Install macOS Sierra on Windows VMWare Workstation

15 Sep 2016

Inspired by a post on InsanelyMac, the installation would be as simple as following:

0. Prerequisites

VMware Workstation 11 or 12.

1. Prepare the macOS Sierra installer

The installer could be extracted from Install macOS Sierra.app which is avalable via App Store.

While the package is ready, we could use a spoiler.sh file to create an iso-formated installer.

The spoiler is also copied here:

#!/bin/bash

# Mount the Installer image
hdiutil attach /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_app

# Create Sierra sparseimage of 7316mb with a Single Partition - Apple Partition Map
hdiutil create -o /tmp/Sierra -size 7316m -layout SPUD -fs HFS+J -type SPARSE

# Mount the Sierra sparseimage
hdiutil attach /tmp/Sierra.sparseimage -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build

# Restore the Base System into the Sierra Blank sparseimage
asr restore -source /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.dmg -target /Volumes/install_build -noprompt -noverify -erase

# Remove Packages link and replace with actual files
rm /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/System/Installation/Packages
cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/Packages /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/System/Installation/

# Copy Sierra installer dependencies
cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.chunklist /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/BaseSystem.chunklist
cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.dmg /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/BaseSystem.dmg

# Unmount the installer image
hdiutil detach /Volumes/install_app

# Unmount the Base System image
hdiutil detach /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/

# Convert the Sierra spareseimage image to ISO/CD master
hdiutil convert /tmp/Sierra.sparseimage -format UDTO -o /tmp/Sierra.iso

# Rename the Sierra ISO image and move it to the desktop
mv /tmp/Sierra.iso.cdr ~/Desktop/'Sierra 10.11.0.iso'

# Delete Sierra.sparseimage file
rm -f /tmp/Sierra.sparseimage

2. Unlock VMware for macOS Support

Download and install the VMware Unlocker 2.0 via win-install.cmd or lnx-install.sh.

VMware Unlocker 2.0.8: Download or Mirror

Note: You are required to reinstall everytime VMware upgrades.

3. Install macOS

We are able to select OS X as system type while creating new VM.

Note: Each time we create a new macOS virtual machine using hardware version 12, we need to append smc.version = "0" at the end of .vmx file.

4. TrackPad Support

Whoops I’m still working on that.