Originally Posted by joemikeb
I am still working on why the command is not found even though the specified path is correct, and the exact same copy and paste has worked for several years. Is the problem in the installer package? the command string? MacOS 11.3? MacOS 11.4 beta 1? between the earpads on my AirPods? confused
CONFESSION: I got it at least half right in one — a major portion of my problem was between the ear pads on my AirPods
  1. I had formatted the thumb drive APFS and it turns out that it must start out formatted MacOS Extended, ExFAT, or FAT — anything but APFS. During the createinstallmedia process it will be reformatted MacOS Extended. So that was definitely between the ear pads on my AirPods.
  2. I copied and pasted the createinstallmedia Terminal command string from a different source than I had used previously but when I manually entered the string in Terminal, it worked. (I tested this and the copy and paste from the internet source failed every time but both the manually entered command and a copy and paste from the command manually entered in BBEdit worked every time.) I admit that was at least partially on me, but now although I don't really have to figure out what was causing the copy and paste from a web site source to fail, I have another puzzle to solve. confused


LAST WORDS:
  • Multiple sources have indicated Software Update downloads are not always the full install package. However, given App Store is using the System Preferences > Software Update module for OS downloads, that would appear to make the full install package mandatory at least in Big Sur. I don't have a reasonable way to verify this, but until someone proves me wrong it is my story and I am sticking to it.
  • I now have a bootable thumb drive with the full MacOS 11.3 Installer on it. My second set of suspenders in a belt, suspenders, and more suspenders tool kit. 😎

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein