OK, see if this helps...
When trying to create a bootable macOS USB installer and only seeing a ".pkg" file, it means you've downloaded the installer package which needs to be further processed to create a usable installer application (.app) before you can use it to make a bootable USB; essentially, you need to open the package to access the actual installer within it, which is necessary to create a bootable drive.
Key points to remember:
- A ".pkg" file is just a package:
- It contains the installation files but isn't directly usable to create a bootable USB.
- Open the package:
- Double-click the ".pkg" file to launch the installer which will place the actual "Install macOS [version]" application in your Applications folder.
- Use the installer application:
- Once you have the "Install macOS [version]" application, you can use it with a utility like Disk Utility to create a bootable USB.
How to create a bootable USB:
- Download the macOS installer: Download the macOS installer from the Apple App Store, which will appear as a ".pkg" file.
- Open the package: Double-click the downloaded ".pkg" file to run the installer.
- Access the installer application: The installer will place the "Install macOS [version]" application in your Applications folder.
- Launch Disk Utility: Open the Disk Utility application on your Mac.
- Select your USB drive: Choose the USB drive you want to use as the installer.
- Erase and format: Erase the USB drive with a macOS Extended (Journaled) format.
- Create bootable installer: In Disk Utility, select the "Restore" option, choose the "Install macOS [version]" application from your Applications folder as the source, and select the USB drive as the destination.
