Jump to content

OpenCore Legacy Patcher

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OpenCore Legacy Patcher
Initial releaseOctober 2, 2023; 20 months ago (2023-10-02)
Stable release
2.4.0 / May 12, 2025; 40 days ago (2025-05-12)
Operating systemmacOS
TypeInstalling macOS on unsupportted systems
Websitegithub.com/dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher

OpenCore Legacy Patcher is a free and open-source software tool designed to enable the installation and operation of modern macOS versions on older Mac computers that are no longer officially supported by Apple Inc.[1][2][3]

Following the announcement that Intel Macs will no longer be supported by Apple after macOS Tahoe in 2025, the OpenCore software will no longer be able to provide updates to older Mac computers going forward.[4][5]

History

[edit]

OCLP emerged in 2021 as a hobby project within the Hackintosh community, building on the foundation of earlier patching tools like those developed by Collin Mistr (dosdude1) for macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina.[6][7] Unlike its predecessors, which required reapplying patches after OS updates, OCLP automates the process through a graphical user interface, making it accessible to users with minimal technical expertise.[8][9]

Significant milestones include the release of OCLP 0.6.0 in January 2023, which introduced support for non-Metal GPUs, and version 1.0.0 in October 2023, which added macOS Sonoma support for 83 unsupported Mac models.[10][11] The release of version 2.0.0 in September 2024 further expanded compatibility to macOS Sequoia.[12]

Overview

[edit]
Mac transition to
Intel processors
Intel mobile processor

OCLP is a Python-based project that leverages Acidanthera's OpenCorePkg and Lilu frameworks to create a custom boot environment for unsupported Macs.[13][14] Unlike traditional methods that modify the macOS system files directly, OCLP applies patches in memory during the boot process, preserving the integrity of the operating system and supporting features like System Integrity Protection (SIP), FileVault 2, and over-the-air (OTA) updates. This non-invasive approach ensures a near-native macOS experience on hardware as old as 2007.[15][16]

The primary goal of OCLP is to breathe new life into older Macs, enabling features such as AirDrop, Sidecar, and Universal Control, which are typically unavailable on unsupported hardware.[17][18] The project is maintained by a passionate community of developers and hobbyists, with contributions welcomed through its GitHub repository.[19][20]

System requirements

[edit]
Mac transition to
Apple silicon
The Apple M1

To use OCLP, a Mac must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Hardware: Intel-based Mac (2007 or newer, with Penryn CPU for 2007 models). PowerPC and Apple Silicon Macs are not supported.
  • Memory: At least 4 GB of RAM for macOS Big Sur and Monterey; 3 GB+ for Sonoma and Sequoia. Systems with 2 GB RAM may face limitations.
  • Base OS: macOS Yosemite (10.10) for Big Sur and Monterey; macOS El Capitan (10.11) for Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe.
  • Storage: A USB drive of at least 16 GB (32 GB recommended for Sonoma and Sequoia) for creating a bootable installer.

Supported models include MacBook (Late 2008, Aluminum), MacBook Air (Late 2008), MacBook Pro (Early 2008), Mac mini (Early 2009), iMac (Mid 2007, with CPU upgrade), Mac Pro (Early 2008), and Xserve (Early 2008) or newer. Users are advised to check the official OCLP Supported Models page for compatibility.[8]

Supported models

[edit]

MacBook

[edit]
  • MacBook5,1 (Late 2008, Aluminum)
  • MacBook5,2 (Early/Mid 2009)
  • MacBook6,1 (Late 2009)
  • MacBook7,1 (Mid 2010)
  • MacBook8,1 (Early 2015)
  • MacBook9,1 (Early 2016)
  • MacBook10,1 (Mid 2017)

MacBook Air

[edit]
  • MacBookAir2,1 (Late 2008/Mid 2009)
  • MacBookAir3,1 (Late 2010)
  • MacBookAir3,2 (Late 2010)
  • MacBookAir4,1 (Mid 2011)
  • MacBookAir4,2 (Mid 2011)
  • MacBookAir5,1 (Mid 2012)
  • MacBookAir5,2 (Mid 2012)
  • MacBookAir6,1 (Mid 2013/Early 2014)
  • MacBookAir6,2 (Mid 2013/Early 2014)
  • MacBookAir7,1 (Early 2015)
  • MacBookAir7,2 (Early 2015/Mid 2017)

MacBook Pro

[edit]
  • MacBookPro4,1 (Early 2008, 15-inch/17-inch, Penryn CPU upgrade required for 2007 models)
  • MacBookPro5,1 (Late 2008, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro5,2 (Early/Mid 2009, 17-inch)
  • MacBookPro5,3 (Mid 2009, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro5,4 (Mid 2009, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro5,5 (Mid 2009, 13-inch)
  • MacBookPro6,1 (Mid 2010, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro6,2 (Mid 2010, 17-inch)
  • MacBookPro7,1 (Mid 2010, 13-inch)
  • MacBookPro8,1 (Early/Late 2011, 13-inch)
  • MacBookPro8,2 (Early/Late 2011, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro8,3 (Early/Late 2011, 17-inch)
  • MacBookPro9,1 (Mid 2012, 15-inch)
  • MacBookPro9,2 (Mid 2012, 13-inch)
  • MacBookPro10,1 (Mid 2012/Early 2013, 15-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro10,2 (Late 2012/Early 2013, 13-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro11,1 (Late 2013/Mid 2014, 13-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro11,2 (Late 2013/Mid 2014, 15-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro11,3 (Late 2013/Mid 2014, 15-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro11,4 (Mid 2015, 13-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro11,5 (Mid 2015, 13-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro12,1 (Early 2015, 13-inch Retina)
  • MacBookPro13,1 (Late 2016, 13-inch, Non-Touch Bar)
  • MacBookPro13,2 (Late 2016, 13-inch, Touch Bar)
  • MacBookPro13,3 (Late 2016, 15-inch, Touch Bar)
  • MacBookPro14,1 (Mid 2017, 13-inch, Non-Touch Bar)
  • MacBookPro14,2 (Mid 2017, 13-inch, Touch Bar)
  • MacBookPro14,3 (Mid 2017, 15-inch, Touch Bar)

Mac mini

[edit]
  • Macmini3,1 (Early/Late 2009)
  • Macmini4,1 (Mid 2010)
  • Macmini5,1 (Mid 2011)
  • Macmini5,2 (Mid 2011)
  • Macmini6,1 (Late 2012)
  • Macmini6,2 (Late 2012)
  • Macmini7,1 (Late 2014)

iMac

[edit]
  • iMac8,1 (Mid 2007, with Penryn CPU upgrade)
  • iMac9,1 (Early 2009)
  • iMac10,1 (Late 2009, 21.5-inch/27-inch)
  • iMac11,1 (Late 2009, 27-inch)
  • iMac11,2 (Mid 2010, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac11,3 (Mid 2010, 27-inch)
  • iMac12,1 (Mid 2011, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac12,2 (Mid 2011, 27-inch)
  • iMac13,1 (Late 2012, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac13,2 (Late 2012, 27-inch)
  • iMac14,1 (Late 2013, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac14,2 (Late 2013, 27-inch)
  • iMac14,3 (Late 2013, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac15,1 (Late 2014/Mid 2015, 27-inch Retina 5K)
  • iMac16,1 (Late 2015, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac16,2 (Late 2015, 21.5-inch Retina 4K)
  • iMac17,1 (Late 2015, 27-inch Retina 5K)
  • iMac18,1 (Mid 2017, 21.5-inch)
  • iMac18,2 (Mid 2017, 21.5-inch Retina 4K)
  • iMac18,3 (Mid 2017, 27-inch Retina 5K)

Mac Pro

[edit]
  • MacPro3,1 (Early 2008)
  • MacPro4,1 (Early 2009)
  • MacPro5,1 (Mid 2010/Mid 2012)
  • MacPro6,1 (Late 2013)
  • MacPro7,1 (2019, requires additional configuration; see notes below)

Xserve

[edit]
  • Xserve2,1 (Early 2008)
  • Xserve3,1 (Early 2009)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Snyder, Brady (2024-10-17). "Installing macOS on an unsupported Mac is easy — here's how I did it". XDA. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  2. ^ Editor, Managing; Macworld. "How to install macOS Sequoia on an unsupported Mac". Macworld. Retrieved 2025-06-21. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Espósito, Filipe (2023-01-25). "OpenCore lets users run macOS Ventura on unsupported Macs". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2024-11-24. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  4. ^ "OpenCore and Hackintosh are sadly dead after Apple ends Intel Mac support". AppleInsider. 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  5. ^ Brookes, Tim (2023-04-14). "How to Install Unsupported Versions of macOS on Your Mac". How-To Geek. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  6. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (2022-10-26). "OpenCore Legacy Patcher delivers unofficial Ventura support for older Macs". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (2022-08-23). "Devs are making progress getting macOS Ventura to run on unsupported, decade-old Macs". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  8. ^ a b "With OpenCore Legacy Patcher, modern macOS Sonoma can be run on 16-year-old Macs". Mezha.Media. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  9. ^ "There's hope that older Macs will be able to run macOS Ventura". AppleInsider. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  10. ^ "1.0.0 Version of OpenCore Legacy Patcher Allows macOS Sonoma to be Installed on 83 Unsupported Macs – MacTrast". Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  11. ^ "A third-party tool is working to help old Macs run macOS Sonoma". AppleInsider. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  12. ^ "Which Mac models are needed to run macOS 15". AppleInsider. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  13. ^ "How to install macOS Sequoia on unsupported Macs". AppleInsider. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  14. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (2023-10-03). "OpenCore Legacy Patcher project brings macOS Sonoma support to 16-year-old Macs". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  15. ^ "OpenCore Legacy Patcher lets old Macs run new macOS". Archived from the original on 2025-03-16. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  16. ^ Snyder, Brady (2024-09-05). "I install Macs Fan Control on every Mac I own — here are 3 reasons why you should too". XDA. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  17. ^ "OpenCore Legacy Patcher ships with macOS Sonoma support". AppleInsider. 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  18. ^ "OpenCore Legacy Patcher misses day-one macOS Sonoma support". AppleInsider. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  19. ^ Itani, Mahmoud (2023-12-15). "How to install macOS Sonoma on unsupported Mac". XDA. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  20. ^ "How to use OpenCore to use new macOS versions on older Macs". AppleInsider. 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=OpenCore_Legacy_Patcher&oldid=1296739862"