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@ryancwalsh
Created May 27, 2025 11:43
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Welcome file

✅ But here's a workaround path:

Create a disk image (.dmg) locally on your Mac, mount it, and use it as the target for createinstallmedia.
Then you can copy that .dmg file over your network to Ubuntu and dd it onto a USB stick there.


📖 Step-by-step:

1️⃣ Create a blank disk image on your Mac:

bash

CopyEdit

hdiutil create -o /tmp/VenturaInstaller.dmg -size 16g -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J

  • -size 16g → adjust size if needed (Ventura needs around 14GB)

  • -layout SPUD → GUID partition map

  • -fs HFS+J → Mac OS Extended (Journaled)


2️⃣ Mount the disk image:

bash

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hdiutil attach /tmp/VenturaInstaller.dmg -noverify -mountpoint /Volumes/InstallVentura


3️⃣ Run createinstallmedia pointing to that mountpoint:

bash

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sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/InstallVentura

This will install the macOS installer onto the mounted disk image just like it would on a USB stick.


4️⃣ Detach the disk image:

bash

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hdiutil detach /Volumes/InstallVentura


5️⃣ Convert the disk image to a read-only compressed DMG (optional, faster transfer):

bash

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hdiutil convert /tmp/VenturaInstaller.dmg -format UDZO -o ~/Desktop/VenturaInstallerCompressed.dmg


6️⃣ Copy the .dmg file over to your Ubuntu machine via LAN


7️⃣ On Ubuntu, write the .dmg to your USB:

Use lsblk to identify your USB device path (like /dev/sdb), then:

bash

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sudo dd if=VenturaInstallerCompressed.dmg of=/dev/sdX bs=1M status=progress


📌 Done!

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