2

I want to install macOS Mojave on my mac.

My mac is highly customized, I have disabled certain things, deleted many useless extensions and processes along with some default macOS apps and services.

Now, the problem is whenever I install a new macOS update all the above said things reappears or gets re-enabled now turning everything off/disabling each and every services/extensions becomes an hectic process.

My question, how can I selectively update to a new version of macOS like I want only the dark mode feature to be installed on my mac (without screwing anything), how can I achieve this process of selective installation

Sayan
  • 2,269
  • Deleting "useless" extensions and processes doesn't do anything for your Mac's performance. You cannot optimize your Mac any better than the Process Manager already does. – benwiggy Dec 19 '18 at 10:44

1 Answers1

2

The macOS installer does not provide the functionality you are seeking. With the default update process your goals are simply unachievable.

That is: my firm recommendation is: do not try this and be careful with the following.

That said, if Pacifist works with Mojave (not tested):

  • you might want to disable automatic updates
  • you might try to download a standalone updater from Apple, when it becomes available
  • you open the resulting installer package in Pacifist and look for all the features you want and install only those, ignoring the rest.

Looking at the size of the packages Apple distributes these days it seems quite questionable if this route is even remotely able to provide you with even the slightest advantage regarding time. The possibility to screw up even more is also higher this way. This is more a theoretical excercise along your intended plans and not really a practical solution.

The only practical solution for your plans is to let the default Apple installer run its course. After that finishes, you disable SIP and then disable all those things you do not want. Only this time you do record your steps and pour them into a script, like done here:

That inconveniences you just a tiny bit more compared to a regular install left at all defaults and is finished after the next update in under 10 minutes. (If Apple didn't change too much under the hood: like introducing new services your script doesn't know about (and you do neither) or introducing new dependencies to those things you threw out.) Given the status of Mojave your old and slow iMac might benefit from staying away from this bleeding edge. Older OSes do not change so much as is dutifully expected from this newest kid on the block.

There is no safe way to do this. Backup hourly. At least. (Having a spare Mac or partition or VM to try this out might be an idea not easily dismissed as well.)

LаngLаngС
  • 8,279
  • so it's a dangerous process and can I run the macOS disable services script using automator? – Sayan Jun 28 '18 at 09:30
  • You can. But Automator adds IMO another layer of complexity to the whole process. I'd prefer a simple shell-script for that. No need to adapt the syntax to Automator language. The GUI tool should work just as good, but I never used it for this kind of operation. – LаngLаngС Jun 28 '18 at 09:34
  • I am not able to disable Cups 2.0 (error: sh-3.2# sh -c ‘echo “Sandboxing Off” >> /etc/cups/cups-files.conf’ “Sandboxing: ‘echo: command not found) – Sayan Jun 28 '18 at 12:42
  • As long as SIP is enabled, most of these operation should fail. (BTW do not run these scripts as provided blindly! My advice: test the commands manually one by one…) To disable SIP quickly, go here. The cups thing (and others) may have changed if you are on Mojave now. – LаngLаngС Jun 28 '18 at 12:46
  • SIP was disabled from brfore hand still the Cups command is not working first I got a permission denied error so typed in su then once gain ran the sandbox command still, command not found btw I am running on High Sierra – Sayan Jun 28 '18 at 13:03