Macos Catalina On Vmware

on VMware ESXi 6.7 U3 P02

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This macOS Catalina ( VMDK) file format may be used to install and operate macOS Catalina on VMware Workstation, Player, Fusion, and VirtualBox. The best part is, the single macOS Catalina VMware and VirtualBox image work for VMware and VirtualBox. Developing a macOS virtual machine picture needs a complex process of establishing, configuring.
MacOS Catalina (10.15) The sixteenth big update of macOS, Apple Inc.’s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers, is called Catalina.It is the successor to macOS Mojave and was unveiled on June 3, 2019, at WWDC 2019 and launched to the general public on October 7, 2019.

** UPDATE 12/03/2020**

This now installs natively on ESXi 6.7 Update 3 Patch 02 - 202004002

I followed my same procedure below after downloading Catalina and Big Sur.

** I increased the image sise to 13GB as Some Catalina versions were greater than 8GB and Big Sur is 12.9GB

hdiutil create -o /tmp/catalina -size 13000m -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J

hdiutil attach /tmp/catalina.dmg -noverify -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build

/Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/install_build

hdiutil convert /tmp/catalina.dmg -format UDTO -o ~/Downloads/catalina

mv ~/Downloads/catalina.cdr ~/Downloads/catalina.iso

Next, I copy the ISO to a external system (my desktop) an a network drive where I will install from.

In VMware (I am using vCenter)

Name it, I use macos-catalina

Pick a folder, Pick a Server/resource Pool and Pick Storage

For Compatibility, click the dropdown and select ESXi 6.7 Update 2 and later

For Select OS, click the Gueast OS Family drop down and select Other

For Guest OS Version, click the dropdown and select Apple macOS 10.14 (64-bit)

Under the datastore, I choose Disk Provisioning Thin Provision

Finish and save the VM

To install, I open a remote console on the VM

Select VMRC - > Removable Devices -> CD/DVD Drive1 -> Connect to Disk Image File (ISO)

In the OS boot menu, select SATA CD/DVROM, then boot to the installer

Select the VMware Virtual Disk

Give the disk a name

Start the macOS installer and complete the install steps. This takes about 45 minutes total.

Once installed, disconnect the ISO from the console client.

Reboot one last time to make sure it still boots OK.

** UPDATE 04/15/2020**
Seems you need to start at Mojave to be able to download the full Catalina package from the App Store. I started from Mojave so I never ran into the issues found in the comments. Check the comments for what Adam had to say...
** UPDATE 10/17/2019**
After applying the first update, the VM was rendered un-bootable again. That is the same crash that is originally experienced. SEE Boot Work Around at the bottom.
This exercise was to get a running MacOS Catalina VM instance running on VMware. I first wrote this for Catalina Beta but afte rthe official release, a couple things changed. So now it is how to install Catalina on ESXi 6.7.
I am using a 2013 Mac Pro with VMWare 6.7 U2 installed. I have High Sierra and Mojave VMs running on the host. Running VMs on VMware is something I've done for a few years.

A lot has changed in Catalina. Admittedly, I am not a MacOS expert. I'm not particularly good a Mac user either. So, I can't speak to the changes only that it is not currently (Oct 1, 2019) frienld to install on VMware ESXi. Catalina runs fine once you get a working VM though.

The MacOS Part

As of this writing (10/10/2019), You cannot upgrade and existing VM running High Sierra or Mojave. At least, I could not successfully upgrade and boot to Catalina.

If at first You Don't Succeed...

Note: You need to start at Mojave to upgrade to download the fill Catalina package.
I started with trying to upgrade a Mojave VM to Catalina. I just downloaded Catalina from the Apple Store (Search: macos catalina).

I followed the prompts and downloaded the Catalina installation image. I ran though the installation process which seemed to go pretty well. That is until it booted from the upgraded image. Then, it crashed. You can't see the crash, you just has an frozen Apple logo.

To see what is happening, reboot the VM and hold down the Windows Key + v for Verbose mode and see the boot attempt and the kernel panic. Changing VMware setting had no affect. After a couple hours, I gave up.

Try Something Else... And It Worked!

My next tack was to boot from a Catalina ISO. First, I had to create one. I'd done this before on Mojave so it wasn't all unfamiliar. The steps are below. I am not sure where they came from.

First, I had to boot back to Mojave. I had found by rebooting the VM to the Boot Manager settings (you can set this in the VM settings or press escape before the OS loads in a VM console) and Selecting the EFI VMware Virtual SATA Hard Drive (0,0) option (not Mac OS X), that boots to my original Mojave image.
To start from scratch on a Mojave instance, download Catalina from the app store (Search: macos catalina). Just don't run the installer. You need the app image to create the ISO.

Once Mojave loaded, to build the ISO file, I start by making the virtual disk:

hdiutil create -o /tmp/catalina -size 13000m -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J

Then, I mount it to I can copy the installer to it

hdiutil attach /tmp/catalina.dmg -noverify -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build

Now I copy the installer to the mounted image

sudo /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/install_build

The image is automatically mounted and is on your desktop. Select it and un-mount the image.

Now convert the image to an ISO file. You can put the file anywhere but I used ~/Downloads for simplicity

hdiutil convert /tmp/catalina.dmg -format UDTO -o ~/Downloads/catalina

Now rename the file from catalina.cdr to catalina.iso

mv ~/Downloads/catalina.cdr ~/Downloads/catalina.iso

You can delete /tmp/catalina.dmg.

Copy the ISO to your PC or where ever you want to attach it to the VM via a console session. I use WinSCP to copy to my PC.

The VMware Part

I created a blank VM with the following settings:
These are important. Just follow my lead here.

Guest OS Version: Apple macOS 10.14 64-bit

4GB Memory

The rest is default

Once the VM is saved, edit the settings and change to
Guest OS: Windows

Guest OS Version: Windows 10 64-bit

Changed to Windows 10

Next...
Open a Remote Console (VMRC)

Click VMRC --> Removeable Devices --> CD/DVD --> Connect to Disk Image File

Navigate to the catalina.iso file you saved where ever, Click Open

Attach ISO

Now ALT+CTRL+Insert in the VM to reboot it. It will boot from the ISO automatically. If not select the SATA CDROM frm the EFI menu. Note, sometimes it took several reboots for it to successfully boot from the ISO. usually, just one.

Once the installer image loads, use the disk tool to erase the VMware virtual disk (100GB in my case)

Use the default erase options (Note: Your keyboard doesn't work so just accept 'Untitled')

Next, choose to install MacOS

Follow the install steps and install Catalina

Once the install finishes, it will reboot to the OS. Make sure you detach the ISO so you don't boot to the installer again.
Reset the VM
The VM should boot to the image and continue installing Catalina. When it finishes (10 or so minutes) it will reboot.

After the reboot, it will freeze on the blank Apple logo or unsuccessfully load MacOS X. Don't fret.. We're OK.
Power off the VM

Edit the VM setting and change the OS values.

Guest OS Version: Apple macOS 10.14 64-bit

Power on the VM and it will boot to and load Catalina.

Once you go through the setup steps and Catalina is ready to go.

Good luck on your adventure!

Added 10/17/2019

After applying the update, the VM was no longer booting. Same cast at boot with the Apple Logo and no progress.

the work around is to change the boot order in EFI boot settings to boot to SATA Hard Drive 0.0

You need to enter EFI boot configuration for the VM. You can hit escape a the VMware logo or go to the VM settings and set to boor to EFI next boot. Boot/reboot to get the EFI menu

Enter Setup
Configure Boot Options

Change Boot Order
Press Enter then change the boot order in the pop up window using + and - keys. Press Escape when done editing.
Move EFI Virtual SATA Hard Drive (0.0) to the Top
You can see I change the overall boot order to:
Hard Drive
CDROM
Mac OS X

Press Enter to Commit changes and exit

I have bought a new laptop to replace the old one – Sony VAIO E VPCEG23 11 years old, It’s ASUS Zenbook UM425IA from newegg.com, but wait, the AMD laptop. Yeah, it’s AMD Ryzen 7 4700U with Radeon Graphics Vega 7.
This is my new laptop specìication:

ASUS Zenbook UM425IA-NH74
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.1 GHz)
1 TB PCIe NVMe Intel SSD
16 GB LPDDR4X RAM Dual chanel
Windows 10 Professional included
HDMI, USB Type C, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.2 Type A, USB 3.2 Type C and Micro SD card reader
USB-A to RJ45 ethernet adapter and USB-C to Audio Jack dongle

And this guide is a Personal experiment about how to setup the Fresh MacOS on the Laptop AMD with Windows 10 host.

VMware’s graphics acceleration not being compatible with macOS, you will not have any graphics acceleration in your virtual machine.

Prerequisites

CPU also needs to support the SSE4.1 and AMD-V
VMware Player /Workstation Pro 15 or higher
VMware Unlocker: https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker

Configure the VMWare

Install the VMWare as your way, either Player or Workstation will be fine.
Run the Unlocker by running the win-install.cmd with Administrator right.
Open VMWare, create a new VM, Select Apple Mac OS X under Guest operating system and choose 'macOS 10.15' under Version. Leave all the option to the default. We will update the Hard Disk later.
Click on Finish once finished.
Update the Hard Disk by Click on Edit virtual machine settings.

Add a new Hard Disk by click on Add.. -> Hard Disk

Select SATA -> Use an existing virtual disk

Click on Ok when Finished.

Installation MacOS

Start the virtual machine.

The language prompt will come up. Select your language and continue.

Select 'Disk Utility' and press 'Continue'.

Select 'VMware Virtual SATA Hard Drive Media' under 'Internal' hard drive.

Select 'Erase' in Disk Utility. Name the drive 'Catalina'. Change 'Format' to APFS and press 'Erase'. Press 'Done' and close Disk Utility.

Select 'Reinstall macOS' and press 'Continue'.

When the installer opens, press 'Continue'.

Agree to the terms and conditions. Select the hard drive that we erased earlier with Disk Utility and press 'Install'. Sit back and let it install.

The CPU has been disabled by the guest operating system. Power off or reset the virtual machine.

Edit the vmx file by adding the following line to the bottom of the vmx file:

Back to the BIOS, Select 'EFI VMware Virtual SATA Hard Drive (2.0)' and press enter. This is our Catalina installer that we are booting.

Once the installer has booted, click on 'Utilities' in the Finder bar and select 'Terminal'.

Type this command in Terminal (replacing 'Catalina' with whatever you named your hard drive earlier):

With that command, we coppy all the prelinkedkenel under the installation source CatalinaAMD
/Volumes/CatalinaAMD/System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/prelinkedkernel to the Hark Disk Catalina /Volumes/Catalina/macOS Install Data/Locked Files/Boot Files/

After execute the command, restart the VM again. The Catalina installation process will be continued:

If the VM restarts and you get a ‘CPU is disabled’ error, close the error window, attempt to close the VM window, select ‘Power Off’ and reopen VMware.

Reboot the VM back into the BIOS, select the installer and open Terminal once again. Time to do the post-install commands. (replacing 'Catalina' with whatever you named your hard drive earlier):

You may get errors, Ignore those errors, the prelinkedkernel should still rebuild just fine.

Close Terminal and reboot into your hard drive. The VM should boot into the setup now. Go through the setup process but DO NOT SIGN IN WITH YOUR APPLE ID, choose 'Set Up Later'.

Vmware Player Macos Catalina

The setup almost be done. Do your best 😀

=> Upgrade to the Big Sur

Nam Le,
Personal experiment with https://amd-vm.hackintosh-guides.ml/

Last modified on August 6th, 2021 at 3:37 pm

Nam Le
lequocnam