Mist

About

Mist is a Mac utility that automatically downloads macOS Firmwares and Installers. It lists the macOS versions available for download, showing display names, versions, builds, release dates, and sizes. You can optionally show beta versions, filter for versions compatible with the Mac running the app, and export lists as CSV, JSON, Property List, or YAML. Mist can also select custom Software Update Catalogs, including the Standard catalog that ships with macOS and catalogs from the AppleSeed, Apple Developer, and Apple Beta Software programs.

For Apple Silicon Macs, Mist downloads a Firmware Restore file (.ipsw), validates its SHA-1 checksum, and can copy firmware URLs to the clipboard. For Intel-based Macs, it can generate an Application Bundle (.app), a Disk Image (.dmg), a Bootable Disk Image (.iso) for use with virtualization software, or a macOS Installer Package (.pkg). Disk Images and Installer Packages can optionally be codesigned. Mist also caches downloads to speed up build operations, validates Chunklist checksums on download, and automatically retries failed downloads.

Mist requires macOS Monterey 12.0 or later. It can be downloaded from the project's releases page or installed with Homebrew using brew install --cask mist. Depending on what Mist downloads, you may need to allow Full Disk Access for Mist in System Settings. The project is created and maintained by Nindi Gill and is released under the MIT license.