softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer command no longer works

[howie_isaacks]

I wanted to download macOS Catalina to run on a VM, and when I run the command to download it, it no longer works. The command I have been running in Terminal is:

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7

Is anyone else having this issue? This used to work up until a few weeks ago. I just downloaded it using the App Store link in Apple's support article here (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683), but if I wanted to trigger this download on a Mac managed through Jamf Pro, the command above is what I would want to use.

The error I get is: softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7
Scanning for 10.15.7 installer
Install failed with error: Update not found

[kishoth_p]

@howie_isaacks - Yes you are right, I also downloaded it from app store & It's no longer available to download using terminal. I didn't see any updates from apple support/stack exchange forums. I foresee lot of terminal level changes in upcoming apple releases. Hope we have all the necessary interims available.

[howie_isaacks]

Well this is annoying. Apple needs to wake up and understand that using their consumer level methods is just stupid.

[mcrispin]

You might want to give this a go again, the service has had a couple of outages, but as of right now, it is working for me. I had the issue previously, but it's gone now.

[mbootes]

This still isn't working for me on Big Sur. Does appear to still work on Catalina.

[kai_wang1]

it worked for me on 12/9, just got some error at the beginning. i tried just now, it works for me on 10.15.7 % softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7
Downloading and installing 10.15.7 installer
SUPreferenceManager: Failed to set object of class: __NSCFString for key: LastRecommendedMajorOSBundleIdentifier with error: Error Domain=SUPreferenceManagerErrorDomain Code=1 "(null)"
SUPreferenceManager: Failed to set object of class: __NSCFString for key: LastRecommendedMajorOSBundleIdentifier with error: Error Domain=SUPreferenceManagerErrorDomain Code=1 "(null)"
Installing: 1.0%

[user-FukArcsyxy]

Only works under Catalina. Why is Apple making it ... Learn more about Jamf ... The fetch full installer command was introduced on macOS Catalina. ... Code=1 "(null)" Install failed with error: Update not found. when running softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer with or without --full-installer-version ?

[user-FukArcsyxy]

Only works under Catalina. Why is Apple making it ... Learn more about Jamf ... The fetch full installer command was introduced on macOS Catalina. ... Code=1 "(null)" Install failed with error: Update not found. when running softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer with or without --full-installer-version ?

[mbootes]

Looks like it was fixed in 11.1

[donmontalvo]

Running it now to get the latest Big Sur installer.

$ sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.1   
Scanning for 11.1 installer
Installing: 4.0%