Revised Guide for Installing macOS Tahoe for 2017 and newer Non T2 Macs
Supported Non-T2 & T1 Macs
- iMac: 21.5" & 27" (2017–2019)
- Mac mini: None (for right now, please be patient)
- MacBook Air: 2018
- MacBook Pro: 2017 Non-Touch Bar and 2017-2019 Touch Bar (T1 Chip)
- MacBook (12-inch): None (for right now, please be patient)
- Mac Pro: None (for right now, please be patient)*
Feel free to edit when older Macs can install Tahoe. I will no longer be involved with the project.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Pre 2017 Macs may work however results on may vary. You will have to download MetalLibPackages which even then I don't recommend doing right. This also applies to the 2017 MacBook Air which has the same chipset as the 2015 with slightly higher clock speeds. Risks include; No Graphics Acceleration, Kernel Panics and Shutdowns. If you somehow have graphics acceleration and WiFi working on your Pre-2017 Mac (and 2017 MacBook Air) you will have to use MyKextInstaller, the 26.5.2 KDK and the AppleALC kext to restore audio.Always create a Time Machine backup before upgrading.
Recommendations for Best Performance
For the smoothest experience on macOS Tahoe, a 2017 or newer Mac with a discrete AMD GPU (Radeon Pro 555/560/570/580) is with 16GB of RAM is strongly recommended (8GB of RAM will work but results will vary based on user). An SSD (internal or external) is strictly mandatory.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Download Required Files:
- Download the latest OpenCore Legacy Patcher (T2 Fork).
- Download the matching Kernel Debug Kit (KDK)
.dmgfor your target build (e.g., 26.5.2) from Dortania's KDK repository.
-
Create Installer & Build OpenCore:
- Launch OCLP-T2 and download macOS 26.5.2 or Older (26.6 and newer has no KDK available yet)
- If app crashes, you must go to terminal and copy and paste the bootable install command for Tahoe: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Tahoe.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
-
Install macOS:
- Launch OCLP-T2 fork again and Build and Install OpenCore onto your External Drive
- Reboot holding Option (⌥), select EFI Boot from the USB, then select Install macOS.
- Run through the installer (do not wipe your drive as you will lose Wi-Fi).
- Complete the initial Setup Assistant (you can skip Apple ID setup during first boot).
-
Install OpenCore to Internal Drive:
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, click
+, and add OpenCore-Patcher. - Launch OCLP, select Build and Install OpenCore, and install it directly to your internal drive.
- Reboot, hold Option (⌥), and select the internal EFI Boot.
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, click
-
Apply KDK & Root Patches:
- Mount and install the matching KDK
.pkgyou downloaded earlier. - Open OCLP, run Post-Install Root Patch, and reboot when finished.
- If you experience audio loss post-patching, see the fix linked below.
https://github.com/albert-mueller/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher-T2/discussions/121
- Mount and install the matching KDK
Comments
@hackintosh-user ·
Hi, just a thought, you should add a note that Pre 2017 Macs won't have graphic acceleration at all Due to the missing drivers. And even the official dortaina OCLP doesn't support them or this T2 OCLP.
ghost ·
Done
@hackintosh-user ·
Thank you very much! This should make it clear for anyone who thinks patches are ready! Thx!
ghost ·
Well at least it’s somewhat ready on 2017. I hope your Mac gets it soon. It’s shockingly better than Sequoia (not as slow I mean)
@hackintosh-user ·
Well yeah, from my testing on a 2012 hackintosh with IVB HD 4000 + a i7 3610QM, on Tahoe it ran faster than Sequoia by a good 3-6 second difference running applications even with no graphic acceleration but things can change and I won't sit over here and tell you animations ran perfectly fine because we both know that's a lie.
ghost ·
That is true and you are right that things can change as when I was on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia, they both had issues on my Mac. Sonoma had severe Kernel Panics and black and red boxes on Safari while Sequoia gives me black squares while watching YouTube.
@hackintosh-user ·
But until a Dortania OCLP or OCLP fork from this repo produce a graphic patches update we may never know
ghost ·
I will not be updating this anymore, as I downgraded back to macOS Ventura on my 2017 iMac for thermal constraints and instability of Sequoia and Tahoe. If there are any updates made with the tool, feel free to edit this discussion forum.