macOS Catalina Cleanup Guide: Removing Legacy Kexts and Rebuilding Kernel Cache

It seems like you've provided a detailed process for users who are updating their Hackintosh from macOS Mojave to macOS Catalina and need to clean up kexts (kernel extensions) that were previously installed in the /Library/Extensions directory. The process includes deleting the unnecessary kexts and rebuilding the system's kernel cache. Here's a concise version of the instructions provided:

Guide Step by Step:

  1. Update to macOS Catalina:

    • Use UniBeast 10 to update your system to macOS Catalina.
  2. Run MultiBeast 12:

    • After updating, use MultiBeast 12 for macOS Catalina to install all necessary post-installation items.
  3. Remove Old Kexts:

    • Go to the /Library/Extensions directory and delete any third-party kexts that were installed by previous versions of MultiBeast or other methods.
  4. Terminal Commands:

    • Open Terminal from /Applications/Utilities.
    • Gain superuser access by typing sudo -s and entering your password.
    • Execute mount -uw / to mount the filesystem as writable.
    • Update the system's kext cache by typing touch /Library/Extensions /System/Library/Extensions.
    • Rebuild the kext cache with kextcache -i /.
  5. Reboot:

    • Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Note on Kexts:

  • The script provided in your message, Beast-Clean.sh, automates the process of removing kexts installed by MultiBeast. Users can run this script with superuser privileges and specify their volume name to clean their /Library/Extensions directory.
  • It is normal to find AppleMobileDevice.kext and EnergyDriver.kext in your system as they are part of macOS and, in the case of EnergyDriver.kext, installed by the Intel Power Gadget.

Caution:

  • Users should always back up their current system before making changes like these, especially when removing kexts or updating macOS.
  • Proceeding with these steps can affect system stability if not done correctly. It's recommended for users to ensure they are comfortable with Terminal and understand the commands they are executing.

Additional Tips:

  • For any issues during or after the cleanup process, users should refer to Hackintosh communities and forums for support.
  • Keeping your EFI partition's backup before making changes is also a good practice, as it allows for easy restoration if something goes wrong.

Please ensure you have a current backup before proceeding with these steps, as removing system files and altering kernel caches can potentially cause system instability if not done correctly.

macOS Catalina Cleanup: Remove Kexts From /Library/Extensions and Recache
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For macOS Catalina, the site is changing our recommendations in regard to installing 3rd party kexts. We are changing the default location in MultiBeast from /Library/Extensions to /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other.

Moving from macOS Mojave to macOS Catalina with an existing MultiBeast 11 for macOS Mojave installation. The following directions allow a user to manually remove kexts from /Library/Extensions and recache system on macOS Catalina.

1. Update to macOS...​

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Author: tonymacx86