Last update: 11/12/2008

Basically, the problem is when you have more than 3 gb of ram (some says 2.5 gb) and AppleVIAATA, JMicronATA, AppleNForceATA or AppleATIATA driver.

In my case, I've got 2 IDE HDD and when I upgraded to 4 gb of ram, my desktop started to freeze, or give kernel panics (AppleVIAATA).

After some hours of googling and looking for the driver to solve my issue, i finally made a custom driver that made it.

The problem was that AppleVIAATA driver used 32 bits addresses to make DMA. In an environment with 4 gb of ram, you need 64 bits addresses. I've rewritten some code so that this kext uses a kernel api which supports 64 bits.

I think the problem is solved. To generate kernel panics, i used Rember to test all memory, and while this was running, i started to browse mi IDE hdd. After rewriting the driver, i had no more panics!

FAQ:

1- DOES THIS MEAN THE BUG IS SOLVED?
Old answer: NO! Need testing, i've finished 30 minutes ago and i couldn't test it as much as needed to say it works fine.
New answer: It seems so.

2- IS IT A REPLACEMENT FOR APPLEVIAATA.KEXT?
Old answer: NO! It only solved my IDE problems (I removed some PCIID from Info.plist)
New answer: Yes, it is.

3- CAN I HAVE THE SOURCE CODE TO KEEP DEVELOPMENT?
Old answer: YES! Just tell me where can i upload it (svn like google code) without any legal violation.
New answer: There's a googlecode svn project here: darwin-ata. You may check out and get the source. If you want to be part of the development team (or whatever the name of the people who are trying to make this work is) just PM me. Try to add some info so i can check if u are going to benefit this development or not.

4- DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WRITE IN ENGLISH?
Old answer: NO! I've done such an effort to write this post that i think i'm loosing my mind.
New answer: I'm finishing my degree in computer sciences, not english, the answer is still NO.

5- WHAT KEXT SHOULD I DOWNLOAD?
ONLY ANWSER: The ones that doesn't have the word DEBUG in their names.

6- WHY NOT DEBUG KEXTS?
They are for DEBUGGING. Use them if and only if i tell u to do it. First warning.

7- HOW DO I REPORT A NON WORKING KEXT?
1: boot with -v debug=0x100 at darwin prompt
2: make a dump with ioreg -l > dump.txt
3: after having a panic, take a picture of the screenshot (I need to read every character, so make sure the screen fits the picture)
4: atach dump.txt and the picture of the screen into this topic and wait for my answer (sometimes other users might help)

8- I HAVE LOTS OF INFO DISPLAYED ON BOOT AND LOGS. LOTS AND LOTS OF INFO EVERY SECOND. WHAT'S GOING ON?
RTFF. You've been warned.


If you need some help, or have some comments, or find some bugs, just post in this thread.


Here's what we've got so far:

JMicronATA: v0.6 Working
AppleVIAATA: v0.2 Working
AppleNForceATA: v0.1 Working (?). Some may have issues with DVD drives. Some may have issues with voodoo kernel
AppleATIATA: v0.1 Not tested, waiting.


stmiller has compiled these kexts with Tiger (10.4.8) in case someone is using 10.4. He only tested AppleVIAATA.kext.


DON'T USE DEBUG KEXTS UNLESS I TELL YOU TO DO IT. This is the second and last warning.

Downloads:

All the kexts here!

I have the same problem, desktop freeze, and i decide to remove this kext. Now this problem is solved and I reinstall it.

Thanks


P.S.: Why the file dimension is more less than original and there isn't the "Resources" dir ?

Would be fine if someone tries that for JMICRON.kext also .

Is there any source code? What version are you using?

I need some info (i don't have a JMicron ide controller to see what's happening) to see if the problem is more or less the same. If the cause is the same, i can fix try and fix it.

Is there anyone with a JMicron chipset that can send me a brief of what's happening? Start with -v debug=0x100 at darwin bootloader and send me a dump of the kernel panic or at least a photo of the screen.

I've installed your fixed extension - it works. No more crashes.

I was hoping this would work for my system, but I may have screwed it up even more. At first I was trying -Dune-'s AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext and removing the AppleVIAATA.kext. This didn't solve my panic problem and so I tried this one. Now I have removed the JMicro.kext and I get a circle with a slash through it when I try to boot into OSX.

I've had my install of the iATKOS v2.0i Leopard 10.5.2 working for several months now. But from the beginning, it's given me a kernel panic whenever more than 2GB is saved out (like exporting video in Quicktime Pro). It's not that it has a problem with large files. I don't know if I need a new kext for the IDE controller or what. This panic does NOT show up when I transfer to an external firewire drive, though. I've transferred over 500GB to that drive in OSX. It's only when files are utilized by my OSX system drive (an IDE drive). I've done a lot of research about this problem, but I'm not really sure how to narrow down what's causing it on my system (memory issue, HDD issue, etc). I'm a little unsure about the process of using kexthelper, terminal, and rebuilding permissions, and what order all that needs to happen in order to insure that kexts are injected properly. It's all making my head spin.

Here are my hardware specs in hopes that someone can offer a suggestion for what I need to do.

iATKOS v2.0i Leopard 10.5.2

GA-P35-DS3L Mobo
8GB RAM (OSX recognizes all of it)
Core 2 Quad Intel processor
NVidia quadro FX 370
30GB Western Digital IDE Master HDD (running OSX)
80GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 IDE Slave HDD (running Windows XP)
Intel ICH9 Serial ATA storage controller


Let me know if there's any other info needed. Thanks for any help.

I think your problem is the same as mine, but with other driver. My issue was that whenever osx used over 2/3 GB of ram and used an IDE drive, it crashed. How to test for this?
1- Boot with -v and debug=0x100. (At darwin bootloader when osx starts, press any key and at boot prompt type "-v debug=0x100" without quotes)
2- Run rember (its a little program to test memory, download it) and test all memory.
3- Wait a while till rember starts testing, and start trying to open files in your ide.
4- If it panics, send me a photo of the screen (u should see some text written)

Also, open a terminal and type ioreg -l > dump.txt and send me that file (dump.txt).

This could help you to determine if AppleVIAAta.kext or JMicron.kext are the problematic ones.

Hi, the max RAM using IDE is 3 GB or only 2 GB ?
I will have 4 GB soon and will set at boottime by kernelflag to a max 3072 .
Is that correct or is the max (for no problems) 2048 ?

Thanks. Works perfect. No locks ups at all so far.

It was the IDE. I actually just used a IDE-to-SATA adapter I had laying around. Plugged the IDE into my mobo SATA port. No more panics. Thanks for the help!

Hi have problems with jmicron controller but only with my PATA drive SATA works fine. I get panic only if i use PATA drive and if i delete jmicron kext i dont see my PATA drive but i get no panics.

I include pictures of the screen and dump.txt

Thanks! That´s the same issue, i´ll try and correct it today or tomorrow. Wait for my post.

:D nothing like progress! thanks mate

I would like to say, that I will wait patiently for your modified JMicron.kext, and if you would like you have a tester in me

AppleNForceATA.kext (http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=77071) has exacly the same problem! It randomly freezes with 4gb and I always have to boot with maxmem=2048. I booted with debug=0x100 and saw that the error is related to this kext. Would love to use 4gb ram, do you think that it can be fixed?

I think the problem is solved, test them and in case they don't work, send me more pictures (with the debugging kext). I cannot test them, i don't have that hw.



If the problem is the same as JMicron and AppleVIA, i can solve it, send me screen photos of your kernel panic booting with -v debug=0x100. Try to include the whole screen. In the first line you can see where the problem is. If the problem is using 32 bits addresses in stead of using 64 bit, i could try and fix it.

I just installed your kexts using the kexthelper and after restart my PATA hdd is not found and when the system boots with -v there is no reference to jmicron as it always was with the original kext.

Can you post your old JMicron kext Info.plist? Try booting with -v -f debug=0x100
The driver is not loading for some reason.

I will post the info.plist as soon as i can. But I payed extra attention during reboot and i saw some error i think it was couldn't alloc class="JmicronATAPIroot"

I can confirm this. I just installed the JMicronATA.kext and had the same issue at boot up. I'm going to try the Debug kext, and see if that gives the same error during boot up. I'll see if I can get a photo of it this time as well.

I've uploaded two new kext with modified Info.plist.

If this doesn't work, i think well have to start by compiling original kext from source and try if that works. (the problem may be in the source code i've got to start working with. If anyone finds the source code, please send it to me.)

I just tried the new kext (At least, I think it is if you updated the link in the first post).

Same problem as with the last one. Couldn't Alloc Class. If you need me to compile from source or whatever let me know, and I can see what I can do to help.

This kext is the original (from the source Dense gave to me), try this. If this is a problem, then the source i'm working with has something wrong.

JMicronATA.kext

This one didn't work as well. However I noticed 2 more error messages, that I'm not sure if they were there with the other 2. Don't have time to replace kexts and test again until this afternoon though. Full errors were:



At least, those are them to the best of my knowledge

Ok i just got a working JmicronATA.kext form JMICRON ftp. It still has the RAM problem but at least it loads. So you can try modify this one hope this will help.

i'm getting the same problem



let me know if there's anything i can do to help testing wise. or any information you need.

thanks,

Marc

I've uploaded a new version, using Info.plist from your kext. Did someone tried with the unmodified JMIcron? does it loads correctly? I think the problem might be in the original source code i'm working.

Just tried the update and it gives me kernel panic while booting had to unplug my pata devices just to get back to the system

Can u give me some info on the panic? (boot with debug=0x100)
Have u tried the original kext i uploaded? That's the source code without any modification by me. If this works, then my modification should work too, but if it doesn't work, then the source code is not usefull.

Yes i tried your unmodified kext but after booting it didnt find my pata devices so it probably didnt load.
I will upload some pictures of the kernel panic in a few moments.

EDIT: Ok i attached images of the panic

Ok, the driver is working now. That's good news. This issue is known to me. In AppleVIAATA, dma needed to be 2 byte aligned, but in JMicron, it needs to be 4 byte aligned. I'll fix that asap.

I've updated JMicron kext (v0.4) Try them and tell me what happened.

Sorry for all this, but i don't have such hardware to test them.

No dice on that one either. Attached is a photo of the Kernel Panic. Occurred during boot..
Click to view attachment

Theres a new version (0.5). I forgot to update some pointer references in the transfer.
Be patient, the 4gb issue is in the method i'm actually doing changes (createChannelCommands), the one that panics. I believe this kext might work.

Thanks to the testers!

Thanks to you also !
I buyed yesterday an 10 Euro IDE>SATA module to avoid that > 3 GB RAM problem with my JM until we get it fixed. WORKED. I now have disabled all IDE on my GA board.
My solution may be helpful if you only have one IDE left (i have SATA DVD and one SATA HD, only one IDE HD). If you have more than one IDE i would wait for that great work or sell the IDEws to ebay and buy SATA therefor.

Well, I'm not going to jump to any conclusions and say that it's 100% fixed for sure. However, this is me playing a video from my IDE Drive with the majority of 4GB allocated.

Click to view attachment

And here's the only stuff I saw in the boot log.

Click to view attachment

It seems to me, you may have hit the nail on the head with this fix.

Ok i think this could be the thing. But i still experienced panic i dont believe it is related but i attache pictures anyway.

if you set maxmem=2000 (as kernel boot flag)do you also get panics ? I f yes something other may be wrong.

I would also check RAM with REMBER / memtest - problematic RAM can also make much troubles.

I got (now i use an IDE>SATA contr) kernel panic really early at boottime with JM and 4 GB. I never saw the desktop , crash was way before.

I don't think those panics are related, but as rfuilrez said, don't jump to conclusions.

The panic ocurred somewhere in hfs filesystem, the thread was backupd. Maybe your hdd has something wrong, and not the ide controller. The other issue might be memory. Try testint them (verify hdd in disk utility) and if panics is recurrent, try booting with maxmem=2048. If u keep having panics, then the issue is not this kext.

I tried the latest version (1.06) from the JMicron web site as indicated by adusak, and with my PATA DVD drive (PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-115D), the inserted DVD looks like an external drive. I believe the its plist causes this.

Version 1.0 JMicron driver worked properly in this regard, except causing kernel panics with the memory issue.

Then I tried the latest slashack version (0.5) with 64 bit addressing, and it displays DVD the same way. [did not test for the memory issue]

Unfortunately, this is not just a display issue, it confuses the finder as to whether it can burn blank disks. Ejection is also goofed up.

Slashack, if your recompile is based on the latest version 1.06 from JMicron's web site, you would have inadvertently carried these issues over. Based on my limited understanding, you may need to revisit the plist based on the original 1.0 version, instead of the 1.06 version, or at least use the version 1.0 as a base.

Thanks for all of your help. Really appreciated.

The memory issue is the one i solved. I'll try and solve the other issue. If u could test if kext work it would be great. (run rember to test all memory and try and open files from IDE disks)

Can you attach a plist from v1.0?

Been using this for two days now, running from 8gig mbr ide at the moment.

Yesterday i was burning a dvd, playing music and surfing the web.
Activity monitor memory went down to 12 meg free.I have 4gig.
One thing I did notice with THIS driver is the allocated memory
didn't appear to come back to the free pool or it took its time.

Previously did same thing with driver from JMicron site.
That got down to 700 meg free then lockup.Music sounded like broken record.


Looks like I get to use JMicron after all. MBR testing for my little project.

Good job.

I am attaching the plist as well as a few screen shots as to how the DVD looks on the desktop. Many thanks slashack!

The original JMicron v1.0:

Click to view attachment

The JMicron 1.06 from their web site:

Click to view attachment

The 64 bit corrected version by slashack:

Click to view attachment

and the plist from the JMicron version 1.0:

Click to view attachment

That's actually how OS X manages memory. Even without this kext it will do it the same way. It keeps the memory allocated, but flags it as inactive. So if you use the program again, it already has the data loaded. And then if you need memory for another program, it will free up what's needed, and allocate it for that app instead.

Tested modified AppleNForceATA.kext and it works perfectly!! it's incredible, no more KP in situations that used to give me panics.

Altered JMicron (0.5) works well with JMB363 controller set as IDE under BIOS - 2 SATA and 2 IDE detected, IDE has one DVD writer that has burned a few discs with no problems so far - all while running Highload memory stresstest on 4, 6, and 8GB memory configurations. Speeds are the same as the 32-bit version, but without the bugs. I'm guessing this kext (and all that are based around it) will still work under Snow Leopard - making a lot of JMicronATA/AppleVIAATA.kext dependent mobos future-proof.

You're a godsend slashack. People have been complaining about this issue and none have made any moves to fix it - you've done it all in one fell swoop. Your AppleVIAATA is also working on another system on my mini-render "farm" for a 2-port Silicon Image 3112A that's been flashed under windows with the BASE SATALink firmware straight from SiI.

Thank you. Really. It's about time someone had the brains to address this issue.

Can you tell me which DL-LINK this Altered JMicron (0.5) has ?

There are basically 2 differences between plists:
1)
slashack:
Under IOKitPersonalities -> JMicronATA Driver:

I believe this is the icon issue. In 1.0 plist this isn't there.

2)
Under IOKitPersonalities -> JMicronATA PCI:
slashack:

1.0:


To solve the icon issue, you might remove the code from Info.plist, and i think that will solve it. (remove everything i quoted in difference n1).
I don't think that changing the code in difference n2 from original 1.0 plist might solve the other issues you are having trouble with. This keys indicates the OS when to load this driver.




In first post (i've updated the links) or in Darwin ATA googlecode project

Slashack;

I followed your advise, and removed the entire IOMediaIcon key (per note #1) from the plist. I made no other changes. The DVD and CD disks are now recognized and displayed as such. I also tested burning a CD, which completed with success.

I noticed that blank DVDs are taking a long time to show up, (1-2 minutes), but it may very well be normal. This was one of the odd behaviors that I had noticed before. I also did testing with rember, and DVD read test you had recommended in your previous post, and I am happy to report that there are NO kernel panics. So, it looks like everything is just fine. You may want to update the plist so that the driver is usable with DVD burners.

MANY MANY Thanks for your help in putting this JMicron issue to bed at last. Well done...

Thanks posting the google JM 0.5 link again!
I will try it with my 4 GB GA-EP35-DS3 (using IDE>SATA converter to avoid JM > 3 GB crashes )