osxapp_vers

What the project is for

The script called osxapp_vers finds the product name, the complete product version, and build version in an Install*OS X*.app package, in an Install macOS*.app package or in a mounted CD/DVD image called Mac OS X Install * and prints the info out like the macOS' /usr/bin/sw_vers does for an installed macOS product.

The idea for this has been described at my blog.

What are the system requirements

• At least Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) in order to run the bash script, older releases haven't been tested.

What are the input requirements

• Install macOS Sonoma.app, Install macOS Ventura.app, Install macOS Monterey.app, Install macOS Big Sur.app, Install macOS Catalina.app, Install macOS Mojave.app, Install macOS High Sierra.app, Install macOS Sierra.app, Install OS X El Capitan.app, Install OS X Yosemite.app, Install OS X Mavericks.app, Install OS X Mountain Lion.app, or Install Mac OS X Lion.app from the Apple App Store (1st public version or any update release) or on a bootable macOS install media that has been created by Apple's createinstallmedia. See also How to create a bootable installer for macOS?.

Tip

It also works on bootable macOS install media that has been created and patched by the OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

• Alternatively, a mounted Mac OS X Install CD/DVD image such as Mac OS X Install DVD, Mac OS X Install CD or Mac OS X Install Disk

How to configure and install it

Download the osxapp_vers file from GitHub to a folder of your choice.

% curl -Ls https://bit.ly/osxapp_vers > osxapp_vers

Set execute permissions.

% chmod +x ./osxapp_vers

In order to bypass a check that prevents the script from investigating an unknown macOS release, you can set the NOCHECK environment variable.

% export NOCHECK=1

In order to see details from the mount actions and additional messages, you can enable debug output by exporting the DEBUG environment variable. Usually there is no need to do that.

% export DEBUG=/dev/stdout

If you want to disable debug mode, enter

% export DEBUG=

How to run it without installing it

% curl -Ls https://bit.ly/osxapp_vers | bash

Examples of how to use it or get it running

By default, if you don't specify any program parameters, the script reads all Install*OS X*.app, and Install macOS X*.app known to Spotlight and all /Volumes/Mac OS X Install * and prints out product name, product version and build version for each macOS that those installers are loaded with.

Example output from runs without any program parameters:

/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.5
BuildVersion:   9A581

/Applications/Install Mac OS X Lion.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.7.5
BuildVersion:   11G63

/Applications/Install OS X Mountain Lion.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.8.5
BuildVersion:   12F45

/Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.9.4
BuildVersion:   13E28

/Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.10.2
BuildVersion:   14C109

/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion:	10.11.5
BuildVersion:   15F34

/Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion:	10.12
BuildVersion:   16A323

/Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app:
ProductName:	Mac OS X
ProductVersion:	10.13
BuildVersion:	17A365

/Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app:
ProductName:	Mac OS X
ProductVersion:	10.14
BuildVersion:	18A391

/Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app:
ProductName:	Mac OS X
ProductVersion:	10.15
BuildVersion:	19A583

/Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app:
ProductName:	macOS
ProductVersion:	11.1
BuildVersion:	20C69

/Applications/Install macOS Monterey.app:
ProductName:	macOS
ProductVersion:	12.0.1
BuildVersion:	21A559

/Applications/Install macOS Ventura.app:
ProductName:	macOS
ProductVersion:	13.0
BuildVersion:	22A380

/Applications/Install macOS Sonoma.app:
ProductName:	macOS
ProductVersion:	14.0
BuildVersion:	23A344

If you specify program parameters, the script prints out product name, product version and build version for each Install OS X .app folder that you have specified.

% ./osxapp_vers '/Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app'

/Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.9.4
BuildVersion:   13E28

If you have created a bootable macOS install media with createinstallmedia (that command line tool is provided by Apple as part of the OS X installer starting with Mavericks), you could also find out the version of macOS version that is on the install media by specifying the path to the .app folder.

% ./osxapp_vers '/Volumes/Install OS X Mavericks/Install OS X Mavericks.app/'

/Volumes/Install OS X Mavericks/Install OS X Mavericks.app/:
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.9.2
BuildVersion:   13C64

The license

The license that the project is offered under is the Apache 2.0 license.

References

• https://loefflmann.blogspot.de/2015/03/finding-os-x-version-and-build-in-install-os-x-app.html