ninxsoft/Mist

MIST - macOS Installer Super Tool

A Mac utility that automatically downloads macOS Firmwares / Installers:

:information_source: Check out mist-cli for the companion command-line tool!

Check out #mist on the Mac Admins Slack to discuss all things Mist!

Features

• List all available macOS Firmwares / Installers available for download:
  • Display names, versions, builds, release dates and sizes
  • Optionally show beta versions of macOS
  • Filter macOS versions that are compatible with the Mac the app is being run from
  • Export lists as CSV, JSON, Property List or YAML
• Download available macOS Firmwares / Installers:
  • For Apple Silicon Macs:
    • Download a Firmware Restore file (.ipsw)
    • Validates the SHA-1 checksum upon download
    • Copy firmware URLs to clipboard
  • For Intel based Macs (Universal for macOS Big Sur and later):
    • Generate an Application Bundle (.app)
    • Generate a Disk Image (.dmg)
    • Generate a Bootable Disk Image (.iso)
      • For use with virtualization software (ie. Parallels Desktop, UTM, VMware Fusion, VirtualBox)
    • Generate a macOS Installer Package (.pkg)
      • Supports packages on macOS Big Sur and newer with a massive 12GB+ payload!
    • Optionally codesign Disk Images and macOS Installer Packages
    • Cache downloads to speed up build operations
    • Select custom Software Update Catalogs, allowing you to list and download macOS Installers from the following:
      • Standard: The default catalog that ships with macOS
      • Customer Seed: The catalog available as part of the AppleSeed Program
      • Developer Seed: The catalog available as part of the Apple Developer Program
      • Public Seed: The catalog available as part of the Apple Beta Software Program
      • Note: Catalogs from the Seed Programs may contain beta / unreleased versions of macOS. Ensure you are a member of these programs before proceeding.
    • Validates the Chunklist checksums upon download
  • Automatic retries for failed downloads!

Note: Depending on what Mist downloads, you may require allowing Full Disk Access for Mist via System Settings:

Build Requirements

• Swift 6.3.1 | Xcode 26.0.
• Runs on macOS Monterey 12.0 and later.

Download

• Grab the latest version of Mist from the releases page.
• Alternatively, install via Homebrew by running brew install --cask mist

Credits / Thank You

• Project created and maintained by Nindi Gill (ninxsoft).
• JP Simard (jpsim) for Yams, used to export lists as YAML.
• Josh Kaplan (jakaplan) for Blessed and SecureXPC, which are used to support the Privileged Helper Tool.
• The Sparkle Project (sparkle-project) for Sparkle, used to auto update Mist.
• Callum Jones (cj123) for IPSW Downloads API, used to determine macOS Firmware metadata.

License

Copyright © 2021-2026 Nindi Gill

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.