Download Mojave From Catalina

on VMware ESXi 6.7 U3 P02

** UPDATE 12/03/2020**

Download Macos Catalina Vmware And Virtualbox Image Download Macos Catalina Vmware and Virtualbox Image. With that said, if you want to install macOS Catalina at a certain point, whether developing some apps or catch up with everything, you’ll definitely want the macOS Catalina VMware or even VirtualBox image. This image is pretty different. How to download macOS Big Sur. If macOS Big Sur doesn't automatically install on your partitioned hard drive (if it installs macOS Catalina instead, for example), you can install it from your System Preferences in About this Mac. After you have macOS Catalina installed, you can follow the instructions to download and install macOS Big Sur.

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

How To Download Mojave From Catalina

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

Can't Download Mojave From Catalina

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

How Do I Download Mojave From Catalina

You can see I change the overall boot order to:
Hard Drive
CDROM
Mac OS X

Press Enter to Commit changes and exit

Apple release every year a new operating system for there user. Indeed all of theme are currently much successful and attracted their user to be more satisfied. When Apple announces there OS for the public, firstly, they bring in developer mode. Every year Apple bringing huge changes to there operating system. Like macOS X El Capitan, macOS X Yosemite, macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra, and macOS Mojave is out new and perfectly professionally made. With every feature of macOS Mojave, you are able to make your work easy. Such as after a longtime Apple experimented to bring the dark mode them into there OS. And finally, they did it and brought changes to there look too. Download macOS Mojave 10.14 ISO for VMware & VirtualBox.

Every feature and functionality of the macOS Mojave is outstanding. For example, High Sierra allowed you to change the menu bar and dock to dark color, indeed that changes made the look a bit bright. But during the installation of macOS Mojave on your PC you can choose the dark mode. The included features in macOS Mojave are Dynamic Desktop, Desktop Stacks, Screenshots Markups, Screenshot Utility, Continuity Camera, iOS Apps on Mac, The APP Store, Finder, and others. Well, there’s is more to talk about macOS Mojave goodness’s, but the better way to access its features install it on your PC.

Installing macOS Mojave on Mac or PC – Hackintosh is pretty easy. First, we ready the required files, then creating a Bootable USB, and Post-Installation USB files. Gaining to install macOS Mojave on Windows PC is difficult and impossible. But again to the world developers era for there beneficial tools that they allow the opportunity to install macOS Mojave on Windows PC. In case, there is an easy way to install macOS Mojave on Windows PC. Like you can install macOS Mojave on VMware on Windows PC. Or more than that you can install macOS Mojave on VirtualBox on Windows PC.

Related: Download macOS Mojave Image file for VMware & VirtualBox

Download macOS Mojave ISO For VMware & VirtualBox

Download Mojave Using Catalina

When it comes to terms of installing macOS Mojave on VMware or VirtualBox. Using the macOS Mojave VMDK file or image file. As I have provided you the link in the above paragraph. Particularly, there are to main methods of installing macOS Mojave on VirtualBox and VMware. Before we were using for the purpose of installing macOS Mojave on VirtualBox or whether VMware using the exact VMDK “Virtual machine disk file”. But we prepared to install macOS Mojave in another way also.

And that is installing macOS Mojave on VirtualBox and VMware using the ISO file of Mojave. When it comes to VirtualBox, I think these tools of Virtualization are similar. We use ISO file of macOS Mojave for installing on VirtualBox on Windows PC too. We’ve downloaded and created the ISO file of macOS Mojave to install on Windows PC or somewhere else. All the required files of macOS Mojave is ready to download, there is no need again to access to Apple Mac Store for downloading macOS Mojave file. The macOS Mojave ISO file is downloaded, created, compressed, and uploaded on Google Drive. And I think if you follow the installation method that we did, you never face any kind of problem during the installation.

Download macOS Mojave ISO File

Also, you can download macOS Mojave 10.14 ISO file for VMware & VirtualBox latest version. The files are uploaded in MediaFire, which encrypted and compressed with WinRAR. And for the extracting the files you can use whether WinRAR or 7Zip. Indeed while extracting the file you will required the password, and you can find the password below the download links.

When the download is completed, you need to extract the compressed file. To do that use the WinRAR or 7Zip. Again if you faced any problem in the downloading case. Then check the below article on how to download macOS Mojave.

Again you can update macOS Mojave on VirtualBox or VMware on Windows to the latest version. There aren’t any differences between the updating method on VMware and VirtualBox. To that follow the bellow method.

That is the required file of macOS Mojave for installing macOS Mojave on VMware or VirtualBox. I think there aren’t any differences between the installation using the ISO file and VMDK file. But using the ISO file is a bit simple than the VMDK file.

That’s all about the macOS Mojave ISO file. Now everything is ready. let’s dig into the installation process of macOS Mojave on VMware & VirtualBox. To do that check the below links.

Install macOS Catalina on VMware on Windows PC [New Method]

One of the pretty easy ways of installing macOS Mojave on Windows PC is using VirtualBox. VirtualBox is also, a famous Virtualization tool. To do that installation of macOS Mojave on VirtualBox with a new method then check the below article.

Install macOS Mojave on VirtualBox on Windows PC [New Method]

That’s all about macOS Mojave ISO file, again if you think there is remaining something. Then feel free to share with us in the comment section. If the content was useful for you then your feedback is a big support for us. Also, don’t forget to share the post with your friends on social network platforms.

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