el capitan .app

Ok so I have now managed a workaround that you can use on your own mac that will convert the InstallMacOSX.pkg

to the Install OS X El Capitan.app. Please follow the instructions carefully.

Creating the Install OS X El Capitan.app on a mac that came with a newer OS than El Capitan.

Download the InstallMacOSX.dmg from Section 4 of How To Upgrade To El Capitan

Double-click to open InstallMacOSX.dmg to the Install MacOSX.pkg.

Drag the package to the Desktop.

Open Terminal, enter the text

pkgutil --expand <drag the InstallMacOSX.pkg here> ~/Desktop/Expanded

A folder will be created on the Desktop after a while with the contents of the .pkg file.

In there you will see an item called Distribution, Control-click on that and select Open With

go to Other and select Text Edit.

When the file opens scroll down to the section that reads,

function isSupportedPlatform(){

type in at the end return true; so it now reads as,

function isSupportedPlatform(){return true;

Now click Save and close the document.

Go back to Terminal and enter the text,

pkgutil --flatten <drag the Expanded folder here> ~/Desktop/InstallElCapitan.pkg

press Return, after several minutes, (check to see if the prompt has returned to Terminal) a new package will be created on the Desktop.

When created double-click on that and an installation window will open where you will now convert the 

new InstallElCapitan.pkg to the Install OS X El Capitan.app which will be in your Applications folder.

You can now create a bootable USB using the install app and createinstallmedia,

Create A Bootable USB

You have to do this on a mac that is capable of running El Capitan, if you use a newer mac that came with a newer OS than El Capitan you cannot do this. Can you borrow an older mac to do this.

Ok so modifying the Distribution file will work and you will be able to get the Install OS X El Capitan.app, but trying to create a bootable USB will throw up another error, which I haven't discovered a way around yet.

Really frustrated.

Click on this link, How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan – Apple Support

Read carefully especially Section 4, where you can download El Capitan

to Section 7.

At Section 4 click on Download OS X El Capitan, this will download InstallMacOSX.dmg to your mac.

When it has fully downloaded open it and you will see InstallMacOSX.pkg, double-clicking on this

will open an installation window, this does not install El Capitan but converts InstallMacOSX.pkg to

the Install OS X El Capitan.app which will appear in your Applications folder. It is this you use to make the

bootable USB installer, How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support

It is quite simple if a mac came preinstalled with an OS that is newer than El Capitan then you cannot install it or perform the conversion from the .pkg to the install app. The 2017 mac probably came with either Sierra or High Sierra preinstalled,

so therefore will not be able to do this.

If your friends mac came preinstalled with El Capitan or earlier then it may be able to do this.

Give it a go.