Reinstall macOS via Internet Recovery

Reinstall macOS via Internet Recovery | Generated by AI

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Question: How do I reinstall macOS on my own on a 2017 MacBook Pro that I recently wiped to install Fedora?

Answer:

Since you replaced macOS with Fedora, the recovery partition is gone. You need Internet Recovery, which pulls the installer from Apple’s servers over the network.

Method 1: Internet Recovery (simplest)

Shut down fully.
Power on and immediately hold Cmd + Option (Alt) + R until you see a spinning globe (not the Apple logo). This boots Internet Recovery and installs the latest macOS your Mac supports.
- Use Cmd + R instead to get the version that originally shipped — but that won’t work here since your recovery partition is wiped, so use the globe variant.
Connect to Wi-Fi (or Ethernet — more reliable for the multi-GB download).
In macOS Utilities, open Disk Utility first:
- Select the internal disk (top-level, not the Fedora volume).
- Erase → Format APFS, Scheme GUID Partition Map. This nukes the Fedora/ext4/LUKS layout.
Quit Disk Utility → Reinstall macOS → follow prompts.

A 2017 MacBook Pro (model MacBookPro14,x) supports up to macOS Ventura 13 officially (Sonoma/Sequoia dropped it). Internet Recovery may offer Ventura or fall back to the factory version (Sierra 10.12), which you can then upgrade via the App Store.

Method 2: Bootable USB installer (more control, faster reuse)

If you have access to another working Mac, this is the better path — but note you only have the one Mac, so Method 1 is your realistic route unless you borrow one.

On a working Mac, with a 16GB+ USB stick:

# Download installer from App Store (e.g. "Install macOS Ventura"), then:
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia \
  --volume /Volumes/MyUSB

Then boot the target Mac holding Option (Alt) at startup, select the USB, erase the disk in Disk Utility (APFS/GUID), and install.

Gotchas for your situation

Firmware password: if you ever set one, you’ll need it to boot recovery.
T2 chip: the 2017 model has no T2, so no Secure Boot restrictions — booting external/recovery media is unrestricted. Good for you.
Internet Recovery needs specific Wi-Fi: it only supports WPA/WPA2 personal networks, not captive portals or enterprise auth. If your network has a login page, use a phone hotspot or Ethernet adapter.
Disk wiped by Fedora: Fedora likely converted the partition table or used LUKS — the full Erase in Disk Utility handles this cleanly.

Realistic plan for you: hold Cmd+Option+R, erase to APFS, reinstall. If Internet Recovery serves you an ancient version, upgrade to Ventura afterward via the App Store.

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