Vanilla install on Dell Vostro 1510 - 1520

[shamrocker]

Am i right in thinking that there are multiple copies of some things in the vostro 1510 folder? theres the mac osx folder and another vostro 1510 folder inside of it. These seem to have copies of the same files so i am confused which to add

 

when it says add the certain kext file does it mean the entire folder, or just the actual kext files. and which folder should these be coming from?-meaning between the vostro 1510 folder and the mac osx folder

[Jason Parks]

Hey, I'm considering buying a Vostro 1520 and am relieved to see a healthy community for the 1520.

Before I buy, I just want to ask whether you think the extra for the 9300M GS is worth it. And which Wi-Fi card you're using/recommend, or at least which this guide accomodates for.

 

I think it is worth paying for the Nvidia card if you are interested in playing games like Modern Warfare or similar. Otherwise I guess it's up to you. I am using the Dell wireless 1397 card

 

Am i right in thinking that there are multiple copies of some things in the vostro 1510 folder? theres the mac osx folder and another vostro 1510 folder inside of it. These seem to have copies of the same files so i am confused which to add

 

when it says add the certain kext file does it mean the entire folder, or just the actual kext files. and which folder should these be coming from?-meaning between the vostro 1510 folder and the mac osx folder

 

I have to check the file, It might be like that because I modified the rar file on a Windows PC, I would ignore the MAC OS folder and just use the 1510 folder.

 

Hi all. I have a Vostro 1510, Core Duo T5670 1.8Ghz CPU, 2 GB RAM, nVidia GeForce 8400M GS, and I'm running into a couple of issues when I follow these instructions. Firstly though I should mention that I'm trying to install retail Leopard instead of Snow Leopard (the installer appears to want to load at least though so I'm assuming it doesn't matter...?) Anyways the issues:

 

1) When I boot off my snowboot cd, I see this:

EBIOS Read Error: Device Timeout

Block 0x532c Sectors 0

 

2) After I see #1, I still get a drive list and can sort of load up off my retail Leopard DVD. The problem here is that the installer never really fully loads up. I just see the background, and a spinning cursor. After about 5 minutes the DVD spins up as if something is about to happen, but about 10 seconds after that it goes silent again. I thought maybe my machine was just slow, so I let it sit overnight with the spinning cursor, but nothing had happened by the next morning (the cursor still moved though so it wasn't a completely frozen system)

 

Anyone know what might be happening in #1 or #2? Is there a better distribution of OSX for vostro 1510 that I should use instead? Or a different boot loader since I'm trying to use Leopard instead of Snow Leopard? I tried boot 132 also but it did the same thing, though the cursor seemed to spin faster...

 

I think you can ignore error number one, this is normal. For number two, if you are installing Leopard, and not Snow Leopard try using DFE Grub or similar that boots the Leopard install disk. This is much easier to get to work because you dont need to worry about DDST or 64bit kext etc. look in the Leopard install forum here (http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=126085)

[triggerbg]

The installation and user creation was successful, but now I cannot use my usb mouse and usb keyboard to install the zip files.

 

How can I enable them?

[Jason Parks]

The installation and user creation was successful, but now I cannot use my usb mouse and usb keyboard to install the zip files.

 

How can I enable them?

 

Check your bios for "Enable Legacy USB" and USB Mouse/keyboard settings. If your DDST is not in place your bios may be resetting itself and disabling those features. You are still booting with the Snow Leopard Boot disk, correct? This boot disk has the kext files needed to use USB keyboard and mouse so I can not think of any other reason why they wouldnt work off the top of my head.......

[triggerbg]

Check your bios for "Enable Legacy USB" and USB Mouse/keyboard settings. If your DDST is not in place your bios may be resetting itself and disabling those features. You are still booting with the Snow Leopard Boot disk, correct? This boot disk has the kext files needed to use USB keyboard and mouse so I can not think of any other reason why they wouldnt work off the top of my head.......

 

The BIOS settings are enabled and I'm still using the SL boot disk (from your link above), but several mices and keyboards don't work.

Only after pressing the Power button I can use the Enter/Return key to accept the shutdown.

After the shutdown some BIOS settings are reset, e.g. Boot order, but the USB settings are still enabled.

[triggerbg]

I found a solution:

 

a) Boot SL in single user mode (arrow down in chameleon boot loader, select single mode)

set hdd to read-write mode (like described in hint after boot)

c) execute chameleon installer

d) execute your steps 1. - 9. (step 9. throw an error, but I didn't care)

e) rebooted SL

 

... and voila ... I can use USB & internal Keyboard, Mouse & Touchpad

 

f) executed step 9. again

g) executed step 10.

 

 

So everything is perfect now, thank you very much for your support.

[Jason Parks]

I found a solution:

 

a) Boot SL in single user mode (arrow down in chameleon boot loader, select single mode)

set hdd to read-write mode (like described in hint after boot)

c) execute chameleon installer

d) execute your steps 1. - 9. (step 9. throw an error, but I didn't care)

e) rebooted SL

 

... and voila ... I can use USB & internal Keyboard, Mouse & Touchpad

 

f) executed step 9. again

g) executed step 10.

 

 

So everything is perfect now, thank you very much for your support.

 

Glad your up and running!

[den_breacker]

thank you very much for the guid! It worked perfect for me :-)

I'm running Snow Leopard on my Vostro 1510 and as far as I know, everything works fine :-)

I had some problems with updating to 10.6.2 (with the SleepEnalber) but i've solved that too.

[Jason Parks]

thank you very much for the guid! It worked perfect for me :-)

I'm running Snow Leopard on my Vostro 1510 and as far as I know, everything works fine :-)

I had some problems with updating to 10.6.2 (with the SleepEnalber) but i've solved that too.

Glad it worked for you!

[Skymaker]

Hi,

 

i'm trying to install Snow Leopard on my Vostro 1520. The Install DVD starts, but at the language-selection screen I can't use my mouse or keyboard. Any ideas?

[Jason Parks]

Hi,

 

i'm trying to install Snow Leopard on my Vostro 1520. The Install DVD starts, but at the language-selection screen I can't use my mouse or keyboard. Any ideas?

 

Make sure it's enabled in the bios along with Legacy USB support.

[dr.vox]

So I have my 1520.

I've installed Snow Leo via OSInstall.mpkg, but otherwise followed this guide exactly, as far as I can tell.

But, no matter what flags I use (f, x, arch=i386, x32, etc.) I get a kernel panic immediately, with no kexts or processes listed as potentially responsible.

 

npvhash=4095

PAE enabled

64 bit mode enabled

Darwin Kernel Version [blah blah]

vm_page_bootstrap [blah]

standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 us

mig_table_max_displ = 73

panic(cpu 0 caller 0x2a6ac2) [blah blah].

 

I'm wondering if the PAE or 64-bit lines have anything to do with it?

Which BIOS settings should I be using? ATA or AHCI being the obviously most important, but I assume it's AHCI due to it being default.

I've reinstalled twice.

iAtkos 7i works fine.

 

T6670 Core 2 Duo @ 2.2Ghz

2048MB DDR2 RAM

320GB HDD

nVidia 9300M GS

[shd]

after insert the snow leopard disk, i press enter on the appe disk image at chamaleon and i get match kernel error.... what should i do?

[dr.vox]

Hmm... interesting... I can boot into my Snow Leo install (on the HD) if I use the SnowBoot disc burned to a CD.

Only thing is, I don't think the wi-fi script worked. I'll take a better look tomorrow though.

Don't think I can change the Modifier keys via the Keyboard & Mouse prefpane. What's the reason the K&M and Trackpad prefpanes are 32-bit?

 

I might try installing via USB via SnowBoot tomorrow. Sounds plausible to me.

But either way, I can kind-of run Snow Leo, so good news there.

Sleep now. Thanks again for this thread.

[klk1351]

Most everything seems to be working. The OSX doesn't see networking working at all it appears, from the terminal I can ping and do nslookups on IPs though. I ran the script for wireless, but definately some type of issue that I cannot run anything like Software Update or Safari. Keeps telling me no network even though I can ping out to the world. It just doesn't see the wired connection at all though.

[johngalt929]

I found a solution:

 

a) Boot SL in single user mode (arrow down in chameleon boot loader, select single mode)

set hdd to read-write mode (like described in hint after boot)

 

I'm in single user mode off Chameleon, but neither USB nor built in mouse/keyboard are working. They worked ONCE in my initial OS X install, first boot, but not after a reboot. I am booting through slboot.iso

 

Any hints?

 

I also need some clairifcation as to what is referring to: "set hdd to read-write mode" I don't see that mentioned in posts or initial instructiosn.

[shd]

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=200794

 

 

plz help

[Jason Parks]

Most everything seems to be working. The OSX doesn't see networking working at all it appears, from the terminal I can ping and do nslookups on IPs though. I ran the script for wireless, but definately some type of issue that I cannot run anything like Software Update or Safari. Keeps telling me no network even though I can ping out to the world. It just doesn't see the wired connection at all though.

 

Try specifying DNS servers. If you dont know what ones to use, you can use OpenDNS at 208.67.222.222

 

I'm in single user mode off Chameleon, but neither USB nor built in mouse/keyboard are working. They worked ONCE in my initial OS X install, first boot, but not after a reboot. I am booting through slboot.iso

 

Any hints?

 

I also need some clairifcation as to what is referring to: "set hdd to read-write mode" I don't see that mentioned in posts or initial instructiosn.

 

Not sure what he is referring to, I didn't have to change Chameleon at all. Check your bios and make sure the bios didn't get reset and change the usb options. If that doesn't work, try changing the usb ports your using. Otherwise there may be some subtle differences in the motherboard, you might have to compile a ddst for your specific model.

[klk1351]

Try specifying DNS servers. If you dont know what ones to use, you can use OpenDNS at 208.67.222.222

 

 

 

Not sure what he is referring to, I didn't have to change Chameleon at all. Check your bios and make sure the bios didn't get reset and change the usb options. If that doesn't work, try changing the usb ports your using. Otherwise there may be some subtle differences in the motherboard, you might have to compile a ddst for your specific model.

 

As I stated the network is working, I can ping via terminal to anywhere and use terminal commands. It is just the OSX apps such as software update and safari do not see the network as working. All DNS functions are working, I run my own.

[dr.vox]

I've tried booting Snow Leo installation via SnowBoot by both restoring it to a USB and restoring it to a Partition.

Same thing happens for both: it gets past all the verbose, but as soon as it gets into GUI, nothing happens. There's a grey background and the cursor in the top left, but nothing new happens. Just sits there. Can't move the mouse.

 

Any ideas?

[dr.vox]

Ok so now I have a semi-working Snow Leo install. I still need to boot from the SnowBoot disc, but I now have working wifi, I guess that's progress.

A major problem (for me) is that the provided Keyboard.prefpane doesn't allow Modifier keys to be changed. This is basically useless for me, because I always remap Cmd to the Ctrl key, Control to the Win key and Option to the Alt key. And disable caps lock.

Any help, please?

Why's conversation dried up all of a sudden here?

 

EDIT: Oooh, I just booted without the CD!

[johngalt929]

Just a progress report:

 

USB keyboard and mouse issues: Had to use external keyboard and mouse to do install process and before new kexts were added...changing usb ports fixed non-responsive keyboard. If you are having keyboard or mouse issues, try all the ports. yOu may also have to reboot before the keyboard is recognized in a new port.

 

I succeeded in getting a working install on a vostro 1510 with the following hardware:

 

Nvidia Ge Force graphics (though DVD player not functioining: does this mean quartz extreme was not yet working?)

Sound worked

Keyboard and trackpad worked.

boot was great from chameleon

 

WIFI didn't work. I have the intel wireless card, and Jason used the Dell 1357. I bought one on ebay for 15 bucks and will try that, as it has a well supported broadcom chipset.

 

Sleep didn't work. That's a pretty big one for a laptop I use all over the place.

 

So I'm back to a windows 7 install (which actually isn't all that bad) while I wait for the wireless card to arrive.

 

Anyone want to tackle sleep issues? Something with sleepenabler and applepowermanagement kexts?

 

FOR ANYONE SEEKING TO BUY A NEW DELL VOSTRO to turn into a hackintosh:

 

all the hardware matters! Be sure you go with the nvidia graphics and the dell wifi card, exactly like Jason got working, otherwise it won't be as simple as this guide is.

[dr.vox]

So I wiped the old install and reinstalled over it.

It seems I need to do the first boot via the SnowBoot CD. Thereafter, it works fine without the CD it seems.

My trackpad and keyboard work fine on the first boot and consequent boots, without installing the Keyboard and Trackpad.prefpanes supplied. This allows me to change modifier keys.

 

Installing the network patch sometimes needs two attempts — the first time it connects with networks fine but finds a problem at the ISP in Network Diagnostics. I had a similar issue with Snow Leo on my E520 which has an Intel82566MM ethernet card, so this seems to be a common issue in that respect.

 

Anyway, it appears I have pretty much everything working, sound buttons included.

The only things which aren't currently working are the play/pause, stop, previous and next buttons (which is a bit of a shame; I was hoping they would work properly. Any ideas, anyone?); and QE/CI (but am running 1440x900 just fine).

I'm on an nVidia Geforce 9300M GS. Currently searching for solutions. Help appreciated.

 

Oh and I haven't tested sleep yet.

 

@johngalt: Which nVidia card do you have? I think Dell has supplied a various number of cards to the 1500 series throughout the years.

[johngalt929]

@dr. vox

I've got a brand new Vostro 1520 (december 2009) with:

 

NVIDIA® GeForce蒂 9300M GS 256MB

and

Intel® WiFi Link 5100 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card

 

There's lots of conversation out there that the Intel 5100 is NOT functioning with mac os x.

[Jason Parks]

Nvidia Ge Force graphics (though DVD player not functioining: does this mean quartz extreme was not yet working?)

 

Yes, that is an indication that QE/CI is not working. I had to add kernel flag to com.apple.boot.plist, which only works with newer versions of chameleon or pc_efi. You could also try using an efi string if your card supports that.