October 2024 – This guide remains accurate as long as Apple’s CDN hosts the Catalina installer.
sudo date 091212002019 Then run the installer. After success, re-enable auto-date. Requirement: 12.5GB free space on boot drive. Fix: Use Disk Utility > First Aid, then delete local Time Machine snapshots:
Introduction: Why macOS Catalina Still Matters
A: Distributing modified macOS is illegal. Sharing an unmodified Apple-hosted link is a gray area but Apple rarely enforces against individuals. Always prefer Apple’s own softwareupdate command.