[Solved] Critical Error Installing El Capitan in Mojave

[Doug183]

- 2018 Mac mini running 10.14.1
- Virtual Box: Version 6.0.0 r127566 (Qt5.6.3)
- created El Capitan in .iso form.
- VM assigned 4 GB memory. 30 GB HDD.
- After hitting "start" button, VM tries to start installer and I get a critical error.

- I have tried this with two different El Capitan installers (one freshly downloaded from Apple)
- I was able to install High Sierra as a VM using this same method.


Any suggestions?
Doug

[Doug183]

- Here is .sh script (in text).

macOSElCap_Bootable copy.txt

Bootable iso script

(1.25 KiB) Downloaded 106 times

- Here is the log

VBox.log.zip

Log its zipped

(53.65 KiB) Downloaded 28 times

The .png is a black screen.

[socratis]

00:00:01.144349 Installed Extension Packs:
00:00:01.144363   None installed!

You should install the ExtPack and enable USB3 on the guest. But I don't think that this is what's causing your kernel panic.

00:00:01.229040 3DEnabled <integer> = 0x0000000000000000 (0)

Not necessarily used (actually not) but it's best if you're future ready... But I don't think that this is what's causing your kernel panic.

00:00:01.229044 VRamSize <integer> = 0x0000000001000000 (16 777 216, 16 MB)

Take the VRAM to its max 128 MB. Again, the same reason as above, but this maybe more essential. But I don't think that this is what's causing your kernel panic.

00:00:01.228853 NumCPUs <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
00:00:01.374215 CPUM: Physical host cores: 6

Give your VM at least 2 CPUs, you can definitely afford it. But I don't think that this is what's causing your kernel panic.

2018 Mac mini running 10.14.1

I think that's your problem. Your Macmini8,1 came out on Oct/2018, while OSX 10.11 came out on Sep/2018-July/2016. It's too "old" for your fancy new Mac, the OS doesn't know how to handle the newer i7-8700 CPU. I think you might have to "downgrade" what's shown in the VM. With the VM shut down, try the following:

• 
  VBoxManage modifyvm "<VM name>" --cpu-profile "Intel Core i7-6700K"

- Here is .sh script (in text).

I tend to prefer mine, I've tested it more thoroughly: [HowTo] Create OSX ISO from the OSX Install app.
(shameless plug )

[Doug183]

Thanks for the info and here is an update.

I implemented the first four tips in order (USB3, 3D (its in video settings), increase VRAM, 2 CPU), retried the install, and got the same error. Then I did your last tip "last" with changing the VirtualBox setting in the terminal, and poof, the installation is working.

[socratis]

Glad I could help. Marking as [Solved].