macOS kernel return 0xDC008013 (kOSKextReturnNotLoadable): meaning

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: The kernel extension failed a loadability check; the decisive cause is in loader diagnostics.

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kOSKextReturnBootLevel	kOSKextReturnLoadedVersionDiffers

kOSKextReturnNotLoadable

A terminal result that needs the earlier diagnostic

kOSKextReturnNotLoadable is an umbrella result: XNU says that the kext cannot be loaded, but does not encode the underlying reason in the return value. Apple’s loader sources use this result after failed authenticity or access checks, which is why the first preceding message is more valuable than the final status by itself.

Do not collapse this result into a single cause such as a bad signature. Earlier stages may have exposed a validation problem, an unavailable dependency, a missing architecture, or a policy restriction. The diagnostic task is to locate the first stage that rejected the selected bundle set.

How to make the result actionable

Preserve the complete loader output, beginning before the final return code.
Identify the exact target bundle, all resolved dependencies, the macOS version, and the relevant boot architecture.
Classify the earliest failure as validation, authentication, dependency resolution, architecture, or policy before attempting a repair.
On macOS releases that build an Auxiliary Kernel Collection for third-party kexts, distinguish a preflight failure from a change that requires restart before a new collection can be used.

References

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