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I've seen multiple sites that show links of links to Big Sur or Monterey software restore files, but none of them explicitly stating their source. I know that iOS, Watch, TV, iPad OS restore files are seen here. But where are the macOS IPSWs stored? A quick google search for one IPSW (UniversalMac_11.6_20G165_Restore.ipsw) in quotation marks showed nothing. Sucatalogs wouldn't have them, right? I've used SUS inspector to check out large files and they aren't IPSWs.

The difference between an IPSW and something like a regular macOS installer? - IPSWs have only been available for Big Sur and above, and are the only available file types that can be used with the virtualization framework on a M1 mac.

SomePerson
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    Non-Apple IPSW files from any source that does not end in "apple.com" I, personally, would not trust, install or use. They are, for all intents and purposes, pirated software. Also an IPSW is a function of iOS devices only. MacOS is only available as a downloadable installer from apple.com. – Steve Chambers Mar 06 '22 at 20:59
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    But how would you explain one of the download links from the site I attached? That goes to updates.cdn-apple.com which appears to be owned by apple. – SomePerson Mar 07 '22 at 01:00

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https://mesu.apple.com/assets/macos/com_apple_macOSIPSW/com_apple_macOSIPSW.xml

I found it when I was looking for a download of SeedCatalogs.plist from the Seeding.framework to automate getting the latest suscatalog files, and originally found the ipsw links here: https://gist.github.com/b0gdanw/43d5c9e5f44a20e9a70c247ff8259f46

SomePerson
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  • It doesn't have some of them. For example, https://ipsw.me/download/MacBookAir10,1/20D91 links to http://updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2021WinterFCS/fullrestores/071-14756/5676903C-6D55-4412-B9DF-969F15F5491A/UniversalMac_11.2.3_20D91_Restore.ipsw which is not in com_apple_macOSIPSW.xml. That's updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2021WinterFCS/fullrestores/071-14756/5676903C-6D55-4412-B9DF-969F15F5491A/UniversalMac_11.2.3_20D91_Restore.ipsw [EDIT: OH! And we can trust cdn-apple.com as it's in the xml file off apple.com !] – WHO'sNoToOldRx4Covid-CENSORED Aug 24 '22 at 22:05
  • Actually, currently it only contains one IPSW link - https://updates.cdn-apple.com/2022SummerFCS/fullrestores/012-51674/A7019DDB-3355-470F-A355-4162A187AB6C/UniversalMac_12.5.1_21G83_Restore.ipsw – WHO'sNoToOldRx4Covid-CENSORED Aug 24 '22 at 22:12
  • This is a link-only answer – Thinkr Apr 14 '23 at 15:22