Older MacOS version image

Brook-ish wrote:

he links go around in circles.

I'm trying to get an image of big Sur (this used to be simple!).

The downloading mac is Big Sur.

I open app store, click Get and the update dialog returns: "Update not found".

On an older mac app store returns: not compatible

that's the point! I want an image that I can work with, that I can put on a USB drive. I've got a lot of older macs. these are out of warrantee, anyway. I ought to be able to try whatever past OS's I want. I won't be coming to Apple complaining about non-compatibility. I already understand that problem.

Like I wrote, this used to be simple: apple published links to older OSs. Now, one has to have a mac that DOESN'T yet use the OS AND is compatible. That really limits what one can try.

Apple doesn't really want me to try and install the Darwin open source kernel, do they? I don't want to, either...

What is it you are trying to do..." image of big Sur" (?)

the macOS can be found here:

verify you are using the Safari browser to download/initiate the macOS links.

The older macOS installer backups on this server:

How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support

Here is an Apple article with instructions for creating a bootable macOS USB installer as well (plus links to some macOS installers too):

How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

Brook-ish wrote:

Yes, that is precisely the set of links and the apple support page I'm working with that errors out, after clicking Get in the applications app (on a Big Sur Mac Pro with Safari)

Basically Big Sur doesn't seem to be at that link any longer. ?

It could just be a temporary server glitch.

You can also from your Terminal.app see all, and download directly, (Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app)

copy and paste:

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

for your Big Sur

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.6.5

when complete it will be in your Application folder "Install macOS Big Sur.app"

Make sure to use Safari or a Chromium based browser. There have been some reports that Firefox won't work properly to access the macOS installers. Also try again later. Sometimes Apple performs maintenance on their servers and things may go down for hours sometimes with no warning.

Brook-ish wrote:

Basically Big Sur doesn't seem to be at that link any longer. ?

Contact Apple Support. They’ll then get to sort this download.