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Apple recommends using the latest (newest) macOS that is compatible with your Mac. macOS updates and upgrades help to maintain your computer’s security, stability, and compatibility, and they include the latest features and built-in apps.
Use Software Update in Terminal
1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac then run the following command to get the list of available software:
softwareupdate --list-full-installersThe output when I ran the command on my Mac Pro 2017:
bonben@flame01 ~ % softwareupdate --list-full-installers
Finding available software
Software Update found the following full installers:
* Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.0.1, Size: 12151255443K, Build: 22A400
* Title: macOS Ventura, Version: 13.0, Size: 12151608300K, Build: 22A380
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.6.1, Size: 12399095056K, Build: 21G217
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.6, Size: 12394539947K, Build: 21G115
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.5.1, Size: 12405687415K, Build: 21G83
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.7.1, Size: 12410109410K, Build: 20G918
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.7, Size: 12409605694K, Build: 20G817
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.8, Size: 12409703750K, Build: 20G730
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.6, Size: 12412173576K, Build: 20G624
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.5, Size: 12412317772K, Build: 20G527
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.4, Size: 12439328867K, Build: 20G417
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.3, Size: 12435122667K, Build: 20G415
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.2, Size: 12433351292K, Build: 20G314
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.1, Size: 12428472512K, Build: 20G224
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.5.2, Size: 12440916552K, Build: 20G95
* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8248985973K, Build: 19H15
* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8248854894K, Build: 19H2
* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.6, Size: 8248781171K, Build: 19G2021
* Title: macOS Mojave, Version: 10.14.6, Size: 6038419486K, Build: 18G103
* Title: macOS High Sierra, Version: 10.13.6, Size: 5221689433K, Build: 17G662. Next, run the following command to download the macOS installer as you need.
softwareupdate --download --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.7.1It could take a while depending on your internet speed.
bonben@ ~ % softwareupdate --download --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.7.1
Scanning for 11.7.1 installer
Install finished successfully3. Once done, the downloaded file saved to your Applications folder automatically. Now you can use it to create a bootable USB stick to install a new Mac.
Use the App Store or your browser
Alternatively, you can download macOS installer from App Store or browser in your Mac.
Download link (.app):
1. Click the link to open the App Store page for that macOS.
2. In the App Store, click the Get button to begin downloading the macOS installer.
3. After downloading to your Applications folder, the installer opens automatically.
Download the old versions of macOS
Download links (.dmg) for the old versions of macOS:
1. Click the link to download a disk image (.dmg) file for that macOS.
2. Double-click the .dmg file to open it and see the .pkg file within.
3. Double-click the .pkg file, then follow the onscreen instructions. This installs the macOS installer into your Applications folder.
Reference: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683
