SP35P2 Pro - got it working!

[Captain N.]

Hi all,

 

I thought I'd share my experiences getting OSX (Snow Leopard) working on my Shuttle SP35P2 Pro, and possibly get some help correcting the few remaining problems.

 

First, just want to say thanks for all the fantastic information out there - particularly on this forum. It's not always easy to find where to start, but there is no shortage of info.

 

Ok, so to start, I could not get a single install method to work, except using iAtkos S3 v2. [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url], various Boot-231 images - nothing else would even boot into the loader (except a boot-231, but that wouldn't get any farther - I do have a retail DVD). I really wanted to go the vanilla route (and I may try it again, now that I have a functional OSX to build images with) but it just wouldn't work.

 

Another oddity, maybe just for this system, I had to put my SATA in IDE mode instead of AHCI to boot at all from any DVD - even with iAtkos. I'd guess an extension in the /Extras/Extensions folder - AppleIntelPIIXATA2.kext - may have been what allowed me to boot with iAtkos in IDE mode (that's a total guess though). I actually think this may have something to do with the latest bios for the SP35P2 Pro - I used to run iDeneb years ago, and that stopped working (in AHCI mode) after updating (but this is all from very old, very fuzzy memory).

 

The weird part is, OSX boots just fine from the HD in AHCI mode after it's installed!

 

So anyway, that got me a completely functional OSX desktop - even the video card (ASUS GeForce 8800GT 512MB) and the front mic port worked (mic was a first for this system).

 

Ok, then I ran the updates, and used [url="http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/279450-why-insanelymac-does-not-support-tonymacx86/"]#####[/url] to re-install the kexts. The names of the packages mostly matched the names of the packages in iAtkos, so it wasn't hard to figure out which ones to install though this didn't go without problems.

 

That mostly worked, and I now have a completely updated OSX Snow Leopard system. The two problems I have remaining:

 

1. The mic port still works, I can hear myself in my headphones, but no app seems to be able to access the thing. I haven't tried all the various versions of VoodooHDA yet though, and honestly, my mic sounds pretty bad on OSX (without the intel drivers on windows too - I suspect the Shuttle could use better shielding around that front connector). I'll just buy a bluetooth mic.

 

2. The more important problem for me, my video card works - QE is on, etc., 3D works (in a window), but changing the video mode (resolution/refresh, etc.) causes that light blue screen problem (sometimes solid, sometimes 90% transparent). I tried some things to fix this, but really am out of my depth. Any tips? :-)

 

Thanks again!

 

(Somehow, despite the obvious notice, I manage to post this in the wrong forum. Any way to move it?)