Network Booting with Apple Silicon

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Level 1

8 points

Network Booting with Apple Silicon

My question is very simple, can the Apple Silicon systems boot over the network like a client? OS and Data would be entirely served by the network boot.

Mac mini (M1, 2020)

Posted on Oct 10, 2023 3:26 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 7

34,289 points

Oct 11, 2023 6:58 PM in response to paulfox

I did find this support document, dated November 11, 2021:

About Startup Security Utility on a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip – Apple Support (UK)

Scroll to the bottom section - Set allowed boot media.

And the fine print below that: "Your Mac doesn't support booting from network volumes, whether you allow booting from external or removable media or not."

Yes, it specifically references the Mac with T2 Security, but I think we can safely infer that it likely relates to Apple silicon Macs also.

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Answer 2

Oct 11, 2023 4:47 PM in response to paulfox

It appears that Apple have discontinued the function in Apple Silicon Macs.

I can find no mention of the situation being otherwise.

Older Macs: Create a NetBoot, NetInstall, or NetRestore volume - Apple Support

Apple Silicon Macs: Boot modes for a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Oct 11, 2023 5:59 PM in response to paulfox

If by "network restore" you mean Internet Recovery, I believe the Apple Silicon Macs still do that, though I haven't any hands-on time with any of the Apple silicon machines.

Use macOS Recovery on a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support

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Answer 4

DerekM87

Community Specialist

Oct 11, 2023 11:59 AM in response to paulfox

Hi paulfox,

Both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs support remote login as outlined here:

Allow a remote computer to access your Mac - Apple Support

Depending on your configuration, you can manage and access your Mac on a local network or from a separate network entirely.

Cheers!

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Answer 5

paulfox Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 11, 2023 5:12 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

I can’t find anything either so I asked here. The only reason I can imagine doing this for is to deny thin client like operation. It doesn’t make sense to me because the OS does this for network restore (unless that’s gone in the new silicon).

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Answer 6

paulfox Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 11, 2023 6:31 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

Logically speaking then the software for the capacity to boot is within the system. If it can boot from the Internet it can boot from an intranet. The part I’m missing data on is how to provide a server to boot from. This was one of the features I enjoyed of the long dead Apple Server.

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Answer 7

paulfox Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 11, 2023 10:47 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

Thank you for finding this. Yeah, that’s what I needed to see. I’m not happy about it though. Not mad at you about it, just disappointed with Apple yet again. It sure does make that crazy dollar price tag a LOT harder to justify.

I was soooo close to pushing the order now button but now I have to completely rethink my whole strategy but with a fixed income and apples blatant hatred of anyone poor, it may just be time to admit computing is completely over for me.

How does a Time Machine backup on a NAS work? Is it just using a migration tool while still booting entirely from the internal drive?

Is there any map available that outlines what features and functions I can rely on for the next 20 years? By then I should be dead or too old to care. God willing I’ll be done with the nightmare.

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