12 replies to this topic

[Yoshiko Washima]

The Asus Commando is a nice board offering a lot of things to tweak. I still enjoy it very much, but it took me roughly a week to gather all the necessary data, patch kexts and such.

Here's how using a RETAIL OSX 10.6 disc:

Obtain

• Chameleon 2.0-RC3-r658-bin
  
• netkas' EFI 10.5
  
• netkas' fakesmc 2 for Snow leopard

Partition your target disk into two partitions. Restore your "10.6-retail.dmg" to the second partition using Disk Utility. Follow the Chameleon-README to install boot0 to your disc's MBR and boot1h to your second partition's bootsector.

Now extract the attached Asus Commando kexts.zip and copy the "boot" and the Extra-folder to the root of your installation partition. Copy the VoodooHDA.kext to System/Library/Extensions of your installation partition too and fix owner-permissions recursively to root:wheel.

(If you don't understand a word of the previous two paragraphs you shouldn't fdisk, dd, cp -R or chown -R as root anyways ...)

Boot from your installation partition and when Chameleon shows up, enter -f as additional kernel argument. Feel free to add -v if you want to see what's going on. The snow kitty installer should boot. Install it on your "BIG" first partition. When the installer finishes and informs you that it will restart, select "Terminal" and copy the "boot"-file and the Extra-folder to the root of your first partition. Copy the VoodooHDA.kext to System/Library/Extensions of your first partition too. Check owner-permissions and fix if necessary to 0:0.

Reboot and select your shiny new 10.6 installation from Chameleon. Add -f this last time as kernel arguments, plugin speakers into your "Supreme FX" and enjoy the Snow Kitty welcoming you.

Feel free to use the builtin software update to 10.6.1

 About_this_Asus_Commando.tiff   41.71K   356 downloads
 Asus_Commando_kexts.zip   1.31MB   1306 downloads

[Jacek Phrogg]

Thnx for the info and files!!! Unfortunately your method does not work on my Commando configuration - details see next post!!!

Yoshiko Washima, on Nov 6 2009, 09:07 AM, said:

(If you don't understand a word of the previous two paragraphs you shouldn't fdisk, dd, cp -R or chown -R as root anyways ...)

I don't think that this type of comment should be left without comment.

First of all there are a lot of very skilled IT or lay people who not necessarily should understand fdisk dd cp or chown since they may not use OSX or other nixes but simple would like to use them.

Secondly I would appreciate any hint for the "complete" install procedure without major holes leaving readers in vain search for tips and hints.

Thirdly I hope it's not an indirect support for Psystar Rebel EFI approach to MacOSX installation.

[Yoshiko Washima]

Jacek Phrogg, on Nov 9 2009, 12:38 PM, said:

First of all there are a lot of very skilled IT or lay people who not necessarily should understand fdisk dd cp or chown since they may not use OSX or other nixes but simple would like to use them.

If you don't know your way around a command prompt, terminal, bash, or the like, you are a mouse mover, but you are in no ways something I'd call "skilled". Sorry. This guide ain't for you and I personally don't feel inclined to tell you to "press here, click that, move your mouse to, ..." if you don't know what cp -R does. I have better things to do with my time than to write "for dummies"-guides.

Quote

Secondly I would appreciate any hint for the "complete" install procedure without major holes leaving readers in vain search for tips and hints.

The above is the -complete- installation procedure to make X.6 run on the commando. If you are to lazy or unwilling to google what f.e. "Restore your "10.6-retail.dmg" to the second partition using Disk Utility." means, this guide ain't for you either.

Quote

Thirdly I hope it's not an indirect support for Psystar Rebel EFI approach to MacOSX installation.

It's what I did to make OS X.6(.1) run on my Asus Commando. I thought someone else might want to give it a try and because mostly all information in here corresponding to this board or it's special Hardware (Supreme FX etc) simply SUCKED, I thought it be a nice move to share my experiences.

Have a nice day!

[Jacek Phrogg]

Yoshiko Washima, on Nov 12 2009, 11:05 AM, said:

If you don't know your way around a command prompt ........ I have better things to do with my time than to write "for dummies"-guides.

Well well so it gets really personal .... like your approach to hacking into 'osh. My comment intent was simply that your ego is a bit too bloated, and you should be afraid of not getting it exploaded at any moment  .... if you would be clever enough you will read it between lines (LOL - it is sarcazm if you do not read it yet).

Your kexts and settings do not allow to have running MAC OsX Snow Leopard on Asus Commando at least for my configuration (some Boot.plist settings actually block LAN kexts and system startup ) , but other approach does.

My working OSX SL installation:

1. Configuration: Asus Commando, C2D Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz, 4 GB DRAM, 5 x SATA HDD (4 x NTFS), GeForce 8800 GTS, dual view monitor configuration, BIOS 1.9.1 from ASUS.

2. Installation: separate HDD HFS+ journaled, boot from Empire EFI (according to their ReadMe), install from retail DVD, install Chameleon 2 RC3 658, PC EFI 10.5 boot loader, create EFI hex string for GF 8800, patch by hand DSDT according to Asus P5W scheme except for Time Machine fix, use kexts AHCIPortInjector, AppleACPIPS2Nub, ApplePS2Contorller, EvOreboot, fakesmc v2, IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector, IOATAFamily, IONetworkingFamily, JMicornATA, NullCPUPowerManagment, PlatformUUID, VoodooHDA in mkext, skge.kext in System/Library/Extensions, and smbios.plist. Always use latest available stable kext version!!!.

3. Results:
- PC EFI 10.5 does not recognize PCI root device and has some other bugs with most annoying "Wait"="Yes" blocking system boot,
- loading 32 and 64 bit kernel at will,
- possible to install on AHCI and IDE HDD drive configuration,
- reboot ok, sleep not working (needs processor DSDT patching),
- Gigabit LAN 8056 OK, 8001 OK (working with skge.kext) - to get both LAN ports up and running set EthernetBuiltIn = No in Boot.plist,
- sound not working with VoodooHDA,
- FireWire working only with DSDT patching,
- GeForce 8800 GTS recognized properly, switches resolutions, supports multi monitor configurations on 2 x DVI - support through EFI string,
- USB OK, HighSpeed stable only with DSDT patching,
- relocation of memory in 64 bit OK
- fully working NTFS 3.0 driver what makes a nice dual boot Windows/OSX machine

4. Time Machine OK - DSDT fix should ba applied to Device (P0P9)

5. Not checked DSDT for substituted OS identification.

... so some work to do, but actually from my perspective I need to fix only sound, as LAN and FireWire are working correctly.

My Boot.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com...yList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Kernel</key>
	<string>mach_kernel</string>
	<key>Kernel Flags</key>
	<string>-v</string>
	<key>Legacy Logo</key>
	<string>No</string>
	<key>device-properties</key>
	<string>4b02000001000000010000003f0200000d00000002010c00d041030a000000000101060000010
101060000007fff04001e00000072006f006d002d007200650076006900730069006f006e0000000
8
00000076312e3022000000400030002c006400650076006900630065005f00740079007000650000
0
00b000000646973706c6179100000004e00560043004100500000001800000004000000000003000
c
00000000000007000000000e0000006e0061006d00650000000f0000004e5644412c506172656e74
1
4000000400030002c006e0061006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446973706c61792d4110000
0
006d006f00640065006c0000001a0000006e5669646961204765466f72636520383830304754530e
0
000004e00560050004d0000002000000001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
0
0000000014000000400031002c006e0061006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446973706c6179
2
d4220000000400031002c0063006f006d00700061007400690062006c00650000000e0000004e564
4
412c4e564d6163220000005600520041004d002c0074006f00740061006c00730069007a00650000
0
0080000000000001420000000400030002c0063006f006d00700061007400690062006c006500000
0
0e0000004e5644412c4e564d616322000000400031002c006400650076006900630065005f007400
7
9007000650000000b000000646973706c61791c0000006400650076006900630065005f007400790
0
700065000000100000004e5644412c4765466f726365</string>
	<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
	<string>Yes</string>
	<key>Graphics Mode</key>
	<string>1920x1200x32</string>
	<key>EthernetBuiltIn</key>
	<string>No</string>
	<key>USBBusFix</key>
	<string>Yes</string>
	<key>Wait</key>
	<string>No</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Hope this may help others with this mobo.

[Yoshiko Washima]

Jacek Phrogg, on Nov 12 2009, 04:24 PM, said:

Your kexts and settings do not allow to have running MAC OsX Snow Leopard on Asus Commando at least for my configuration, but other approach does.

You don't need any empire-efi or such stuff. You don't even need to patch DSDTs. That's what you do when you blindly follow "some guide" instead of finding things out for yourself. That's why I don't explain things in a "for dummies"-way, cause then some moron will say it's my fault cause he typed /dev/rdisk0 like "i did" instead of using his/her brain (and /dev/rdisk1 or such).

With the recent Chameleon-bootloader and netkas' 10.5 efi you don't need all that bios-dsdt-patching-crap. You didn't even try "my way" - as you wrote. You rely on your empire-efi-thingie and your bunch of unneccesary kexts. Your config doesn't even produce sound, I'm listening to some myself right now with nothing else, but the "Supreme FX". Go. Figure

True, you can add skge.kext and JMicronATA.kext if you're interested in geting that crappy IDE-port and second network to work. I'm not. 6 S-ATA is enough for me. And the skge.kext simply ain't stable.

have fun!

[ss_insaneguy]

Hi Yoshiko,

Thank you for your guide. I have a Commando also. Did you get the firewire port working?

[-xcore-]

i have a question about that guide.
i have windows 7 on my pc and i want to keep it.
will your guide also work on a 3. and 4. partition(i have no idea how good chameleon can handle my win7 mbr).
i want do it this way:

1. make 3. (20 gig partition(osxroot) and 4. 7 gig partition(install)) using paragon on win7.
2. boot my osx live dvd and make your guide to install snow leopard.
3. fix mbr whit windows 7 dvd
4. install a bootloader

will this way also work whit your guide?

[shael]

does anyone want to make a dummy guide for this? i know what im doing but its been a while since i fooled with osx, and would like to get started again... please help

[Banja]

I'll be also thankful for dummy guide.

Please help.

[Banja]

I made it with Snow Leopard Client Server 10.6.2 by Hazard

MB: Asus Commando
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
RAM: 4GB DDR2@800Mhz
GPU:BFG Nvidia8800GT 512MB
HDD:WD Caviar Black Edition 1TB

If anybody interested I can explain my installation...

[ferrari2992]

Ok im a noob in training and really want to get this working on my MB......ok i dont seem to understand how am I suppose to partition my drive and restore the original installer disk. Am i suppose to have OSX installed already on the machine???.....or is there another way of restoring the OSX installer disk?

[Yoshiko Washima]

ferrari2992, on Oct 31 2010, 02:12 AM, said:

Ok im a noob in training and really want to get this working on my MB......ok i dont seem to understand how am I suppose to partition my drive and restore the original installer disk. Am i suppose to have OSX installed already on the machine???.....or is there another way of restoring the OSX installer disk?

Ya, of course. It's not difficult to get Tiger or Leo running on that board, but SL is a tad more complicated. Just try one of the many premade distribs to get Leo running ...

-Y

[Jacek Phrogg]

Hi again!

I have got pmed many times about getting working FireWire. To get it up and running follow my guide and not original one by Yoshiko Washima which did not work on my box at all.

Many issues includinhg USB and FireWire are fixed by doing DSDT patching by hand. Unfortunately there are no automatic tools which will do it correctly. You have to find tutorial on how to patch DSDT in general (it may be a bit complex for non programmers) and than google for step by step instructions for "DSDT patching Asus P5W Snow Leopard".

Apply all fixes as described there except for Time Machine fix which should be applied to Device (P0P9).

Everything except sound which I do not use at all works fine up to Snow Leopard version 10.6.5.