Acer Aspire 5740G M420 / ATI 5470M

[BusError]

I have successfully installed Lion on this latop (8GB ram, 500GB disk), and I got it "mostly" working..

 

+ I Installed Lion fresh from the "Download" disk, by using a USB stick, and a system partition with moved "Packages" folder.

+ I did not install Snow Leopard first, it was not needed

 

+ I installed Chameleon r1573 on the system disk and it worked pretty well, but with garbled graphics to start with, so I booted with GraphicsEnabler=False in 1024x768 stretched mode.

+ Wifi worked immediately (even in the installer!)

+ Added AtiConfig=Hoolock to the org.chameleon.boot.plist

+ I installed SwitchRes X and made a 1366x768 EDID

+ Rebooted with 1366x768 and it works fine, however I have no external HDMI working.

+ Installed VoodooHDA ; I added "Monitor" "0" to the "MixerValues" in Info.plist of that extention and that removed the audio feedback noise.

+ Installed VoodooPS2 and the trackpad/keyboard worked.

+ Ethernet NetLink BCM57780 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe. Install the drivers from http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1785 works!

+ I have no sleep/resume. Sleeping kernel panics. I tried to install and patch a DSDT with no luck t all (see bellow)

+ I have no battery Indicator

+ The "media" keys works (volume, brightness)

+ The webcam "Crystal Eye" works flowlessly

+ The built-in SD card reader works

 

However, the system is pretty much usable as it is

 

+ I upgraded to 10.7.1 without problems (via SU)

+ I Upgraded to 10.7.2 Combo without problems.

 

DSDT Patching

I extracted the DSDT and using the "Editor & Patcher" I applied :

• _T_x rename.txt
  
• DTGP.txt
  
• EHCI.txt
  
• FN KEYS.txt
  
• HDEF _DSM.txt
  
• IRQS.txt
  
• LPC.txt
  
• New HPET.txt
  
• PNLF SB.txt
  
• RTC.txt
  
• SHUTDOWN.txt
  
• SMBUS.txt
  
• UHCI.txt
  

There are no errors in the compile. I added the file to /Extra but as far as I can see, it makes no difference at all -- I have no real way of knowing what is supposed to "change", but the main thing is that the sleep/resume fails as before.

 

I'll update this topic with new discoveries, if you have any pointers on how to progress on the red topics, please feel free to participate !

 

Update #1

Updated the BIOS for the laptop from 1.09 to 1.28, downloaded from there -- Not sure if it makes a difference, it's possible the ATI works better as the BIOS includes an update for it.

Update #2

Got ethernet working, see one page up for drivers..

 

Correct EDID

Using instructions at this thread, managed to boot in freedos and grab the EDID for the screen; there is the hex dump:

00ffffffffffff0006afec220000000001130103802213780ac8959e57549226
0f505400000001010101010101010101010101010101121b5642500026302018
340058c1100000180000000f0000000000000000000000000020000000fe0041
554f0a202020202020202020000000fe004231353658573032205632200a00c0

And a plist override file generated with this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>DisplayProductID</key>
<integer>1815</integer>
<key>DisplayProductName</key>
<string>Internal LCD Forced EDID</string>
<key>DisplayVendorID</key>
<integer>1970170734</integer>
<key>IODisplayEDID</key>
<data>
AP///////wAGr+wiAAAAAAETAQOAIhN4CsiVnldUkiYPUFQAAAABAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEB
AQEBEhtWQlAAJjAgGDQAWMEQAAAYAAAADwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAAAA/gBBVU8KICAg
ICAgICAgAAAA/gBCMTU2WFcwMiBWMiAKAMA=
</data>
</dict>
</plist>

[rahul.never2far]

Hi

 

I have an exact same laptop. I've got battery Indicator and Ethernet working as well. I'll can send you the correct kexts.

 

I'm facing an issue with my graphics though. I've got my graphic card working using this method http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=262286 but I'm facing the color depth issue. OS X shows that its 32-bit but it seems like that color depth is only 16bit because the gradients aren't smooth, there is color banding. It is most noticeable in Launchpad and Wallpapers.

 

I've tried color calibration but it doesn't fix it. I've googled a lot for a solution but no luck yet. Are you facing the color depth issue as well?

[BusError]

I'm interested by links for the ethernet/battery working things..

 

For the screen, yes I do have banding, but to be honest I suspect it's a rather {censored} screen. It's mostly visible in blue color gradients, and it changes wether the gradient is a the bottom, or the top of the screen.. There is also a wild difference of colors when you move tilt the screen back/forth.

I never ran that laptop in Windows so I can't say for sure, but I suspect the screen is just not very good... You can always try to use a different gamma too, that might help...

 

Edit: I just tried, and using the gamma 1.8 helps quite a bit. Still {censored}, but the blue gradient are better!

[BusError]

Hmm yeah reviews seems to flag the screen as a bit poor, and the review mentions banding. I guess that's not OSX's fault then !

 

anantech review page on that laptop

[rahul.never2far]

Here you go...

kexts.zip

[BusError]

Thanks for that, you don't have the kext for LAN too do you ?

 

Still no luck for sleep mode here.

 

BTW, I opened the laptop, and I noticed an empty "slot" that is probably for where the bluetooth module is supposed to be. Anyone know if it's some sort of PCI-e slot ?

[BusError]

Ok I found working ethernet driver! http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1785

 

This one seems to work fine... now maybe I'll get iCloud/Facetime working ...

[Guest saxthebest]

Sorry guys, I used just the same next but Ethernet still not working. No Error, No kernel panic. Wi-Fi is working fine.

 

I've also noticed that cpu overheats pretty quick...

[BusError]

Overheat ? here the fan kicks in now and then, but I assume it's more or less the design of the laptop itself that does it... It otherwise all works..

 

I'd like to find a way to get the hdmi out working at the minute, maybe I'll post a new topic about it tho, it's more of a "generic" ATI problem I think...

[dnkH]

Hi, Ive got a laptop wich is very close to your laptop specs. Acer aspire 5742G. The same Ati card but I dont know if the Wifi is the same.

 

Ive installed this kext: http://www.osx86.net...do=file&id=1225 in Lion 10.7.2

 

I putted in the directory SLE and run Kextutilty, reboot. Nothing happens.

 

Know something about this ?

 

 

I dont really know if my Ati is running correctly, i have changed the resolution with Chameleon, its ok, but its the only thing I can do about the Graphics. The HDMI not works, like you.

 

Also Ive installed the touchpad and the keybord.

 

Thanks

[BusError]

Hi, Ive got a laptop wich is very close to your laptop specs. Acer aspire 5742G. The same Ati card but I dont know if the Wifi is the same.

 

Ive installed this kext: http://www.osx86.net...do=file&id=1225 in Lion 10.7.2

 

I putted in the directory SLE and run Kextutilty, reboot. Nothing happens.

 

Know something about this ?

 

Nope, by a stroke of luck, the one in the 5740G was supported by Lion out of the box! However when I installed the ethernet driver I had a case where it wouldn't work either, never figured it out. I used KextUtility afterward, and it worked

 

I dont really know if my Ati is running correctly, i have changed the resolution with Chameleon, its ok, but its the only thing I can do about the Graphics. The HDMI not works, like you.

 

Well if you have transparency and are running at 1368x768 it means you are probably OK, maybe they fixed the EDID detection in your laptop!

 

Does 'sleep' work for you?

[dnkH]

No, it doesn't work.

 

Where I can see if transparency works? I dont see nothing with transparency in desktop... The edid...What is that? I heard about it. It's Important?.

 

Well, the Mac OS look cool but the keyboard is very different to pc's keyboard...How do you do about keyboard??