106 replies to this topic

[peach-os]

After receiving many questions about my Acer 6292 - here is a small guide how to install Snow Leo on this machine.

you need: a USB-drive with minimum 8 GB, a working machine with os x or a distro that allows the boot option cpus=1 - (kaly 10.5.2 is the best choice - IPC doesn´t work) Tinker Tool from here   chameleon RC2 431.mpkg and Cameleon RC3 658 (important!) and an official Snow Leo DVD - I won´t support anyone using a distro as main install

Bios: there are not too many things you could change in this bios - only must is AHCI instead of IDE


step A - prepairing the USB drive

method 1 - using an available os x machine

1.format the USB drive with MBR and HFS (Mac Extended Journaled)
2.start Tinker Tool and apply "show hidden files"
3.now boot the distro and go to System>installation>packages
4.start osinstall.mpkg and choose the USB drive to install
5.shrink the installation down to a minimum to fit on the USB (no languages,no printers etc.) only option you might check is X3100 graphics if available (not really important)
6. when os x install is done, install *chameleon RC2 to the new USB drive.
7. now go to USB root and delete the "boot" file
8. copy the "boot" file from *chameleonRC3>i386 to USB root.
9. copy the working dsdt.aml to USB/ Extra


method 2 - using the distro

1.plug in the USB drive to your acer
2.boot into the os x distro using options -v cpus=1
3.format the USB drive with MBR HFS (Mac Extended Journaled)
4.uncheck everything to shrink the installation down to a minimum to fit on the USB (no languages,no printers etc.) only option you might check is X3100 graphics if available (not really important)


step B - installing Snow Leo

1.boot into your USB drive with options -v cpus=1
2.finish setup and copy Tinker Tool to desktop (you might need a second smaller USB drive)
3.format the HD you will use for SL with GUID and HFS (Mac Extended Journaled)
4.start Tinkertool, check show hidden files and apply.
5. now start the SL DVD
6. in SL DVD go to System>installation>packages
7. start osinstall.mpkg and choose the drive to Install SL. uncheck the printer drivers, otherwise installation will fail.
8. install should be done in 30 minutes - don´t reboot
9. install *chameleon RC2 to the new SL drive.
10. when done go to SL root and delete the "boot" file
11. copy the "boot" file from *chameleonRC3>i386 to SL root.
12. copy the working dsdt.aml to SL/ Extra
12. replace the kexts in SL/Extra/Extensions with the attached files
13. replace the com.apple.boot.plist in Extra with attached file
14. it won´t be possible to repair disk permission in SL, without the last step:
      go to the SL DVD again and reinstall the BSD.pkg (also in System>installation)  from the DVD.
15. now reboot with option -v

you should have now a working SL
don´t worry about the resolution for the moment

update

you have a dsdt, so a regular update shouldn´t be a problem

> 10.6.1 you will have now fully working graphics - no patches needed
> 10.6.2 don´t worry just do it
> 10.6.3 before you start the update, backup all your GMA x3100 extensions because in 10.6.3 x3100 extensions   work only in 32 bit mode - just in case you need them

EDIT: to make your system safe in any case, install first Snow Leo also to the USB drive and replace the kaly 10.5.2 install,using the same procedure, or copy the new SL install with Carbon Copy (as long it´s small enough)
from within this "maintenace install" you could easily repair any problems and redo any updates in case it didn´t work the regular way.
important: this works only from an other Snow Leo install !

now use kext utility to install the kexts from attached S/L/E
you will have working graphics, sound , battery, speedstepping and sleep. the webcam only works with iChat USB extension

not working: LAN, WLAN (solution is coming - mercurysquad is working on the 4965AGN) PCMCIA ( was a kind of working in Leo), fingerprintsensor not recognized by the UPEK driver. acer crystal eye webcam

known issues

because the bios doesn´t have any options to change USB settings, the acer 6292 won´t boot with two cores without the option USBBusfix=yes ( I added it already in the boot.com.plist) for install you can use also cpus=1

don´t use any other chameleon versions than 658 at the moment !!!
older versions don´t have the USB fix and 640 gives a kernel panic, for some strange reason 684 stucks at boot sometimes

atattched VoodooHDA will work - there is no better solution for now

I couldn´t get any of the BMC5787 kexts for LAN to work - if someone has a solution for Snow Leo - let me know!

if you don´t use dsdt with cmos reset fix, the bios will always be reset !

if you are going to try this on an other machine don´t install the attached dsdt.aml - it´s for the acer 6292 only!
use instead disabler.kext and put in Extra. download DSDTSE an extract your own DSDT with it. you can patch
it very easily yourself. also you could use the attached dsdt.aml to compare

 acer_6292_SL_1.zip   1.04MB   291 downloads
 acer_6292_SL_2.zip   1.79MB   259 downloads

LAN fixed ! - workin with these extensions

 IOPCIFamily_113.zip   154.92K   279 downloads
 10.6.3.5787M.zip   180.79K   258 downloads

acer crystal eye webcam - fixed ! use the attached IOUSBFamilykext - thanks to Aspire5920G for providing it
- got rid of it again, because it´s slowing down usb speed in general - so it was no real solution

 IOUSBFamily.kext.zip   1.02MB   235 downloads

[seahawk]

Thanks for sharing! will this method work on Travelmate 6291?  I hate vista.

[peach-os]

seahawk, on May 26 2010, 08:54 AM, said:

Thanks for sharing! will this method work on Travelmate 6291?  I hate vista.

I don´t know -  I can´test

If it has a similar hardware and bios it should work this way. look int he wiki for it

[shinigamiboi]

great guide!

[Oneiros90]

Thank you very much for sharing

I am having problem to boot on the pen drive in the first passage of step B:
it stucks at "AppleACPIPS2Nub startup complete".

What i did in step A:
All worked fine but the trackpad didn't. I tried to use an USB mouse but it didn't work neither. I did all passages by using the keyboard (key arrows, tab etc...)
In installation configuration i choosed iDeneb essential and X3100.

Now i am on windows and i can't see pen drive's files (because now it's formatted with GUID right?)


I hope someone can help me with AppleACPIPS2Nub problem

Sorry for my english, i am italian

[peach-os]

that´s why I am suggesting to use the distro´s I tested. I get so many messages with I´m using distro X and it doesn´t work - guys....just make our lifes easier and follow the guide as it is.
I won´t give support for your experiments - in this case use the search

you can´t see the files on windows because its HFS - use "MacDrive"

[Oneiros90]

Ok i've tried with iAktos 10.5.2 following method 2 of your guide and now i can boot without problems.
Now i'm blocked in 7th passage of Step B:
When I open (double click) OSInstall.mpkg I get:
'This package contains a program that determines if the software can be installed. Are you sure you want to continue?'

I click Continue, then get:
'Alert - Mac OS X cannot be installed on this computer.' The only option here is Close which closes the Installer.

???

[peach-os]

I know about this problem, but never had it - update your stick to minimum 10.5.6 and try again.

[peach-os]

I did some small edits in the guide to make life easier for you guys. I tried a few distros again, and the one workin 100% reliable is still kaly 10.5.2 (again and again - the best distro ever ) Jas 10.5.2 works , but is tricky

If you are going to put SL any way to the USB drive later on (what you should do), just skip the chameleon installation and proceed straight on to SL main install.

[Oneiros90]

mmm
sorry man but i didn't understand the story about the "maintenace installation" of snow leopard on the USB drive
should i install SL in my USB drive AFTER installing my distro?
I'm annoying, i know... but what would you do in my case? just upgrade Leopard on the drive to 10.5.6 as you told me?

[peach-os]

no comment......

[Oneiros90]

peach-os, on Jun 7 2010, 10:07 AM, said:

no comment......

i hate you  

[peach-os]

Oneiros90, on Jun 7 2010, 08:13 AM, said:

i hate you  

the same way you hate using the searchengine ??? oohhhh

what about just doing and perhaps failin ? that´s what everybody is doin here

if you have the chance to install snow leo on an other machine to that stick - go ahead !
If not - update to 10.5.6 and try - if this doesn´t work get a kaly 10.5.2 and it will work

[Oneiros90]

peach-os, on Jun 7 2010, 12:30 PM, said:

the same way you hate using the searchengine ??? oohhhh

what about just doing and perhaps failin ? that´s what everybody is doin here

if you have the chance to install snow leo on an other machine to that stick - go ahead !
If not - update to 10.5.6 and try - if this doesn´t work get a kaly 10.5.2 and it will work

I've tried a LOT in this 3 days and i always got error... if i am asking help here is because i don't know anymore what to do  

Sorry man, i won't annoy you anymore i'll try to update to 10.5.6...

[PG Studio]

Great guide, dude!!

[Merdon]

Good guide but i also get alert message.
I'm using Kalyway 10.5.2
I can't install SL on Kaly, the installation file is too big for the pen drive...

[peach-os]

Merdon, on Jun 21 2010, 08:32 PM, said:

Good guide but i also get alert message.
I'm using Kalyway 10.5.2
I can't install SL on Kaly, the installation file is too big for the pen drive...

kaly fits 100% on a 8GB pen drive if you uncheck everything unnecessary (it shrinks to 6GB)

[Merdon]

peach-os, on Jun 23 2010, 10:44 AM, said:

kaly fits 100% on a 8GB pen drive if you uncheck everything unnecessary (it shrinks to 6GB)

thank you
i'm going to update to 10.5.6

[peach-os]

now LAN is working !

check the kexts in first post.
Install PCIFamily to S/L/E  and  replace AppleBCM5701Ethernet.kext in IONetworkingFamily.kext/Contents/Plugins

[peach-os]

the upek driver still doesn´t recognize the fingerprint sensor. I tried to edit the device and the vendor ID´s included in the plist of the app - without success

fakin the ID´s in DSDT might be a solution - help appreciated

the good news is that you can install the acer bio protection if you do have a windows partition (Win7 here). in this case you could enable the security protection on bios level before the bootloader appears ! (what makes sense if you need the protection)