macUSB is a one-click tool that transforms your modern Mac (Apple Silicon) into a service machine capable of reviving older Apple computers.

If you’d like to support the project, here’s a simple way.

With Apple's transition to its own silicon (M1, M2, M3...), preparing installation media for older Intel- and PowerPC-based computers has become a challenge. Many people encounter Terminal errors, issues with expired certificates in old installers, or simply a lack of compatibility with system tools.

macUSB solves this problem.

The application automates the entire process of creating a bootable USB drive. You don't need to search for commands online, worry about disk formatting, or manually fix validation errors in old installation files.

• Legacy Support: The ability to create installers for systems over a decade old (e.g., OS X Lion) directly on the latest Mac on Apple Silicon.

• Time Saving: The app detects the system version in the .dmg, .iso, .cdr or .app file, formats the drive, and copies files automatically.

• Auto Fixes: For certain systems (e.g., High Sierra/Mojave), the app automatically applies necessary fixes so the installer works despite expired Apple certificates.

• PowerPC Revival: The app formats USB drives to the Apple Partition Map (APM) scheme required by PowerPC Macs and transfers the installer directly from .iso, .cdr or .dmg files. This allows for installation without the need for physical CDs/DVDs or FireWire drives.

  📖 Guide: Step-by-step: Booting from USB on PowerPC Macs using Open Firmware

• Security: Starting with version v1.1.2, the application is officially notarized by Apple. This guarantees that the software is free from malicious code and ensures a seamless, secure first launch on macOS without requiring any extra security workarounds.

Fun Fact: The application was created using the "Vibe Coding" method. Every single function has been rigorously verified for correct operation to ensure full stability. This project proves that programming barriers (even cross-architectural ones) can be overcome with determination and AI support while maintaining the highest standards of code quality.

• Processor: Both Apple Silicon and Intel are supported.
• System: macOS Sonoma 14.6 or newer.
• Storage: Minimum of 15 GB of free disk space is required to create the installers.

• Capacity: A minimum of 16 GB is required.
• Speed: USB 3.0 or newer is highly recommended for faster installation times.
• External Drives (HDD/SSD): By default, only USB flash drives are detected for safety. To use external disks, enable Options → Enable external drives support.

The program supports .dmg, .cdr and .iso disk images, as well as raw .app installer files.

Pro Tip: Where to get valid files?

• OS X 10.7 - 10.8 and 10.10 – macOS 26: The most convenient solution is downloading via the free app Mist.
• OS X 10.9: The recommended source is Mavericks Forever (macUSB support was developed based on the image from this site).
• Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6 (Intel): Disk images are available on the Internet Archive.
• Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.5 (PowerPC): Images for PPC architecture can be found on Macintosh Garden.

The table lists systems supported by the application that are successfully recognized and written to a USB drive.

The application interface automatically adapts to the system language:

• 🇵🇱 Polish (PL)
• 🇺🇸 English (EN)
• 🇩🇪 German (DE)
• 🇯🇵 Japanese (JA)
• 🇫🇷 French (FR)
• 🇪🇸 Spanish (ES)
• 🇧🇷 Portuguese (PT-BR)
• 🇨🇳 Simplified Chinese (ZH-Hans)
• 🇷🇺 Russian (RU)

Any technical issues or suggestions for new features should be reported via GitHub Issues. To simplify the diagnostic process and expedite issue handling, it is highly recommended to use the available reporting templates whenever possible:

• Bug Report: Recommended for reporting technical errors. If possible, details such as Host OS Version, Target OS Version, file format (e.g., .dmg, .app), and the installer source and link should be provided.
• Feature Request: Recommended for suggesting new ideas or improvements for the application.

Including screenshots of the error or the application window is highly helpful and allows for a faster analysis of the reported issue.

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

This means you are free to use, copy, modify, and distribute this code, provided you keep the author information. The software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind.

Copyright © 2025-2026 Krystian Pierz

Note: The application interface and this README file were translated using Gemini 3 Pro. Please excuse any potential translation errors.