macOS 11.4 boot Process Changes

For the technically minded this Eclectic Light blog is a good explanation of the revised boot process on M1 Macs as of macOS 11.4. These changes are part of Apple's re-shuffing to improve bopping form external drives. Given it is still not possible to switch between internal and external boot drives without going through the Options menu this seems unlikely to be be final revision. Getting rid of the T2 chip and narrowing the focus of the Security Policy specific volumes rather than system wide has obviously had more unanticipated complications than the software engineers had planned on. It's annoying but almost inevitable with all the changing bits, parts, and pieces not to mention the learning curve on the new hardware.


"All you've got to do is own up to your ignorance
honestly, and you'll find people who are eager to
fill your head with information"
--Walt Disney