Dortania's OpenCore Install Guide

OpenCore is a boot loader used to prepare X86-based PC systems for macOS. It functions by injecting critical data such as SMBIOS, ACPI tables, and kexts (kernel extensions). Unlike other boot loaders like Clover, OpenCore is designed to support macOS security features like System Integrity Protection and FileVault.

Key considerations for users:

• Complexity: This is not a one-click installation. It requires manual configuration and learning the underlying mechanics of your Hackintosh setup.
• Beta Status: OpenCore is frequently updated. Configuration settings (such as specific 'quirks') may change between versions.
• Primary Goals: The guide focuses on installing macOS on X86 PCs and understanding the technical components that make the installation work.

Decide on an installer type based on your current operating system and hardware availability:

Offline Installer

• Description: Contains a complete copy of macOS.
• Platform Requirement: Can only be created using macOS. Windows and Linux lack the necessary APFS/HFS drivers to assemble a full installer.

Online Installer

• Description: A small recovery image (~500MB) that downloads macOS from Apple servers after booting.
• Platform Requirement: Can be created on macOS, Linux, or Windows.
• Requirement: The target machine must have a working internet connection via a macOS-supported network adapter.

To perform a macOS Big Sur installation in VirtualBox, you need:

• VirtualBox installed.
• A computer running macOS.
• The desired macOS installation software installed to /Applications.
• A USB attached hard disk or SSD.

To create a macOS installer on Linux, use the macrecovery.py script from the OpenCorePkg repository.

1. Navigate to the macrecovery directory within your OpenCore folder.
2. Run the python3 ./macrecovery.py command with the appropriate -b (Build ID) and -m (Model ID) flags for your target macOS version.

Important Notes:

• The downloaded files will be BaseSystem.dmg and BaseSystem.chunklist (or RecoveryImage files). Both function identically for this process.
• For macOS 12 and above, it is highly recommended to map your USB ports using USBToolBox before installation.
• CAUTION: XhciPortLimit is broken in macOS 11.3+ and causes boot loops. Use a mapped USB configuration instead.

If you cannot use the App Store, you can download macOS installers via the terminal. This command lists available full installers and prompts you to enter the version number you wish to download. The downloaded installer will be saved in your /Applications folder.

softwareupdate --list-full-installers; echo; echo "Please enter version number you wish to download:"; read REPLY; [ -n "$REPLY" ] && softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version "$REPLY"

To boot macOS on a Sandy Bridge laptop, you must add specific SSDTs to your config.plist under ACPI -> Add. These files must be placed in EFI/OC/ACPI and have a .aml extension.

Required SSDTs:

• SSDT-PM: Required for CPU power management (generate using ssdtPRGen.sh during post-install).
• SSDT-EC: Fixes the embedded controller.
• SSDT-XOSI: Redirects Windows-specific _OSI calls to macOS (Darwin) to enable features like XHCI.
• SSDT-PNLF: Fixes brightness control (not required for Intel NUCs).
• SSDT-IMEI: Required only for Sandy Bridge CPUs with 7-series motherboards to add the missing IMEI device. Not needed for 6-series motherboards.

Adjust your Intel BIOS settings as follows:

Disable:

• Fast Boot
• Secure Boot
• Serial/COM Port
• Parallel Port
• VT-d (unless DisableIoMapper is set to YES in Kernel Quirks)
• CSM (Compatibility Support Module) - Must be OFF
• Thunderbolt (for initial install)
• Intel SGX
• Intel Platform Trust
• CFG Lock (If no option exists, enable AppleXcpmCfgLock under Kernel -> Quirks)

Enable:

• VT-x
• Above 4G Decoding
• Hyper-Threading
• Execute Disable Bit
• EHCI/XHCI Hand-off
• OS type: Windows 8.1/10 UEFI Mode (or "Other OS")
• DVMT Pre-Allocated (iGPU Memory): 64MB or higher
• SATA Mode: AHCI

Munki's installinstallmacos.py script allows you to select and download specific macOS versions.

For macOS Monterey 12.3 or above: Apple removed python2.7, so you must install Command Line Tools for Xcode and the xattr module for Python 3 to avoid errors:

1. Run xcode-select --install in Terminal.
2. Run pip3 install xattr.

Execution Command: Use the following command to download the script and run it with python3:

mkdir -p ~/macOS-installer && cd ~/macOS-installer && curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/main/installinstallmacos.py > installinstallmacos.py && sudo python3 installinstallmacos.py

Once finished, a DMG containing the installer will be in ~/macOS-installer/. It is recommended to move the Install macOS.app into the /Applications folder.

After mounting the root partition, install the KDK components and rebuild the kernel cache.

For Big Sur and newer:

1. Copy KDK files: sudo ditto /Library/Developer/KDKs/<KDK Version>/System ~/livemount/System
2. Rebuild cache: sudo kmutil install --volume-root ~/livemount --update-all
3. Create snapshot: sudo bless --folder ~/livemount/System/Library/CoreServices --bootefi --create-snapshot

For Catalina and older:

1. Copy KDK files: sudo ditto /Library/Developer/KDKs/<KDK Version>/System /Volumes/<Target Volume>/System
2. Rebuild cache: sudo kextcache -invalidate /Volumes/<Target Volume>

# Big Sur+ Example
sudo ditto /Library/Developer/KDKs/<KDK Version>/System ~/livemount/System
sudo kmutil install --volume-root ~/livemount --update-all
sudo bless --folder ~/livemount/System/Library/CoreServices --bootefi --create-snapshot

This guide provides the configuration requirements for AMD CPUs with Family 15h (Bulldozer) and 16h (Jaguar).

Compatibility:

• Initial macOS Support: macOS 10.13 High Sierra
• Last Supported OS: macOS 12 Monterey
• Note: macOS 13 Ventura and later are not supported for these CPUs.

Core Principles for OpenCore Configuration:

• Define all properties: OpenCore does not use fallback defaults; do not delete sections unless explicitly instructed.
• Do not use configurators: Avoid third-party GUI tools that may add Clover properties or corrupt the config.plist. Use ProperTree instead.
• Customization: The Sample.plist provided with OpenCore must be manually configured for your specific hardware.