Black screen after picking OpenCore

[eqlion]

Describe the bug
After creating the boot thumbdrive with OpenCore.

To Reproduce
I created the bootdrive using Ubuntu and followed the first method. Afterwards, I copied the BaseSystem.dmg and the BaseSystem.chunklist (which I got via macrecovery.py for Big Sur; tried Catalina too, same result) to the com.apple.recovery.boot folder at the root of the drive. After that I downloaded the EFI folder from this repo and placed it along the com.apple.recovery.boot folder at the root.

Then I restarted the laptop, went into BIOS and changed all the options from the README.

When choosing the thumbdrive as a startup device, I was greeted with OpenCore screen with icons, where I clicked the first one. Then the screen went black (but lit up). Sometimes it stays this way for more than 20 minutes until I manually turn off the laptop, other times it just reboots randomly. I tried using DEBUG version of OpenCore in hopes of getting the logs and finding the problem but to no avail (I replaced the files from the EFI folder from this repo to the files from the DEBUG release, as stated here: everything stays the same, even if I delete OpenCanopy.efi and remove the lines for it from config.plist.

Expected behavior
The installation starts.

Hardware:
ThinkPad T450, i5-5300U, HD Graphics 5500, 8 GB, Intel 7265

Additional context
I've noticed that the config.plist in the repo is capitalized, however it is not in the guides. Nonetheless, changing it (nor not changing it) doesn't help to solve the issue.

The content of my drive (roor)

The content of my drive (EFI/OC folder)

I'd be happy to provide any additional info that might be required and if I install the MacOS successfully, I'd love to contribute to writing a detailed guide, if you want any help! Thanks in advance!

[m4ak]

I feel that there is a problem with your installation program. You can use gibMacOS to download the image and make a boot disk.
https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS

[racka98]

With Big Sur you can't use windows or linux to make the usb. You need macos.
If you don't have a real mac you can use a pre-made Virtual Machine iso of Catalina. See this guide: https://www.wikigain.com/install-macos-catalina-on-virtualbox-on-windows/

After that use gibMacOS to download Big Sur (with this you won't need to sign in your Apple ID on the virtual machine and it's more reliable in downloading).

1. Download gibMacOS: https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS
2. Right click then choose open on gibMacOS.command (it will launch in terminal)
3. Choose a number from the list provided (Big Sur will probably be number 1 in the list as 11.0.1 Public release)
4. It will download Big Sur (12.19 GB) and it will place the contents in gibMacOS folder under macOS Downloads/publicrelease/11.0.1 macOS Big Sur.
5. Open the InstallAssistant.pkg that will extract the installer to your Applications folder
6. Format your usb drive to Mac OS Extentended (Journaled) with GUID partition scheme
7. Now run: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
   MyVolume will be replaced by the name you gave to your usb when formatting it. Or you could name the usb as MyVolume when you were formatting.
   This will create the bootable usb that works on a real mac.
8. Now you can proceed with "Setting up OpenCore's EFI environment" from here.
9. Copy the OC and BOOT files from my EFI and fireup the installer.
10. Select Install macOS Big Sur from the boot menu and not the recovery partition.

I should probably add this info in the readme. As a lot of people have had this issue.

[eqlion]

@racka98 Thank you, this worked wonders!

[robjvan]

Didn't work for me. Getting "EXITBS:START" error on a t450s using Big Sur 11.2.1 created on a BS VM

[racka98]

Didn't work for me. Getting "EXITBS:START" error on a t450s using Big Sur 11.2.1 created on a BS VM

Some people have reported having issues with launching Big Sur 11.2.1 installer. Try with 11.0 (first public release) or Catalina installer then you can update to the latest

[otoayana]

After following all of this I still am unable to boot into it. Even worse, the picker doesn't want to start up.

[racka98]

After following all of this I still am unable to boot into it. Even worse, the picker doesn't want to start up.

What OS are you trying to boot?
And which Opencore version are you using?

[otoayana]

I tried Big Sur 11.4 and I'm using OpenCore 0.7.0.

[racka98]

If the picker doesn't show up that mean your BIOS settings are wrong.
Reset BIOS settings to default then set everything as recommended in README

[otoayana]

nvm i managed to fix it by using gibMacOS's boot image creator utility

[otoayana]

ok i tried to install opencore on the drive itself. after rebooting the bios doesn't detect anything related to it. i tried what you did but it didn't work. what could i try?

[racka98]

ok i tried to install opencore on the drive itself. after rebooting the bios doesn't detect anything related to it. i tried what you did but it didn't work. what could i try?

Boot with usb drive and reset nvram then reboot to the internal drive (remove usb drive)

[otoayana]

Still having the same issue after doing so :/

[racka98]

Where did you place EFI files and how did you place them?

[otoayana]

I used EFIMount and copied the files inside the EFI folder in my Catalina flash drive to the partition. I did so by copy pasting them in Finder.

[racka98]

I used EFIMount and copied the files inside the EFI folder in my Catalina flash drive to the partition.

This is how it should be placed

[otoayana]

Thank you! Fixed!
Also this project is great. Keep it up!

[itzmanish]

nvm i managed to fix it by using gibMacOS's boot image creator utility

What was the problem? And what you did to fix it?

[festiveelephantseal]

Describe the bug
After creating the boot thumbdrive with OpenCore.

To Reproduce
I created the bootdrive using Ubuntu and followed the first method. Afterwards, I copied the BaseSystem.dmg and the BaseSystem.chunklist (which I got via macrecovery.py for Big Sur; tried Catalina too, same result) to the com.apple.recovery.boot folder at the root of the drive. After that I downloaded the EFI folder from this repo and placed it along the com.apple.recovery.boot folder at the root.

Then I restarted the laptop, went into BIOS and changed all the options from the README.

When choosing the thumbdrive as a startup device, I was greeted with OpenCore screen with icons, where I clicked the first one. Then the screen went black (but lit up). Sometimes it stays this way for more than 20 minutes until I manually turn off the laptop, other times it just reboots randomly. I tried using DEBUG version of OpenCore in hopes of getting the logs and finding the problem but to no avail (I replaced the files from the EFI folder from this repo to the files from the DEBUG release, as stated here: everything stays the same, even if I delete OpenCanopy.efi and remove the lines for it from config.plist.

Expected behavior
The installation starts.

Hardware:
ThinkPad T450, i5-5300U, HD Graphics 5500, 8 GB, Intel 7265

Additional context
I've noticed that the config.plist in the repo is capitalized, however it is not in the guides. Nonetheless, changing it (nor not changing it) doesn't help to solve the issue.

The content of my drive (roor)

The content of my drive (EFI/OC folder)

I'd be happy to provide any additional info that might be required and if I install the MacOS successfully, I'd love to contribute to writing a detailed guide, if you want any help! Thanks in advance!

I have the same issue with my Thinkpad x250, i5-5300u. How did you make the USB with gibMacOS's boot image creator utility? I keep getting this error InstallAssistant.pkg is not in the available recovery package names: recoveryhdupdate.pkg, recoveryhdmetadmg.pkg

[racka98]

Looks like a broken installer or the Installer package wasn't fully downloaded. Have you tried downloading it again?