50GB of free space on an SSD. macOS Big Sur performs poorly on mechanical HDDs due to APFS file system overhead. A physical USB flash drive with a minimum capacity of 16GB . Phase 1: Preparing the Installation Drive
Once the installation finishes and you reach the macOS desktop, the process is not yet complete.
Use Disk Utility to erase your target drive (format as with GUID Partition Map ). Install macOS. The computer will restart several times. Post-Installation: Fine-Tuning
: Pre-packaged drivers such as Lilu , WhateverGreen (for graphics), and VirtualSMC that allow standard PC components to communicate with macOS. macos big sur olarila
For flashing the image to the USB drive.
Even with careful preparation, you might encounter issues. Here are some common problems and solutions.
Olarila is a renowned community and resource hub for Hackintosh enthusiasts, offering a collection of tools and guides that simplify the installation of macOS on non-Apple hardware. At its core, the Olarila method provides "vanilla" (unaltered) macOS installer disk images. These images are combined with custom folders, which contain all the necessary bootloaders and drivers needed for your specific components, such as the CPU, motherboard, and graphics card. 50GB of free space on an SSD
Follow these steps precisely to ensure a successful installation. Step 1: Flash the Olarila Image
A successful Hackintosh build begins with preparation. Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
Use BalenaEtcher or HDD Raw Copy Tool to burn the raw image file to your USB drive. On macOS: Use the dd command in the terminal. 3. Configure the EFI Phase 1: Preparing the Installation Drive Once the
With all prerequisites ready, you can proceed with the installation.
| Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | | 11.x (Big Sur) | | Bootloader | OpenCore (preferred) or Clover | | File System | APFS (default) | | Architecture | x86_64 (Intel / AMD with patches) | | Pre-installed Kexts | Lilu, VirtualSMC, WhateverGreen, AppleALC, RealtekRTL8111, etc. | | Pre-configured SMBIOS | iMac, MacBook, Mac mini (user changeable) | | Installation Type | USB image (RAW) – write with BalenaEtcher or dd |