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Help installing 10.6 via retail disc/USB?


kubrik
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I'm a long-time Mac user and relatively experienced PC builder, new to the hackintosh world. I just finished building my new system, and I'm hoping to get SL (ideally 10.6.4) running on it. Here's my setup:

 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3P (F13 BIOS)

Processor: Intel Core i7-860 (2.8Ghz)

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4870 (XFX HD-487A-ZWFC)

RAM: 8GB (4x2GB) G.Skill DDR3 1333

Storage: 1x Kingston 128GB SSD, 2x WD Caviar Blue 1TB (all connected to Intel SATA ports on my mobo)

Optical: PATA DVD/RW combo drive

 

I've spent hours on various sites (including this forum), and still haven't figured out how to make it work. I own an original SL retail DVD (10.6.0), so I started out by trying the [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url]+[url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url] method, but wasn't able to get to the installer (repeatedly saw a "still waiting for root device" error when I tried booting the install disk in verbose mode). I'm guessing this might have something to do with the DVD drive being PATA, but I don't know for sure.

 

Assuming the DVD drive is the problem, optical drive methods are pretty much out, since I don't own another one. However, I do also have access to a MacBook Pro, a SATA to USB adapter, and two USB thumb drives (4GB and 8GB), which could allow me to 1) boot from USB as an alternative to CD/DVD, and 2) install things directly onto my hackintosh boot drive from my existing Mac via USB, if either of those helps.

 

I'm looking into other distros like iATKOS, but I have no idea if I'm on the right track. I'd like to use my retail DVD if possible (I have an image of it on my MBP), but I'm willing to explore any alternative that might work. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

 

P.S.: Apologies if I missed any posts that address my problem; I tried to search thoroughly before posting. If I did, just point me in the right direction. Thanks.

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Hmm... well its best and works very well to prepare your install HDD or SSD with a real Mac and place and install Chameleon and all needed goods, upon boot when connecting it to your computer use -v -x and this should bypass your graphics to safemode so you can repair and install the correct kext's... This is all vanilla before the events that created tonymac's plethora of help he has given to the masses. Personally, every thing you need is there on tonymac's but still if your stuck your stuck.

 

Oh, "OSInstall.mpkg" this is on the OSX disc (SL 10.6x all retail versions) and is hidden so you need to unhide to then install. Upon installing from a Mac or already running hackintosh make sure and unselect add-ons' so do the custom install. This should install with out error. You can search the forum and this method has been done a lot. Then install Chameleon to a the drive or even USB thumb drive/stick/blah blah. Use the patrician GUID + HFS+ method in your case using Disk utility on the Mac.

 

I can give greater instruction but its all searchable on InsanelyMac.

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I tried following/adapting this tutorial on installing OS X via USB (it's a bit old, but I figure it should work), but again, I couldn't get my hackintosh to boot. Here are the exact steps I took:

 

  1. Installed Snow Leopard on my SSD from my MacBook Pro via my USB/SATA adapter using OSInstall.mpkg on my retail 10.6.0 disk image.
     
  2. Installed Chameleon 2.0 RC4 using the method described in the tutorial for installing to a USB thumb drive (though I installed directly to the SSD, as recommended).
     
  3. Replaced the "/boot" file with the PC EFI 10.6 version (the top file listed on netkas.org's "file server listing" page).
     
  4. Included the following kexts (in /Extra/Extensions.mkext; this is where I get pretty lost, because I'm not sure which, if any of them, I need):
    • AHCIPortInjector.kext
    • ATAPortInjector.kext
    • Disabler.kext
    • IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector.kext
    • JMicronATAInjector.kext
    • LegacyATI4800Controller.kext
    • NullCPUPowerManagement.kext
    • OpenHaltRestart.kext
    • PlatformUUID.kext
    • fakesmc.kext

[*]Included a DSDT file (at /Extra/DSDT.aml) for my motherboard/bios, acquired from tonymacx86's DSDT database (DSDT-GA-P55A-UD3P-F13.aml).

 

[*]Included a smbios.plist file (at /Extra/smbios.plist) with one key/value pair: "SMmemspeed" => "1333". As with the kexts, I don't know if this is sufficient or even necessary.

 

[*]I did not include a com.apple.Boot.plist file, since I assume anything that goes there can simply be passed as arguments to the boot command, and the only flag passed in the guide is "-x32". It does mention something about an EFI string, which I'm unsure how to get.

 

[*]I set the file ownership/permissions according to the guide.

I connect my SSD via SATA to one of the Intel ports on my mobo. I am able to get into the PC EFI 10.6 bootloader screen, and I can see that my Snow Leopard install (on the same drive as the bootloader) is there. I pass the boot command "-x -v", and it starts loading kexts (including the ones I built into Extensions.mkext, telling me that I set permissions and filenames correctly). I get all the way to "Starting Darwin x86_64", after which the screen instantly goes black and my computer restarts (see attached screenshot).

 

I'm hoping whatever I'm doing wrong is a stupid mistake with an easy fix. I just need someone to point it out for me! Thanks all.

post-660178-1282967814_thumb.png

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DSDT.aml copy to root not EXTRA

 

pic.gif

 

picb.gif

 

you need this com.apple.Boot.plist file its a must so your stuff works you need this:

 

EXAMPLE ON my EVGA X58

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">'>http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Default Partition</key>

<string>hd(0,2)</string>

<key>Graphics Mode</key>

<string>1920x1080x32</string>

<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>

<string>Yes</string>

<key>Kernel</key>

<string>mach_kernel</string>

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>busratio=20</string>

<key>Timeout</key>

<string>2</string>

</dict>

</plist>

 

*note: your busratio is different and I have an HD4850 so your card should work

 

Safe with verbose mode looks like this:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Default Partition</key>

<string>hd(0,2)</string>

<key>Graphics Mode</key>

<string>1920x1080x32</string>

<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>

<string>Yes</string>

<key>Kernel</key>

<string>mach_kernel</string>

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>busratio=20 -v -x</string>

<key>Timeout</key>

<string>2</string>

</dict>

</plist>

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I've gotten a long way toward getting my system working. It turns out all I had to do to get past the kernel startup problem was apply the 10.6.4 combo update, since the i7-860 wasn't a supported processor when 10.6.0 came out.

 

I'm still getting stuck at the boot process, this time after starting the kernel. I'm getting some errors related to my graphics card (most recently, a kernel panic when it tries to load the vanilla ATI X2000 kext). I've tried using GraphicsEnabler and legacy ATI4800Controller kext, but no luck yet.

 

...I have an HD4850 so your card should work

What is your kext setup? I ended up doing a manual Chameleon install (as opposed to using [url=&quot;http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/&quot;]#####[/url] or another installer), so I'm just kind of fishing around for kext info now.

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Nevermind! I'm up and running with 10.6.4 (albeit without LAN or sound). In the end, I was just overthinking things, I guess...

 

This is all I had to do:

1. Intall Snow Leopard directly to my hackintosh boot drive from the 10.6 retail disc image (via USB from my other Mac).

2. Run the 10.6.4 combo update.

3. Run [url=&quot;http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/&quot;]#####[/url] with the UserDSDT option and DSDT.aml for my mobo (thanks to tonymacx86).

4. Boot, and, miraculously, it works.

 

If you're curious, here are the contents of com.apple.Boot.plist that got it working for me:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Kernel</key>
<string>mach_kernel</string>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>arch=i386</string>
<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>Timeout</key>
<string>1</string>
<key>Legacy Logo</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>EthernetBuiltIn</key>
<string>Yes</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Thanks again for the help, and if you have any tips on networking or sound I'd be glad to hear them, although I can probably get it working with some more effort.

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Everything you need to know about Chameleon

 

Everything you ever needed to know about Chameleon forum Start

 

 

Great your up and running!

 

Ok, well you can read about all the stuff you can change on your Boot loader using the com.apple.Boot.plist

 

Thats great you caught on fast, congratulations.

 

 

Sound & Lan did you figure it out?

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Thanks a lot for the links. I'll probably keep tweaking it as I go along, but everything's working great so far.

Sound & Lan did you figure it out?
Yep, all of my hardware is working, as far as I can tell. It took me a little while to find the right kernel extensions. Here's the list I'm using now:

 

  • IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector.kext - Makes my internal SATA drives appear as internal (i.e. gets rid of the orange/yellow external hard drive icons).
  • IONetworkingFamily.kext - Moved this to my Extra/Extensions folder to support the Realtek ethernet driver.
  • Legacy889HDA.kext - Audio driver. All inputs and outputs seem to work well.
  • RealtekR1000SL.kext - LAN driver.
  • fakesmc.kext - The one that makes it all work.

Like I said, I'll probably keep playing with it a bit, but no complaints so far. I moved Chameleon and all of the extras to the EFI partition of my SSD, so my install is pretty much 100% vanilla (minus moving that one kext from /S/L/E to /E/E). Thanks again for the support!

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I found out how to get the board to boot with "[url=&quot;http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/&quot;]#####[/url] Supported". I went thru the same issues as you did with the EBIOS errors and it turned out to be 2 things: (1) busratio=20 needs to be entered before booting into the install disc and (2) the hard drive had previous data on it. I swapped drives to a clean, new drive and sure enough, I got it going.

 

I installed 10.6.0 on my GA-P55A-UD3P (core i5-750) and out of the gate, LAN was working. Interesting though, as I keep seeing people saying LAN and Sound don't work. I'll keep after it this evening but I'm going the DSDT route for a true vanilla install. I knew sound would be needed going into this but otherwise, it's looking good so far.

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