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kOSKextReturnBootLevel
The restriction is tied to the current boot stage
kOSKextReturnBootLevel means that the kext is not loadable, or the requested operation is not allowed, at the current boot level. This is not a generic statement that the extension can never load; it identifies a mismatch between the requested action and the current boot-stage context.
That distinction is especially important in current macOS deployment. Third-party kexts are incorporated into an Auxiliary Kernel Collection that is loaded during boot, so a workflow that expects an arbitrary on-demand transition can be incompatible with the system’s allowed stage even when the bundle itself is otherwise valid.
What to compare
- The exact boot state and whether the request occurs during startup, collection preparation, normal runtime, or shutdown.
- The macOS version and Mac hardware family, including the applicable Apple silicon security configuration.
- Whether the condition is boot-level timing, system policy, a missing dependency, or an architecture mismatch; those return families are distinct.
References
- Apple XNU: OSKextLib.h
- Apple Platform Security: AuxKC construction and boot
- Apple Platform Deployment: macOS 11+ kext flow
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