Marcus Müller a.k.a. "Tethpub ZNeK"
crack-admin/coderâ„¢

APFS Preboot and TimeMachine setup problems

27.06.2020

When my old MacBook Pro Late 2013 broke down due to a broken battery, I received a newer, used MacBook Pro 2018 from Carsten. I used my last TimeMachine Backup to automatically setup the new machine which took quite a while but otherwise did work as expected.

However, the APFS Preboot won't be setup automatically which you don't necessarily realize instantly. But as soon as you want to change the "Startup Security" for booting i.e. from external media, you're confronted with a slightly confusing dialogue:

Startup Security No Administrator Found

Luckily, this can be solved: "No administrator was found" in Startup Security Utility

znek@optimist:(~)$ sysadminctl -secureTokenStatus znek
2020-06-26 14:49:32.994 sysadminctl[923:13224] Secure token is DISABLED for user znek
znek@optimist:(~)$ sysadminctl interactive -secureTokenOn znek -password -
Enter password for znek :
2020-06-26 15:06:10.405 sysadminctl[959:16991] - Done!
znek@optimist:(~)$ sysadminctl -secureTokenStatus znek
2020-06-26 15:06:19.678 sysadminctl[985:17337] Secure token is ENABLED for user znek
znek@optimist:(~)$ diskutil apfs updatePreboot /
Started APFS operation
UpdatePreboot: Commencing operation to update the Preboot Volume for Target Volume disk1s1 Optimist
UpdatePreboot: The Target Volume's OpenDirectory (non-special kind) user count is 1 and the Recovery (any of 3 kinds) user count is 0
UpdatePreboot: There are OpenDirectory user(s) but no Recovery user(s)
UpdatePreboot: The above is an abort condition for some purposes but not UpdatePreboot; continuing
UpdatePreboot: No custom Open Directory path given
UpdatePreboot: Using GivenVolumeMountPointOrNilIfNotMounted for the MacOSSearchPath
UpdatePreboot: Using MacOSSearchPath's child dslocal path for the OpenDirectorySearchPath
UpdatePreboot: MacOS Search Path = (nil=NotMounted) = /
UpdatePreboot: Open Directory Database Search Path = (nil=MacOSSearchPathNotMounted) = /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default
UpdatePreboot: Preserve EncryptedRootPList When No-OD = 0
UpdatePreboot: Successfully opened Open Directory database; setting AuthODNodeOrNil accordingly
UpdatePreboot: Mounting and ensuring as mounted the related Preboot Volume
UpdatePreboot: Preboot Volume = disk1s2 Preboot
UpdatePreboot: Taking mount hold on Preboot Volume
UpdatePreboot: Preboot Volume Target Directory = /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6
UpdatePreboot: Considering APFS Crypto User 0E49C3F6-AF8E-41A5-B01A-0A9FBC91F27F
UpdatePreboot: Defaulting and requiring that this be an Open Directory User
UpdatePreboot: Treating this APFS Crypto User to be, and requiring to match, an Open Directory User
UpdatePreboot: Correlated APFS Volume Crypto User with Open Directory User 0E49C3F6-AF8E-41A5-B01A-0A9FBC91F27F aka "znek"
UpdatePreboot: Reading JPEG user picture of length 8166 from Open Directory database
UpdatePreboot: All required data for this Open Directory user has been obtained
UpdatePreboot: Parameters for EFILoginUserGraphics count=1 "unlockOptions"="2"
UpdatePreboot: Before rendering EFILoginUserGraphics user (graphics/audio) resources Name=znek PictureSize=(NoneIsOK)=8166 HintOptional=(null)
UpdatePreboot: After rendering EFILoginUserGraphics DataObj=(NullIsError)=0x7fce43e0dd00 DataLen=1260626
UpdatePreboot: Before rendering EFILoginUserNamesData resources UserArrayCount=3
UpdatePreboot: After rendering EFILoginUserNamesData DataObj=(NullMeansWeWillSkip)=0x7fce43e0c800 ItemCount=3
UpdatePreboot: Successfully added a macOS OD User to the building dictionary
UpdatePreboot: Processed APFS Volume Crypto User 0E49C3F6-AF8E-41A5-B01A-0A9FBC91F27F
UpdatePreboot: Error for this processed user was 0
UpdatePreboot: Error among all processed users was 0
UpdatePreboot: The Encrypted Root PList File content is ready
UpdatePreboot: Not encrypting the Encrypted Root PList File content
UpdatePreboot: Encrypted Root PList File to be created path will or would be /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EncryptedRoot.plist.wipekey
UpdatePreboot: Proceeding to write Encrypted Root PList, creating a path as necessary
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote Encrypted Root PList File
UpdatePreboot: DiskManagement Info PList File path will be /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/var/db/CryptoUserInfo.plist
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote DiskManagement Info PList File
UpdatePreboot: Checking for existence of Static EFI Resources directory /usr/standalone/i386/EfiLoginUI
UpdatePreboot: Before copying contents of directory of Static EFI Resources at /usr/standalone/i386/EfiLoginUI into directory /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/usr/standalone/i386
UpdatePreboot: After copying error=(ZeroMeansSuccess)=0
UpdatePreboot: Looking for locale list on macOS on Target Volume
UpdatePreboot: Locale list item count is 5
UpdatePreboot: Before rendering EFILoginInterfaceGraphics global localized resources
UpdatePreboot: After rendering EFILoginInterfaceGraphics FileNamesAndDataObj=(NullIsError)=0x7fce45108990 ItemCount=11
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/loginui.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/flag_picker.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/preferences.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/battery.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/appleLogo.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/sound.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/unknown_userUI.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/disk_passwordUI.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/guest_userUI.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/Lucida13.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Writing localized EFI graphics resource file /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.corestorage/EFILoginLocalizations/Lucida13White.efires
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote EFI resource file
UpdatePreboot: Generating AdminUserList for Recovery purposes
UpdatePreboot: Considering admin user FFFFEEEE-DDDD-CCCC-BBBB-AAAA00000000
UpdatePreboot: Considering admin user 0E49C3F6-AF8E-41A5-B01A-0A9FBC91F27F
UpdatePreboot: Error among all processed admin users was 0
UpdatePreboot: Writing Admin User Info File to path /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/var/db/AdminUserRecoveryInfo.plist
UpdatePreboot: Successfully wrote Admin User Info File
UpdatePreboot: Checking for existence of Secure Access Token file /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/secureaccesstoken.plist
UpdatePreboot: Before copying Secure Access Token file /var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/secureaccesstoken.plist into directory /Volumes/Preboot/1ED6B083-A941-46B2-B3B1-4635AC4999C6/var/db
UpdatePreboot: After copying error=(ZeroMeansSuccess)=0
UpdatePreboot: Releasing mount hold on Preboot Volume
UpdatePreboot: Unmounting Preboot Volume
UpdatePreboot: Did unmount Preboot Volume err=(ignored)=0
UpdatePreboot: Doing memory releases
UpdatePreboot: Exiting Update Preboot operation with overall error=(ZeroMeansSuccess)=0
Finished APFS operation
znek@optimist:(~)$