# unlocker **Repository Path**: dabaisk/unlocker ## Basic Information - **Project Name**: unlocker - **Description**: No description available - **Primary Language**: Unknown - **License**: MIT - **Default Branch**: dev - **Homepage**: None - **GVP Project**: No ## Statistics - **Stars**: 0 - **Forks**: 0 - **Created**: 2021-11-18 - **Last Updated**: 2024-05-17 ## Categories & Tags **Categories**: Uncategorized **Tags**: None ## README # macOS Unlocker Vx.0 for VMware Workstation --- **IMPORTANT** --- 1. Use a release from the Releases section of this GitHub repository. [https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) 2. Always uninstall the previous version of the Unlocker before using a new version or running an update on the VMware software. Failure to do this could render VMware unusable. 3. You use this software at your own risk and there are no guarantees this will work in future versions of VMware Workstation. ## 1. Introduction Unlocker x is designed for VMware Workstation 12-16 and Player 12-16. Version x has been tested against: * Workstation 12/14/15/16 on Windows and Linux * Workstation Player 12/14/15/16 on Windows and Linux It is important to understand that the unlocker does not add any new capabilities to VMware Workstation and Player but enables support for macOS that is disabled in the VMware products that do not run on Apple Hardware. These capabiltiites are normally exposed in Fusion and ESXi when running on Apple hardware. The unlocker cannot add support for new versions of macOS, add paravirtualized GPU support or any other features that are not already in the VMware compiled code. What the unlocker can do is enable certain flags and data tables that are required to see the macOS type when setting the guest OS type, and modify the implmentation of the virtual SMC controller device. The patch code carries out the following modifications dependent on the product being patched: * Fix vmware-vmx and derivatives to allow macOS to boot * Fix vmwarebase.dll or .so to allow Apple to be selected during VM creation * Get a copy of the macOS VMware Tools for the guest * Fix the UEFI ROM files to allow Leopard and Snow Leopard client versions to be installed In all cases make sure VMware is not running, and any background guests have been shutdown. The code is written in Python with some Bash and Command files. ## 2. Prerequisites The code requires Python 3.6 to work. Most Linux distros ship with a compatible Python interpreter and should work without requiring any additional software. Windows Unlocker has a packaged minimal version of the Python and so does not require Python to be installed. ## 3. Windows On Windows you will need to either run cmd.exe as Administrator or using Explorer right click on the command file and select "Run as administrator". - win-install.cmd - patches VMware - win-uninstall.cmd - restores VMware - win-gettools.cmd - retrieves latest macOS guest tools ## 4. Linux On Linux you will need to be either root or use sudo to run the scripts. You may need to ensure the Linux scripts have execute permissions by running chmod +x against the 2 files. - lnx-install.sh - patches VMware - lnx-uninstall.sh - restores VMware - lnx-gettools.sh - retrieves latest macOS guest tools ## 5. VMware Downloads These URLs will link to the latest versions of VMware's hosted products: * VMware Fusion [https://vmware.com/go/getfusion](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) * VMware Workstation for Windows [https://www.vmware.com/go/getworkstation-win](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) * VMware Workstation for Linux [https://www.vmware.com/go/getworkstation-linux](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) * VMware Player for Windows [https://www.vmware.com/go/getplayer-win](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) * VMware Player for Linux [https://www.vmware.com/go/getplayer-linux](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) ## 6. VMware Tools The unlocker provides a script to get the VMware tools. There can be newer releases available which can be downloaded from these URLs if the script has not yet been updated: * Mac OS X 10.5 - 10.10 [https://customerconnect.vmware.com/en/downloads/details?downloadGroup=VMTOOLS10012&productId=491](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) * macOS 10.11+ [https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_tools/11_x](https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker/releases) _These URLs require a VMware login to download._ Version 15 and 16 of Workstation do recocnise the darwin.iso files and the tools can be installed in the usual way by using the "Install VMware Tools" menu item . Earlier versions of VMware Workstation and Player do not recognise the darwin.iso via install tools menu item. You will have to manually mount the darwin.iso by selecting the ISO file in the guest's settings. ## 7. EFI Patcher The macOS EFI Unlocker removes the check for server versions of Mac OS X verisons: * 10.5 Leopard * 10.6 Snow Leopard allowing the non-server versions of Mac OS X to be run with VMware products. Later versions of Mac OS X and macOS do not need the modified firmware due to Apple removing the restrictions imposed on 10.5 and 10.6. The checks for the server versions are done in VMware's virtual EFI firmware which looks for a file called ServerVersion.plist in the installation media and the installed OS. The patch modifies the firmware to check for a file present on all versions of Mac OS X/macOS called SystemVersion.plist. The patch uses a tool called UEFIPatch to make the modifications. ## 8. Alternative patcher I would recommend using auto-unlocker instead of this unlocker as it is a better solution if Python is an issue and actively supported by Paolo here on GitHub. [https://github.com/paolo-projects/auto-unlocker](https://github.com/paolo-projects/auto-unlocker) ## 9 Thanks Thanks to Zenith432 for originally building the C++ unlocker and Mac Son of Knife (MSoK) for all the testing and support. Thanks also to Sam B for finding the solution for ESXi 6 and helping me with debugging expertise. Sam also wrote the code for patching ESXi ELF files and modified the unlocker code to run on Python 3 in the ESXi 6.5 environment. Thanks goes to the UEFITools project for the patching tool used to modify the firmware. https://github.com/LongSoft/UEFITool ## History 27/09/18 3.0.0 - First release 02/10/18 3.0.1 - Fixed gettools.py to work with Python 3 and correctly download darwinPre15.iso 10/10/18 3.0.2 - Fixed false positives from anti-virus software with Windows executables - Allow Python 2 and 3 to run the Python code from Bash scripts 14/05/21 3.0.3 - New simpfiled code for development and deployment - Removed Python 2 support and requires minmal Python 3.8 01/06/21 3.0.4 - Fixed embedded Python error on Windows 30/09/21 3.0.5 - Updated gettools.py to directly download tools from new repo - Added URLs to get Mac OS X legacy and macOS current tools - Added URLs to get latest VMware hosted products - Made minimum Python version 3.6 from 3.8 for Linux dd/mm/yy xx.yy.zz - dummy (c) 2011-2021 David Parsons