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Dell e520 ICH8R Retail Snow Leopard Install


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Hi blkhockeypro19

 

Just out of interest how long do you think it'll be until you can get a 'universal' boot disc out? Understand if it's hard to gauge but just worked out how to get iPC 10.5.6 on Dell E520 (although installing snow leopard through it doesn't work ):( so wondering if I should sort that out - install apps etc if it's going to be a while until this flies or if it is worth waiting.

 

Happy to be patient but do you think we're talking days, weeks, months?

 

Thanks so much for your work

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Actually, Win7 supports Raid mode out of the box, so you can install 7 in Raid mode without monkeying with the BIOS or using an F6 driver. I just installed it that way myself. Did a fresh install so I could have 64 bit.

 

Raid mode is how your E520 was shipped from Dell.

 

With 7 the drivers are there, so you might be able to switch back to Raid0 and still boot.

 

 

Heh. Who knew!? Whenever I try and boot with RAID on it boots into recovery mode and then promptly tells me that the version of recovery mode installed is not compatable with this version of windows. I installed windows 7 from MSDN onto a blank drive. Guess they haven't gotten that bit worked out quite yet. ymmv.

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Hi all, just want everyone to know that I am still working on it and have not forgotten about any of you. Hope to figure this out soon so you can all have an ATA snow leopard install!

 

More strength to you Comrade. Would your new boot CD work for Pentium D (Dual Core-Prescott) as well?

 

On a side note-New issue- I am getting some weird EBIOS errors (referencing various addresses like 0x004 etc and message saying disk.img failed to load and could not mount blah, blah, blah!!!) now using any boot CD. Yes-I have checked my HDD and no disk errors on that and the same boot CDs did not give any errors before or atleast one of the,m meant for I1525 seemed to load without the EBIOS error and tried to get GRUB installed-which spit out a cryptic GRUB error 17 message! ( I subsequently removed the GRUB by using the FIXMBR and FIXboot commands under Windows RE). Anyways-right now-I figure-none of the boot CDs worked and so I gave up trying to figure out why I am getting EBIOS read errors with all of 'em.

 

Perhaps my machine cannot run SL-but then again I read reports esp. by munky and others that he was able to get it on even a Pentium D and so that will be a holy grail I suppose... :stretcher:

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just worked out how to get iPC 10.5.6 on Dell E520 (although installing snow leopard through it doesn't work ):)

Well, actually it will work, but not by just inserting the DVD in the drive.

 

This is the method, taken from my install guide

MBR Installation Disk Preparation.

 

1) Boot into your working Leopard installation. Insert Snow Leopard Retail DVD.

2) Use Disk Utility to "Restore" from the Snow Leopard Retail DVD to the USB Disk Partition.

3) Still in Disk Utility, "Erase" (means format) the partition you prepared above. Name it Snow.

3) Open a Terminal Window, Enter SU mode by typing "sudo bash". Enter your password.

4) Type "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE"

5) Type " killall Finder"

6) Lots of stuff appears. Keep your Terminal Open. Navigate to /System/Installation/Packages on the USB image of the Install DVD.

7) Copy the modified OSInstall.mpkg to /System/Installation/Packages. Then execute it.

8) Don't reboot when finished. If it reboots unattended, just come back to Leopard.

9) To restore your Desktop to normal, return to your Terminal Window.

10) Type "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE" (here and later without the quotes)

11) Type " killall Finder"

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Perhaps my machine cannot run SL-but then again I read reports esp. by munky and others that he was able to get it on even a Pentium D and so that will be a holy grail I suppose... ;)

 

It can, don't worry, I'm on a Prescott and Snow Leo boots fine. The only problem is that access to other SATA ports is really slow, and blkhockey's DSDT.aml doesn't fix this problem (due to the differences). This is why I'm so desperate to see a simple DSDT guide.

 

I installed via an OSInstall.mpkg install from my Leopard install.

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Well, actually it will work, but not by just inserting the DVD in the drive.

 

This is the method, taken from my install guide

 

But is that method retail? From me reading it it seems as if you have to backup all system etc every time you want to update? I would prefer a vanilla style method where updates aren't so tricky. For example if I had lots of apps I'm guessing I would have to back it all up?

 

Please correct if wrong or if you know of a way I can install Snow Leopard on Dell E520 retail style. Please also let me know if I am using these 'retail' 'vanilla' terms in the wrong sense!

 

Thanks

 

also - anyone know if a vanilla (there i go again) snow leopard (or even leopard) install for the Advent 4211?

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But is that method retail? From me reading it it seems as if you have to backup all system etc every time you want to update? I would prefer a vanilla style method where updates aren't so tricky. For example if I had lots of apps I'm guessing I would have to back it all up?

 

Please correct if wrong or if you know of a way I can install Snow Leopard on Dell E520 retail style. Please also let me know if I am using these 'retail' 'vanilla' terms in the wrong sense!

 

Thanks

 

also - anyone know if a vanilla (there i go again) snow leopard (or even leopard) install for the Advent 4211?

Well, the end product is as retail as you can get on the E520.

 

Software update runs flawlessly most of the time.

 

However, Apple does throw us curveballs. For instance, the 10.6.2 update broke dsmos, which was just as much of a problem for "vanilla" installs as anybody else. You needed to switch from dsmos in /E/E to fakesmc in /E/E for this update.

 

Consequently, it is always a good idea to backup before applying version updates. Especially if you get your thrills living on the bleeding edge.

 

I know nothing about Advent 4211

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I'm getting an AppleIntelICHxR.kext (or whatever it's called) kernel panic.

 

Also, I don't understand the DSDT.aml thing any more than I did before. Any chance of some help with how I can get that to work with my system?

I still think you all are better off installing Raid0 than ATA.

 

However, I suspect the KP has nothing to do with DTST.

 

I was getting a similiar KP trying to make an install work on a friend's Inspiron 1525, and fixed it with the kext in this post.

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=186609

 

Of course, then we are not entirely vanilla, but you might just get this method to work.

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vmarsh, i should probably clear this up to avoid confusion =) Raid On is the way to go (AHCI) but the stock install for some of us ONLY BOOTS in ATA mode. That is why this guide is useful. Also, vmware fusion won't boot an AHCI install of windows 7- it BSOD's.

Thank you!

 

Thats odd about fusion, are you trying to boot physical hdd in virtual environment?

 

I used to do that when I was first trying to put Tiger on my E520, it was the only way to access the HFS+ journaled system for a while. (You could access HFS+ not journalled r/w from Linux.) It was difficult to do in XP and stopped working altogether under Vista.

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Thank you!

 

Thats odd about fusion, are you trying to boot physical hdd in virtual environment?

 

I used to do that when I was first trying to put Tiger on my E520, it was the only way to access the HFS+ journaled system for a while. (You could access HFS+ not journalled r/w from Linux.) It was difficult to do in XP and stopped working altogether under Vista.

I'm trying to boot my "boot camp" partition- so it's a physical disk. Windows 7 ultimate 64 bit. no luck =\

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It can, don't worry, I'm on a Prescott and Snow Leo boots fine. The only problem is that access to other SATA ports is really slow, and blkhockey's DSDT.aml doesn't fix this problem (due to the differences). This is why I'm so desperate to see a simple DSDT guide.

 

I installed via an OSInstall.mpkg install from my Leopard install.

 

Wait, are you running a Pentium D?

 

I've tried working through these steps with the OsInstall.mpkg method several times and must have screwed it up somewhere down the line, because I KP every time?

 

Do you think you get give me a list of your hardware and any special steps you took with this method?

 

By the by I'm using a Pentium D 915 with a Presler core.

 

Cheers,

nabxf

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It's a pentium d or a pentium 4. Can't remember which now. But I do remember CPU-z on windows saying it was a 915 and a Prescott, so maybe it is.

Are you on an E520?

On my iPod ATM but I'll update with specs soon.

Have you got the patched kernel?

 

Edit: wait this is blkhockey's thread

isn't it? If so then yes, you will KP.. This method won't work for our processor. You need to do a RAID0 install (see wmarsh's thread).

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  • 3 months later...

Installed 10.6 from inside a 10.5 VMware distro, then used the post-install methods in this guide. Did the install to an external USB hard drive, using MBR partitioning scheme (so I could have an additional NTFS partition on the same drive to store files I could access from both Windows 7 and OS X) and keeping RAID ON setting in BIOS (would have had to re-install Windows otherwise). wmarsh said somewhere (in comments here or on his guide) that RAID ON was no problem with the post-install files here if doing an external USB drive install and, since this guide is so much simpler than his, I decided to go that way (at least for this first try).

 

And it all seems to have worked fine, at least as far as booting. After installing the Chameleon, kexts and DSDT.AML file found in the links here, OS X boots like a charm (and fast!) on my e520. OSX86 Tools seems to be missing from the links here but, after I found it on Google, it turns out that it crashes in my OS X 10.6 install anyway (something about an unrecognizable library file for "multi-something" -- could be a corrupt copy of that library file got installed), so I had to do the kexts manually, according to wmarsh's guide (your kexts, his method, including repairing permissions). Until I did all these post-install procedures, I had no network connection in OS X (NIC card not recognized whenever I booted from your cdbootSnow_e520.iso CD), so I had to keep booting back into Windows to get the extra info and files I needed. Anyway, kudos on a great-working loader (nothing else I downloaded, like multiple versions of EmpireEFI, would boot OS X on this computer at all).

 

Now, all that seems to be wrong in OS X is:

 

No audio -- and my e520 does have Sigmatel STAC92xx audio.

 

More seriously, OS X doesn't see either of my CD/DVD drives OR my internal hard drive (Windows) -- none of these show up even in Disc Utility so I can mount them manually.

 

Any suggestions for the above two problems?

 

Thanks.

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No audio -- and my e520 does have Sigmatel STAC92xx audio.

 

More seriously, OS X doesn't see either of my CD/DVD drives OR my internal hard drive (Windows) -- none of these show up even in Disc Utility so I can mount them manually.

 

Any suggestions for the above two problems?

 

Thanks.

You shouldn't need OSX86Tools - I ended up going with Kext Helper (http://cheetha.net/). I installed the audio kext provided in this guide and it worked fine with my E520. But I think your big problem may be working with the DSDT.AML from this post but having RAID on in the BIOS. That's probably what is keeping the disks from being recognized. You may need to find/create a DSDT.AML that works with the E520 and RAID on instead of using the one in this post. (With a working Windows install on the same computer, you could try DSDTSE for Windows to create your own - that might be worth a shot.)

 

 

Ken.

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You shouldn't need OSX86Tools - I ended up going with Kext Helper (http://cheetha.net/). ... But I think your big problem may be working with the DSDT.AML from this post but having RAID on in the BIOS. ... (With a working Windows install on the same computer, you could try DSDTSE for Windows to create your own - that might be worth a shot.)

Thanks for the reply, Ken.

 

My sound problem was fixed by turning the volume up (couldn't feel any stupider if I'd forgotten to check if the computer was plugged in!).

 

Kext Helper crashed exactly the same way as OXS86Tools and Kext Utility before it, with the same console message about a file named MultitouchSupport being of unrecognized type. I copied the MultitouchSupport file from the install disc over the one that was installed and, there you go, all three programs now run fine. Like I guessed, the file must have been corrupted during installation.

 

Found that OSX86Tools was essential for getting my screen resolution to work right. Just putting a "Graphics Mode" string of "1680x1050x32" in com.apple.Boot.plist only resulted in rebooting to a max resolution of 1280x1024 instead of 1024x768. In order to get the optimal resolution from my graphics card, I had to generate a humungous device-properties section in that file, as well, by choosing my video card from the option in OSX86 Tools.

 

Ran all the permission-fixing and clean-up tools from OSX86 Tools also, but still cannot get OS X to recognize my hard drive or DVD drives. Don't think the DSDT.AML file I'm using is the problem -- it's blkhockeypro19's file, but it's the one linked to by wmarsh in his Dell e520 guide, the one written specifically for RAID configuration. (It's apparently the same file used in this guide -- or, if not, it's written by the same person. Anyway, I downloaded it from wmarsh's guide link and replaced the one that came with the files linked to in this guide.)

 

Nevertheless, I'll check out DSDTSE and the links that blkhockeypro19 posted here for making a DSDT and try making one of my own just to be sure.

 

If anyone can think of another reason why my drives aren't showing up -- and also, why I can't shut down or restart properly (I now realize that shutting down hangs every time and I'm forced to power off the machine) -- feel free to chime in. :poster_oops:

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also, why I can't shut down or restart properly (I now realize that shutting down hangs every time and I'm forced to power off the machine) -- feel free to chime in. ;)

 

I forgot that Kext Helper crashed on me after the upgrade to 10.6.2 - I did all my kext applications at 10.6.0 so I didn't worry about the crash. And my video was not fixed with OSX86Tools but I'm not using onboard video so that doesn't apply to you. Wish I knew more about the DSDT subject but if you are using the DSDT that wmarsh recommends then you are probably right that it will work with RAID on. Good luck finding the answer and definitely post here when you do find it.

 

I can help you with the restart, though. I found the kext here worked for my E520: http://www.kexts.com/view/136-evoreboot,_r...w_leopard..html

I installed it in S/L/E along with the others and it worked. But just playing around a few days ago, I found that kext could probably just be copied into the /Extra/CustomExtensions folder instead (you might need to remove Extensions.mkext). I tried it on a test computer I was playing around with (Dell Dimension 4700) and it worked on that one so should work on the E520 too.

 

 

Ken.

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I can help you with the restart, though. I found the kext here worked for my E520: http://www.kexts.com/view/136-evoreboot,_r...w_leopard..html

I installed it in S/L/E along with the others and it worked. But just playing around a few days ago, I found that kext could probably just be copied into the /Extra/CustomExtensions folder instead (you might need to remove Extensions.mkext). I tried it on a test computer I was playing around with (Dell Dimension 4700) and it worked on that one so should work on the E520 too.

I'll try it out - there's also heliacal's OpenHaltRestart.kext which I downloaded but haven't installed yet.

 

I'm very confused about all these kext directories: Most guides say to put user-installed kexts in /Extra/Extensions (vcad's Kext Utility looks for them there and won't finish repairing permissions correctly unless they're in that directory), blkhockeypro19's post-install script installs Chameleon and puts them in Extra/CustomExtensions, and helical says to put them in Extra/AdditionalExtensions. He even goes so far as to say you should move kexts out of Extra/Extensions and put them in Extra/AdditionalExtensions. What on earth for? What's the difference?

 

I renamed my Extra/CustomExtensions directory back to just Extra/Extensions to get Kext Utility to run properly and, after rebooting, everything seems to be opening/running the same as before. Is that a problem? Does OS X simply look for kexts in ANY directory underneath Extra when booting?

 

It seems like the more I learn, the more I don't know. :blowup:

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I'll try it out - there's also heliacal's OpenHaltRestart.kext which I downloaded but haven't installed yet.

 

I'm very confused about all these kext directories: Most guides say to put user-installed kexts in /Extra/Extensions (vcad's Kext Utility looks for them there and won't finish repairing permissions correctly unless they're in that directory), blkhockeypro19's post-install script installs Chameleon and puts them in Extra/CustomExtensions, and helical says to put them in Extra/AdditionalExtensions. He even goes so far as to say you should move kexts out of Extra/Extensions and put them in Extra/AdditionalExtensions. What on earth for? What's the difference?

 

I renamed my Extra/CustomExtensions directory back to just Extra/Extensions to get Kext Utility to run properly and, after rebooting, everything seems to be opening/running the same as before. Is that a problem? Does OS X simply look for kexts in ANY directory underneath Extra when booting?

 

It seems like the more I learn, the more I don't know. :(

 

I know what you mean and I'm far from being able to answer all those questions. But I can tell you that OS X doesn't look in Extra at all. It's Chameleon that is looking there. Beyond that, hopefully others who know more details can chime in here.

 

 

Ken.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Anyone bold enough to just let Software Update download and install 10.6.3 using this setup? And if so, how did it go?

Well, no, not after the fiasco that occurred after doing that with the 10.6.2 update (got "update failed" message at the end, machine froze and, when I rebooted, none of my partitions was bootable anymore, including Windows). Apparently the update went berserk trying to update the bootloaders on all my partitions and set my Windows 7 one as "inactive." Once I got the boot problems cleared up and working, the 10.6.2 installation was a mess of kernel panics and "machine kernel mismatch" errors, so I started over.

 

Since I was doing the update to Snow Leopard on an external USB hard drive, I redid the whole thing by restoring my working 10.6.1 backup, downloading the standalone 10.6.2 update, disconnecting my hard drives, then reinstalling the update with only my USB drive attached.

 

Worked like a charm that time. Only problem was a kernel panic, immediately after starting OS X, caused by my GeForce 7300 LE video. I replaced all five GeForce files in S/L/E with the ones from 10.6.1 and everything was perfect (except for waking from sleep, which I've never been able to get working right). Used this 10.6.2 install for almost two weeks without a problem, no KPs or anything, so decided to tackle 10.6.3 a couple of days ago.

 

Followed the exact same procedure as above (downloading the 10.6.3 standalone, not the "Combo" version, since I was updating from 10.6.2 now, not from 10.6.0 or 10.6.1) and the results were the same except now, instead of getting a KP from the video card, OS X was hanging at a plain blue background screen immediately after loading the desktop (just before the wallpaper loaded). Tried replacing the GeForce kexts, again, with the ones from 10.6.1, like before, which fixed the boot problem (and seems to be stable) but -- now -- I no longer have accelerated graphics (what's it called, QE/CI?). I had the transparent toolbar and desktop ripple effects just fine, all the way up through 10.6.2, but now they're gone, using the exact same add-on kexts and device string in com.apple.Boot.plist as before.

 

Haven't been able to figure out a fix yet (or find one online). Noticed that one of the GeForce kexts in 10.6.3 -- actually, it's a "bundle" file, not a kext -- has been renamed with an "8xxx" string (which shouldn't affect me, since I'm using a "7xxx" series card) but, nonetheless, maybe it's just a matter of using some magic combination of GeForce files from 10.6.1 and from 10.6.3 in S/L/E that's needed. Probably not that simple, so I'll probably have to rely on someone, somewhere, having the same problem and posting a fix here or on one of the other forums.

 

Let us know how it goes with you if you decide to take the plunge.

 

;)

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  • 1 month later...

So I've set OSX 10.6.3 up on another system of mine (Dell Optiplex 745) but I uninstalled it because I couldnt find network card drivers.

 

Then I saw this guide, and my second machine is an e520. So as I was going through this guide, I was having an issue:

 

When I put in the Darwin boot cd, and I switch to the Snow Leopard DVD, I hit Install Mac OS X and I get some text, then the screen goes black. I've tried verbose (screen goes black too fast, cant read what it says), safe mode, single user mode. Nothing seems to be working.

 

Any idea's how to resolve this?

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So I've set OSX 10.6.3 up on another system of mine (Dell Optiplex 745) but I uninstalled it because I couldnt find network card drivers.

 

Then I saw this guide, and my second machine is an e520. So as I was going through this guide, I was having an issue:

 

When I put in the Darwin boot cd, and I switch to the Snow Leopard DVD, I hit Install Mac OS X and I get some text, then the screen goes black. I've tried verbose (screen goes black too fast, cant read what it says), safe mode, single user mode. Nothing seems to be working.

 

Any idea's how to resolve this?

 

On the top of the computer, on the gray sticker, there's a mfg date - what is yours?

 

Also, do you know the details of your processor? And can you confirm that you have Autodetect in the BIOS?

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When I put in the Darwin boot cd, and I switch to the Snow Leopard DVD, I hit Install Mac OS X and I get some text, then the screen goes black. I've tried verbose (screen goes black too fast, cant read what it says), safe mode, single user mode. Nothing seems to be working.

 

Any idea's how to resolve this?

 

The only boot CD I ever found that would let me boot the OS X install disc successfully on my Dell E520 is the one referenced in blkhockeypro19's guide here (go to the first message in this thread, back on Page 1). I think it's because it's one of the only boot discs out there that loads the required RAID drivers. Whatever it is, it worked on my E520. Download and burn the "cdbootSnow_e520.iso" disc, using the link in Step 1 of the instructions, and see if that solves your problem getting the install disc to boot.

 

I installed OS X on my E520 using a rather convoluted combination of the instructions and materials included in this guide and those in wmarsh's guide, http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=192626, and wound up with an installation that worked on a regular MBR-partitioned drive (sharing Windows and OS X on the same drive) and still using the "RAID ON" setting in the BIOS.

 

The main trick to doing a highly unconventional install was to install OS X to an external USB hard drive first, then "restore" it to an HFS+ file system partition on the primary hard drive.

 

Good luck. :)

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  • 2 months later...
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