Mist
Lists every macOS installer and IPSW Apple still publishes, and downloads any of them.
What it does
Mist (Mac Installer Super Tool) queries Apple’s software catalogues and shows the full list of available macOS installers and Apple Silicon IPSW firmware files, including older versions and betas. It can download them as an application, a disk image, or a package.
That solves a real problem: the App Store only offers the current release, and reinstalling or testing against an older macOS otherwise means hunting for links.
brew install mist-cli # the command-line version
mist list installer
mist download installer "14.7" applicationNotes
Pairs with CrystalFetch — one builds Windows media, the other macOS media. The result is what goes onto a USB stick with createinstallmedia, or gets attached to a UTM virtual machine.
Alternative to
| Alternative | Type | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| mist-cli | Open source | The same tool without the GUI, scriptable |
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer | Built in | Only offers recent releases |
| ipsw.me | Free | A long-standing index of IPSW firmware links |
| The App Store | Built in | Fine if the current release is the one you want |
Install
brew install --cask mist