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Create MacOS ISO

This repository provides automated workflows to create bootable macOS installers for virtualization. Choose the appropriate workflow based on your target macOS version:

macOS Version Workflow Method Output
10.7-10.8 Installer for macOS (10.7-10.8) Direct InstallESD conversion DMG + ISO (enhanced bootable)
10.9-10.12 Installer for macOS (10.9-10.12) ASR Restore DMG + ISO (VM-optimized)
10.13+ Installer for macOS (10.13+) Apple Software Update DMG + ISO

Setup

  1. Fork this repository to your own GitHub account
  2. The workflow will automatically push ISO files to your forked repository's container registry
Requirements for Mavericks (10.9) Recovery Workflow

Credit: Community research and extraction method by Wowfunhappy

To use the Mavericks (10.9) Recovery API workflow, you must extract secrets from a Mac that originally shipped from Apple with OS X Mavericks preinstalled. Only Macs with factory Mavericks installations will have valid secrets for this process.

Supported Macs and Board IDs:

Model Board ID
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013/Early 2014) Mac-35C1E88140C3E6CF
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013/Early 2014) Mac-2E6FAB96566FE58C
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013/14) Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) Mac-F65AE981FFA204ED
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC
iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) Mac-77EB7D7DAF985301
Mac mini (Late 2014) Mac-7DF21CB3ED6977E5
Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac-F60DEB81FF30ACF6

Instructions:

  • Use one of the above Macs to extract the required secrets (BOARD_SERIAL and ROM).
  • The BOARD_ID is not a secret and must be set directly in the workflow file. If you use a different Mac model, update the BOARD_ID value in .github/workflows/unified-asr.yml to match your hardware's Board ID.
  • Add BOARD_SERIAL and ROM as GitHub Actions secrets before running the Mavericks workflow.

Creating an ISO

This repository provides three optimized workflows to cover all macOS versions:

  1. Installer for macOS (10.7-10.8) - Enhanced bootable method for oldest versions
  2. Installer for macOS (10.9-10.12) - Recommended for all versions 10.9-10.12
  3. Installer for macOS (10.13+) - For modern macOS versions

Legacy macOS (10.7-10.8) - Enhanced Bootable Method

  1. Go to the Actions tab in your forked repository
  2. Click on the Installer for macOS (10.7-10.8) workflow
  3. Click Run workflow
  4. Select from the dropdown menu:
    • 10.8 Mountain Lion
    • 10.7 Lion
  5. The enhanced workflow will:
    • Download the official Apple DMG
    • Extract the InstallESD.dmg directly (preserving boot structure)
    • Create a properly bootable ISO using UDTO format
    • Verify the ISO contains essential boot files (boot.efi, BaseSystem.dmg)
  6. Enhanced ISOs are tagged with descriptive names (e.g., 10.8-mountain-lion, 10.7-lion)

Enhanced Benefits:

  • Direct InstallESD conversion: Preserves original Apple boot structure
  • VM-optimized: Tested and verified in Parallels ✅
  • Proper boot files: Includes boot.efi and BaseSystem.dmg for reliable booting
  • UDTO format: Optimized for VM platform compatibility

Note: Legacy installers often have expired certificates. The workflow automatically strips code signatures and bypasses certificate validation to ensure compatibility.

Note: If an ISO with the same version already exists in your registry, it will be overwritten with the new one.

Unified ASR Workflow (10.9-10.12)

The Installer for macOS (10.9-10.12) workflow provides a single, consistent method for creating macOS 10.9-10.12 installers using the proven ASR (Apple Software Restore) method:

  1. Go to the Actions tab in your forked repository
  2. Click on the Installer for macOS (10.9-10.12) workflow
  3. Click Run workflow
  4. Select your desired macOS version:
    • 10.9 (Mavericks)
    • 10.10 (Yosemite)
    • 10.11 (El Capitan)
    • 10.12 (Sierra)
  5. Choose output format:
    • Both DMG and ISO (recommended for testing)
    • DMG only (best for Parallels Desktop)
    • ISO only (best for VMware/VirtualBox)

Key Benefits of the Unified ASR Workflow:

  • Same proven method for all versions 10.9-10.12
  • Automatic download handling: Uses Recovery API for Mavericks, direct URLs for others
  • Full package copying: Replaces symlinks with actual installer packages
  • Proper volume blessing: Ensures reliable VM boot compatibility
  • Both formats: Creates both DMG and ISO outputs when requested
  • VM-optimized: Tested and verified across Parallels ✅, VMware, and VirtualBox

Modern macOS (10.13+)

Reference: Steps adapted from OSXDaily: How to Create a MacOS Big Sur ISO File

  1. Go to the Actions tab in your forked repository
  2. Click on the Installer for macOS 10.13+ workflow
  3. Click Run workflow
  4. The workflow will first list all available macOS versions with their build numbers (e.g., 10.13.6-17G66, 11.7.6-20G1231)
  5. Enter the macOS version you want to download in one of these formats:
    • Version-Build format: 10.15.7-19H2 (for precise selection)
    • Version-only format: 10.13.6 (works when only one build exists for that version)
  6. Select the output format from the dropdown menu:
    • Both DMG and ISO (default, recommended for most users)
    • DMG only (best for Parallels Desktop)
    • ISO only (best for VMware/VirtualBox)
  7. The workflow will validate your input and automatically resolve it to the correct version-build combination
  8. The selected artifact(s) will be created, optimized for minimal size, and pushed to your GitHub Container Registry:
    • ISO: ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:VERSION-BUILD
    • DMG: ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:VERSION-BUILD-dmg

Tip: You can always download either artifact later using oras pull (see below for details).

Supported Input Formats

Installer for macOS (10.7-10.8):

  • Dropdown selection only: Choose from predefined options in the workflow interface

Installer for macOS (10.9-10.12):

  • Dropdown selection only: Choose from predefined options in the workflow interface

Modern macOS (10.13+):

  • Dropdown selection for output format: Choose from Both DMG and ISO (default), DMG only, or ISO only in the workflow interface
  • Exact version-build: 10.15.7-19H2, 11.7.6-20G1231 (for precise selection)
  • Version-only: 10.13.6, 12.4 (works when only one build exists for that version)
  • Invalid examples: 10.15.7 (when multiple builds like 19H2, 19H15 exist - you must specify the build)

Downloading an existing ISO or DMG

To download an ISO or DMG that has already been created and pushed to your registry:

# Install oras if not already installed
brew install oras

# Download Unified ASR installers (10.9-10.12) - ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Mavericks-iso      # 10.9 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Yosemite-iso       # 10.10 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:El_Capitan-iso     # 10.11 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Sierra-iso         # 10.12 ISO

# Download Unified ASR installers (10.9-10.12) - DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Mavericks-dmg      # 10.9 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Yosemite-dmg       # 10.10 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:El_Capitan-dmg     # 10.11 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:Sierra-dmg         # 10.12 DMG

# Download modern macOS ISO (version-build format)
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.13.6-17G66           # 10.13 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.14.6-18G103          # 10.14 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.15.7-19H15           # 10.15 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:12.7.4-21H1123          # Monterey ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:13.7.6-22H625           # Ventura ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:14.7.6-23H626           # Sonoma ISO

# Download modern macOS DMG (version-build-dmg format)
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.13.6-17G66-dmg       # 10.13 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.14.6-18G103-dmg      # 10.14 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.15.7-19H15-dmg       # 10.15 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:12.7.4-21H1123-dmg      # Monterey DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:13.7.6-22H625-dmg       # Ventura DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:14.7.6-23H626-dmg       # Sonoma DMG

# Download enhanced legacy macOS ISO (bootable format)
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.8-mountain-lion-iso  # 10.8 ISO
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.7-lion-iso           # 10.7 ISO

# Download enhanced legacy macOS DMG (bootable format)
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.8-mountain-lion-dmg  # 10.8 DMG
oras pull ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:10.7-lion-dmg           # 10.7 DMG

Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your GitHub username. You can only download versions that have been previously created through the workflows in your forked repository.

Browsing Available ISOs

To see what macOS ISOs are available in your registry:

Via GitHub Web Interface:

  1. Go to your GitHub profile: https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME
  2. Click on the Packages tab
  3. Look for the macos-iso package
  4. Click on it to see all available versions/tags

Via Command Line (Terminal):

# List all available versions/tags in your registry
oras repo tags ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso

# Get detailed information about a specific version/tag
oras manifest fetch ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/macos-iso:TAG

Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your GitHub username and TAG with the version/tag you want details for.

Direct URL:

You can also browse directly at: https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME?tab=packages&repo_name=macos-iso

Available macOS installers

Finding available software

Apple Silicon (macos-latest) available versions:

  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.5, Size: 15283299KiB, Build: 24F74, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.4.1, Size: 15244333KiB, Build: 24E263, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.4, Size: 15243957KiB, Build: 24E248, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.3.2, Size: 14890483KiB, Build: 24D81, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.3.1, Size: 14891477KiB, Build: 24D70, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.6, Size: 13338327KiB, Build: 23H626, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.5, Size: 13337289KiB, Build: 23H527, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.4, Size: 13332546KiB, Build: 23H420, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.6, Size: 11910780KiB, Build: 22H625, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.5, Size: 11916960KiB, Build: 22H527, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.4, Size: 11915317KiB, Build: 22H420, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.7.4, Size: 12117810KiB, Build: 21H1123, Deferred: NO

Intel (macos-13) available versions:

  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.5, Size: 15283299KiB, Build: 24F74, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.4.1, Size: 15244333KiB, Build: 24E263, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.4, Size: 15243957KiB, Build: 24E248, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.3.2, Size: 14890483KiB, Build: 24D81, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sequoia, Version: 15.3.1, Size: 14891477KiB, Build: 24D70, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.6, Size: 13338327KiB, Build: 23H626, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.5, Size: 13337289KiB, Build: 23H527, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Sonoma, Version: 14.7.4, Size: 13332546KiB, Build: 23H420, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.6, Size: 11910780KiB, Build: 22H625, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.5, Size: 11916960KiB, Build: 22H527, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.7.4, Size: 11915317KiB, Build: 22H420, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.7.4, Size: 12117810KiB, Build: 21H1123, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.7.10, Size: 12125478KiB, Build: 20G1427, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8055522KiB, Build: 19H2, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8054879KiB, Build: 19H4, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8055650KiB, Build: 19H15, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.6, Size: 8056662KiB, Build: 19G2006, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.6, Size: 8055450KiB, Build: 19G2021, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.5, Size: 8043778KiB, Build: 19F2200, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.4, Size: 8057341KiB, Build: 19E2269, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.3, Size: 7992550KiB, Build: 19D2064, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Mojave, Version: 10.14.6, Size: 5896894KiB, Build: 18G103, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Mojave, Version: 10.14.5, Size: 5892394KiB, Build: 18F2059, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS Mojave, Version: 10.14.4, Size: 5894794KiB, Build: 18E2034, Deferred: NO
  • Title: macOS High Sierra, Version: 10.13.6, Size: 5099306KiB, Build: 17G66, Deferred: NO

Note: Some new macOS versions (Big Sur 11 and later: Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia, and all future releases) include a corecrypto component and other Apple Silicon–specific files in the installer. This is required for proper boot and security on Apple Silicon hardware. **However, when running these workflows on GitHub Actions (which uses Intel x86_64 runners), the downloaded installer will typically be the Intel version and may not include Apple Silicon–specific files like corecrypto.

Supported Runners and Installer Availability

Important:

  • Apple Silicon runners (macos-latest): Only support downloading macOS Big Sur (11) and later. These runners will fetch universal/Apple Silicon installers, including ARM-specific files like corecrypto. Installers for 10.13–10.15 (High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina) are not available on Apple Silicon runners.
  • Intel runners (macos-13): Required to download 10.13–10.15 installers. Use these runners if you need Intel-only or legacy installers.
  • Recommendation: If you want a universal/Apple Silicon installer, use macos-latest. If you need 10.13–10.15, use macos-13.

Troubleshooting

Unified ASR Workflow (10.9-10.12)

The unified ASR workflow resolves common issues:

  • Duplicate Mounts: Prevents /Volumes/OS X Base System 1 style duplicates
  • Resource Busy Errors: Enhanced unmount logic with process cleanup
  • Workflow Failures: Robust verification prevents "disk busy" termination
Installer for macOS (10.7-10.8)
  • Enhanced Bootability: New method preserves original InstallESD.dmg boot structure
  • VM Compatibility: Tested and verified in Parallels ✅
  • Boot File Verification: Automatically checks for boot.efi and BaseSystem.dmg
  • UDTO Format: Optimized conversion format for better VM compatibility
Modern macOS (10.13+)
  • Version Not Found: Use exact version-build format (10.15.7-19H2 not 10.15.7)
  • Download Failures: Workflow includes automatic retry logic
General Tips
  • Patience: Legacy ISOs take 20-30 minutes due to complex extraction
  • Logs: Check detailed workflow logs for troubleshooting
  • Storage: Ensure sufficient space (4-15GB per ISO)

Selecting the Runner Type (Intel or Apple Silicon)

You can now choose which GitHub Actions runner to use for the Download workflow:

  • Intel (macos-13): Required for downloading macOS 10.13–10.15 (High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina) installers. Select this if you need legacy or Intel-only installers.
  • Apple Silicon (macos-latest): Use this to download universal/Apple Silicon installers (Big Sur/11 and later). 10.13–10.15 are not available on Apple Silicon runners.

When running the workflow, use the Runner type dropdown to select either macos-13 (Intel) or macos-latest (Apple Silicon) as needed. Only the job matching your selection will run.

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