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How to create a genuine macOS installer without access to a Mac?

Creating a macOS installer using Apple recovery on a Windows or Linux PC/Laptop, for installation on Hackintosh

Well, this is relatively easy, thanks to the good work of the Acidanthera team with macrecovery

Warning

Avoid images distributed on the internet. This process will not use a full macOS image, but rather a recovery image. It will download everything from Apple's servers that will be used to install macOS on your PC/Notebook.

Requirements:

• USB flash drive or external SSD with at least 2GB of available space

• EFI compatible with your hardware

Warning

Make sure your EFI is configured correctly to allow internet access this is a requirement, as the recovery will download macOS in real time from Apple's servers

• Obviously, internet access
• Download the macrecovery folder
• Windows or Linux
• Python 3 installed on the machine

Topic navigation

• Step 1
• On Windows
• On Linux
• Step 2
• On Windows
• On Linux
• Thanks
• License

Step 1

Installing Python

On Windows 👀

• when installing on Windows check Add Python to PATH

• Checking the installation:
  • On Windows, open a prompt or terminal and run the command below

python --version #Check the installed python version

• If it returns something like python 3.x.x, the installation was successful and we can go to step 2

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On Linux 👀

• On Linux, Ubuntu for example, usually comes with Python installed, so check first if you have it installed.

  • Checking the installation:
    • On Linux open a terminal and run the command below

python --version # Check the installed python version

Or

python3 --version # Check the installed python version

• If it returns something like python 3.x.x, the python is already installed, we can go to step 2

• Otherwise, for Debian and derivatives, in the terminal run the command below

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y # Updates the package list and installs all available updates without asking for confirmation.

• Enter the user password to update the packages and update the system, once the process is complete, run the command below

sudo apt install python3 -y # Installs Python 3 on your system automatically, without asking for confirmation.

• Enter the user password for installation, after completion close the terminal and open it again. Finally verify the installation by running the command below again

python --version # Check the installed python version

Or

python3 --version # Check the installed python version

• If it returns something like python 3.x.x, the python is already installed, we can go to step 2

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Step 2

Creating installer

On Windows 👀

1. Download macrecovery
2. Format the USB flash drive in FAT32
3. Open the previously downloaded macrecovery folder

4. Open the recovery_urls.txt file

5. As highlighted in the title above, the section in red downloads the macOS Ventura recovery and just copies it. The same goes for other versions.

6. Open a terminal in the macrecovery folder and type python, press space and paste the copied url. Press Enter and wait

7. This screen shows the download completed successfully.

8. Go back to the macrecovery folder and notice that we now have the com.apple.recovery.boot folder. Copy the folder to the previously formatted pendrive

9. Now copy your EFI to the pendrive as well
   • The folder and file structure should look like the screens below

• Files that make up the com.apple.recovery.boot folder

  

• Files that make up the EFI folder

  

• Files that make up the oc folder

  

10. 🎉 Finally we have a pendrive ready to install the macOS chosen in recovery_urls.txt

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On Linux 👀

1. Download macrecovery
2. Format the USB flash drive in FAT32
3. Open the previously downloaded macrecovery folder

4. Open the recovery_urls.txt file

5. As highlighted in the title above, the section in red downloads the macOS Ventura recovery and just copies it. The same goes for other versions.

6. Open a terminal in the macrecovery folder and type python3, press space and paste the copied url. Press Enter and wait

7. This screen shows the download completed successfully.

8. Go back to the macrecovery folder and notice that we now have the com.apple.recovery.boot folder. Copy the folder to the previously formatted pendrive

9. Now copy your EFI to the pendrive as well
   • The folder and file structure should look like the screens below

• Files that make up the com.apple.recovery.boot folder

  

• Files that make up the EFI folder

  

• Files that make up the oc folder

  

10. 🎉 Finally we have a pendrive ready to install the macOS chosen in recovery_urls.txt

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Thanks

• Acidanthera Team
• CorpNewt
• Dortania
• Dicas do Mateus
• Gabriel Luchina
• And others

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License

The MIT License (MIT)

Gilberto | Dev 2024

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