OSX Catalina not starting

[pazzoide]

Hello,

I run Linux Mint as host on Apple Hardware and I'm trying to install OSX Catalina on Virtualbox, I downloaded official OSX installer from Apple Store, made ISO, set up OSX VM and installed Catalina on hfs+ filesystem.
Now when I start VM it can't boot and the boot process is stuck on "Shell>".

I can still load installer ISO to run recovery, but it doesn't help.

Maybe it's something related to Virtualbox EFI not being capable of handling OSX Catalina's boot process?

I don't really know, since I don't know much about boot processes.

I'm attaching the log.

Thanks for helping

[socratis]

and installed Catalina on hfs+ filesystem

• If you're talking about the Guest's filesystem, that's simply not possible, it's APFS only.
• If you're talking about the Host's filesystem, that's irrelevant, could have been exFAT, NTFS, ext2/3/4 or whatever else is supported by your Host.

Now when I start VM it can't boot and the boot process is stuck on "Shell>".

That means that you don't have an EFI bootable volume. Or that the NVRAM parameters haven't been set/stuck. Which would definitely be the case with anything less than 6.1.0RC1, that's when initial support for NVRAM settings has been introduced. That's one of the reasons that 10.15 is not supported yet as a client.

As a workaround, give it a shot with fellow user's "granada29" tool: https://www.whatroute.net/installerapp2iso.html

Maybe it's something related to Virtualbox EFI not being capable of handling OSX Catalina's boot process?

Yes. The APFS part doesn't yet exist in VirtualBox 6.0.x. It has *just* been added to the latest 6.1.0RC1 version. And I don't think it works with 10.15 yet, haven't had the time to test it.

I'm attaching the log.

Naganna help...

[pazzoide]

I was referring to guest fs, I'm sure I formatted it to hfs+ but I think the installer then formatted to apfs during install.

Anyway, I tried using the software you suggested to create the virtualbox apfs loader, but after loading installer the option to make it start was greyed out. (I also tried to use it to recreate the install iso, but the software was freezing after formatting, well never mind I already had the iso). Maybe it is still bugged.

So I used one found on the internet and everything seems working. Waiting for next virtualbox stable 6.1 to be released.

Do you want the log uploaded? Maybe it could help others.

[socratis]

I think the installer then formatted to apfs during install.

Yes it did! Don't you love Apple's initiative and respect for your wishes? (not?)

And if you are interested in how a bad situation can become really worse, here's "Carbon Copy Cloner" Mike Bombich's take on the performance of HFS+ vs APFS: An analysis of APFS enumeration performance on rotational hard drives. Read it and weep...

after loading installer the option to make it start was greyed out

You'll need to be a bit more specific than that, 'granada29' will be definitely interested in addressing this part. Can you provide a step-by-step guide to reproducing the issue? And the logs of the operation that failed?

I also tried to use it to recreate the install iso, but the software was freezing after formatting ... Maybe it is still bugged.

Now *I* am most definitely interested, because that part of the code is actually mine!

See [HowTo] Create OSX ISO from the OSX Install app and download the "InstallerApp2ISO.sh.zip" (2019-11-27), I just updated it to include 10.15.1, plus some minor fixes regarding Spotlight, which I think addresses what you saw.

Run the script with the "-v 3" option to record each command and output. Save, ZIP and post that Terminal output.

[granada29]

Anyway, I tried using the software you suggested to create the virtualbox apfs loader, but after loading installer the option to make it start was greyed out.

The conditions to enable the button are:

1. The software must be 'idle' - e.g. not busy creating an ISO.
2. VirtualBox must be installed.
3. You must have a Mojave or Catalina installer image loaded - i.e. not High Sierra or earlier.

I hope that helps

[socratis]

@pazzoide
Wait a minute... I just realized the following:

I run Linux Mint as host on Apple Hardware

1. The app from 'granada29' is an OSX app. How is it possible to run it on an Mint-based Host OS?
2. Same for the underlying script, it's meant for OSX hosts, won't run on anything else. There's no 'hdiutil' for example on a Mint Host.

[pazzoide]

You are assuming I don't have any other Apple computer? And you are right. But I do have a working osx virtual machine on same hardware.

The conditions to enable the button are:

1. The software must be 'idle' - e.g. not busy creating an ISO.
2. VirtualBox must be installed.
3. You must have a Mojave or Catalina installer image loaded - i.e. not High Sierra or earlier.

I hope that helps

Ok so #2 is the problem! Since I'm running the software in a VM I can't have virtualbox installed in it!
Or can I ??? That would make my mind fall into an infinite loop

[socratis]

Of course you can install VirtualBox inside a VM, there's no problem with that.

Running a VM inside a VM though, that's a different story. For an Intel-based computer this feature was just implemented with 6.1.0beta...

[pazzoide]

Oh, I see.

I'll try help you debug that software then (new topic maybe?)

[socratis]

No, this is just fine. But... what kind of a debugging are we talking about here?

[pazzoide]

Never mind

[nickben]

Hey having the same issue. Even I downgraded and upgraded again but the problem keeps on arising. Any help would be appreciated.


KMSpico