher?

Of course after altering the T2 settings to allow this?

Mojave supported GPU in of course and no specific patches of dosdudes preboot tool.

I tried using Dosdudes patcher and got no joy, however I don't have a Mojave supported GPU to try with (was stuck at High Sierra on my cMP 5,1 for this reason).

In a "no idea what I'm doing" move, I replaced all kexts in S/L/E on the Mojave installer stick with those from Catalina install, unsurprisingly nothing improved when booting from the stick

On the off chance I also tried the "-no_compat_check" boot flag from above to no avail.

I would be *very* keen to get Mojave installed as some key software I use *still* hasn't be updated to be Catalina compatible.

 

[MisterAndrew]

Try making a Mojave VM with Fusion.

How to set-up a OSX Mojave VM in VMware Fusion

This is a short guide on how to set-up a Apple OSX Mojave machine in VMware fusion and how to create the iso file needed during installation.

www.huibdijkstra.nl

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

I'm curious why you want to run Mojave on the 7,1. Is it for the 32bit app compatibility? If so, What I was wondering is might it be easier to bring the mountain to Mohamed so to speak and copy those libraries over into Catalina and get 32bit apps running under Catalina. But you may have different reasons, curious as to what they are?

 

[asimilon]

I'm curious why you want to run Mojave on the 7,1. Is it for the 32bit app compatibility? If so, What I was wondering is might it be easier to bring the mountain to Mohamed so to speak and copy those libraries over into Catalina and get 32bit apps running under Catalina. But you may have different reasons, curious as to what they are?

For me it's audio software that won't yet run under Catalina. The DIGICheck from RME and some AIR Music Tech plugins that still haven't been fixed.

 

[MisterAndrew]

If those apps come in a Windows version you may be able to run them with CrossOver. It runs 32-bit apps in Catalina.

Celebrating the difficult; the release of CrossOver 19 | CodeWeavers Blog

By Jeremy White | I am excited that we have released CrossOver 19 and we're providing support for 32 bit Windows applications on an operating system with no 32 bit libraries - our own Christmas Miracle.

www.codeweavers.com

 

[asimilon]

If those apps come in a Windows version you may be able to run them with CrossOver. It runs 32-bit apps in Catalina.

Celebrating the difficult; the release of CrossOver 19 | CodeWeavers Blog

By Jeremy White | I am excited that we have released CrossOver 19 and we're providing support for 32 bit Windows applications on an operating system with no 32 bit libraries - our own Christmas Miracle.

www.codeweavers.com

I think we're getting a bit off topic now, but the plugins definitely not possible, they are running inside Cubase, and I have a strong suspicion that the DIGICheck would also not work since it relies on being connected to the RME sound card in order to work.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Might be possible to bare metal Mojave now with ESXi:

Update on ESXi on Apple Mac Mini 2018 & Mac Pro 2019

Although there has not been any news in some time regarding the support for ESXi on the latest Apple Mac Mini 2018 and the recently released Apple Mac Pro 2019, there has definitely been work happe…

www.virtuallyghetto.com

 

[AidenShaw]

Might be possible to bare metal Mojave now with ESXi

Nothing about ESXi is even remotely bare metal....

 

[evilzardoz]

Interested to see how this pans out. I expect a lot of drivers will be broken, but could be solved by 'downgrading' the GPU...

I'd love to run Mojave on my 16" MacBook Pro!

 

[Minghold]

I think I'll make an attempt - in the past I did this all the time - installed an OS on another compatible machine, the cloned it across (after changing the compatibility list) and then just dragged in the correct extensions (kexts now). I know this will be another level of hack, but right now it's sitting there doing nothing and I don't mind doing it (I find it weirdly enjoyable).

Slightly off-topic, but I'd kill to know what kexts I need to move from High Sierra into a dosdude1-patched Mojave to get that newer OS to run on 2009-to-'11 iMacs with both hardware-acceleration and wifi enabled.