[GUIDE] How To Install Sierra On EVGA Z97 With Clover in Legacy Mode... or Z87 FTW?

Frank Nitty · December 30, 2016

This thread is a walkthrough on how to install Sierra. These are fully detailed instructions to make it easier for newbs. Although I haven't tested this on a Z87 FTW, in theory, the instructions in this guide should work for that motherboard since it only operates in Legacy Mode. PLEASE DO NOT PM ME FOR HELP. REPLY TO THIS GUIDE BELOW. THANKS

• MY SPECS:

1. Intel Core i7-4770K (De-lidded)

2. EVGA Z97 FTW (ATX)

3. Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB

4. Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB DDR3 2400MHz

5. OCZ Vertex 4 512 GB

6. Patriot Dual Bay 2.5" SATA 3.5" drive bay (for SSD)

7. Noctua NH-U12S

8. My case: Modified Apple Powermac G5

9. ASUS BW-12B1ST

10. EVGA GeForce GTX680 SC

11. Silverstone SST-ST1200-G Evolution Strider Gold 1200W

• WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. macOS 10.12 Sierra [from Mac App Store]

2. A computer running an Intel Processor

3. Access to OS X on VMWare (for Windows), Mac, or Hackintosh

4. 1x supported graphics card

5. Clover v2.3k r3763 and up

6. A USB flash drive at least 8 GB

7. Update your system with the latest BIOS

• STEP 1: BIOS SETTINGS

1. AHCI mode and CD/DVD first boot priority are set in the BIOS by default. Ensure your settings match these in your Z97 BIOS:

a. Go to ADVANCED→ SATA Configuration→ All settings should set at default; notice that your disks won't show up here if they're connected to black Marvell SATA ports.

b. Go to BOOT→ Speaker Beep; switch to 'Off'. Change Boot mode select to 'Legacy'. Continue to FIXED Boot ORDER Priorities→ Check if CD/DVD is 1st Boot; Scroll down to Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities to set the boot sequence of the available hard disks. Go to CSM Configuration to ensure Launch CSM is 'Disabled'; This enables the bootloader menu screen to load with native HD as specified by your monitor.

c. Go to ADVANCED→ Power Management→ ACPI Sleep State is S3 only (Suspend to RAM).

d. Go to ADVANCED→ Graphics Configuration→ Disable internal graphics.

e. Go to ADVANCED→ CPU Configuration; there is no option for Vt-d, so disable Intel Virtualization Technology (during installation).

f. Go to ADVANCED→ USB Configuration→ Disable XHCI Mode.

g. [OPTIONAL] Go to MEMORY; Under Memory Multiplier Configuration, set Performance Memory Profiles to XMP Profile 1.

h. [OPTIONAL] Go to ADVANCED→ H/W Monitor Configuration→ Set all fan speeds to 50%. Save and Reset.

• STEP 2: CREATING A BOOTABLE USB TO INSTALL OF SIERRA

1. Download macOS v10.12.0 Sierra [Mac App Store] and Right-click "Install macOS Sierra" will be in /Applications.

a. Right-click "Install macOS Sierra" → Show Package Contents → Contents → ShareSupport → Double click to mount "InstallESD.dmg".

b. Once "OS X Install ESD" appears, use ShowHiddenFiles to show hidden files.

c. Now you will see an image called "BaseSystem.dmg" appear. Mount it by right-clicking and opening it with DiskImageMounter... Get prepared to use the USB stick with at least 8GB.

NOTE: The version of Disk Utility found in El Capitan has been stripped down of its most essential features to proceed with the following instructions. Your next best option is to use a pre-modified version of the old Disk Utility. After downloading it, extract and copy it to the Desktop and type the following line in Terminal to take ownership, enabling the app to run:

sudo chown -R 0:0 ~/Desktop/Disk\ Utility.app

d. Open Disk Utility, and format the USB stick by highlighting its icon on the left and clicking the Partition tab, click Current, and choose 1 Partition.

e. Click Options... Choose Master Boot Record. No need to name it (the default's OK), choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as its format type. Click Apply then Partition.

f. Select and highlight the volume "OS X Base System", click "Restore" at the top-right, drag the volume into "Source" field, and drag the USB [untitled] partition (you just created) to the "Destination" field where you will restore the image: click "Restore" then "Erase"...

g. After the process is complete, you'll now have (2) "OS X Base System" present in Finder. Eject the image "BaseSystem.dmg" and close Disk Utility.

h. On the remaining volume "OS X Base System" (USB stick), go to System/Installation and delete Packages symlink.

i. Open "OS X Install ESD" in a new Finder window, and copy the Packages folder to System/Installation folder inside "OS X Base System".

j. Copy BaseSystem.chunklist, BaseSystem.dmg, AppleDiagnostics.chunklist, and AppleDiagnostics.dmg from "OS X Install ESD" and copy it to the volume root.

k. Create a new folder named "Kernels" in System/Library on the USB stick. Use Pacifist v.3.2.17+ to extract "kernel" from "OS X Install ESD/Packages/Essential.pkg [/system/Library/Kernels/kernel]" and place "kernel" into System/Library/Kernels/ location.

2. We need to download and install the latest version of Clover (here) on the USB stick.

a. Run the pkg, "Change Install Location" select your USB stick as your target location via "boot0af in MBR" and install using the following settings below:

Make sure that it shows "Installation Complete."

NOTE: When installing to HDD select "Install RC scripts on target volume" and/or "Install all RC scripts on all other boot volumes" and "Install Clover Preference Pane".

b. Use ShowHiddenFiles to hide the hidden files, and quit the application.

3. You must copy your kexts to the EFI/Clover folder.

a. Remove EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11 leaving just 'Other'. Create a new folder titled '10.12'.

b. Copy the required kexts FakeSMC.kext, VoodooPS2Controller.kext (for PS/2 keyboard), and your ethernet kext (Intel I219-V) IntelMausiEthernet-V2.2.0 or AppleIntelE1000e v3.3.3 to the following directory: /EFI/CLOVER/KEXTS/10.12.

NOTE: If you are having trouble getting Ethernet to work you can also try copying IONetworkingFamily.kext from S/L/E to /EFI/CLOVER/KEXTS/10.12 with your networking kext.

4. Use a text editor/plist editor like PlistEdit Pro to modify your config.plist manually. We must apply the following mandatory patches:

a. You must add line ACPI/SSDT/DropOem=false in config.plist in order to boot without "Still waiting for root device" error. Add this <dict> entry to EFI/CLOVER/config.plist:



	<key>ACPI</key>

	<dict>

		<key>DSDT</key>

		<dict>

			<key>DropOEM_DSM</key>

			<false/>

	</dict>

b. Use Clover’s built-in kernel patch to automatically apply the code to patch the (new) kernel after each OS X update to prevent reboot loop:



<key>KernelAndKextPatches</key>

	<dict>

		<key>KernelPm</key>

		<true/>

	</dict>

		<key>Memory</key>

          <dict>

c. AppleAHCIPort Clover patch disables orange drive icons. Add this <dict> entry to the config.plist:



<key>KextsToPatch</key>

		<array>

			<dict>

				<key>Comment</key>

				<string>External icons patch</string>

				<key>Find</key>

				<data>

				RXh0ZXJuYWw=

				</data>

				<key>Name</key>

				<string>AppleAHCIPort</string>

				<key>Replace</key>

				<data>

				SW50ZXJuYWw=

				</data>

			</dict>

</array>

d. SMBIOS. With the config file still opened in your text/plist editor, scroll down to SMBIOS section to add the following SMBIOS system definition:



<key>SMBIOS</key>

	<dict>

		<key>Manufacturer</key>

		<string>Apple Inc.</string>

		<key>ProductName</key>

		<string>iMac14,2</string>

		<key>Trust</key>

		<false/>

</dict>

NOTE: Macmini6,2, iMac13,2 and iMac13,1 support speedstep.You can also do this using Clover Configurator: In the SMBIOS section, click the magic wand to select a SMBIOS relevant to your hardware (e.g. iMac14,2) – and close the screen and File/Save.

e. GUI. Here you indicate the theme you want to use that you installed by entering the title in the string. I chose to use "random" as shown below:



<key>GUI</key>

<dict>

		<key>Mouse</key>

		<dict>

			<key>DoubleClick</key>

			<integer>500</integer>

			<key>Enabled</key>

			<true/>

			<key>Mirror</key>

			<false/>

			<key>Speed</key>

			<integer>8</integer>

		</dict>

		<key>Scan</key>

		<true/>

		<key>Theme</key>

		<string>random</string>

</dict>

f. Boot Flag. It is necessary to use "-v" to monitor if any problems arise. Add this <dict> entry to the config.plist:



<key>Boot</key>

	<dict>

		<key>Arguments</key>

		<string>-v</string>

</dict>

g. NVIDIA graphics cards especially 'Maxwell' currently lack support natively in macOS. To correct this problem, it requires System Parameter/NvidiaWeb entry. It must be disabled during installation by adding this <dict> entry to the config.plist:



<key>SystemParameters</key>

	<dict>

		<key>InjectKexts</key>

		<string>YES</string>

		<key>InjectSystemID</key>

		<true/>

		<key>NvidiaWeb</key>

		<false/>

</dict>

h. SIP. Apple has implemented 'rootless' security or System Integrity Protection (SIP) (reference sources 1, 2, & 3) since 10.11 which restricts users from modifying system folders/files, and as a result it locks down system folders and files against hacks and root attacks, making the system safer. However, SIP must be disabled in order to install anything (i.e., kexts) into protected system folders. Add this <dict> entry to the config.plist:



<key>RtVariables</key>

	<dict>

		<key>BooterConfig</key>

		<string>0x28</string>

		<key>CsrActiveConfig</key>

		<string>0x3</string>

</dict>

i. Audio Fix. This Haswell board comes with a Realtek ALC898 audio chip. In order to use AppleALC/CloverALC (discussed further in this guide), you must add the following patch in the config.plist:



<key>KextsToPatch</key>

<array>

	<dict>

		<key>Comment</key>

		<string>t1-10.9-10.11-AppleHDA/Realtek ALC898</string>

		<key>Find</key>

		<data>

		ixnUEQ==

		</data>

		<key>Name</key>

		<string>AppleHDA</string>

		<key>Replace</key>

		<data>

		mQjsEA==

		</data>

	</dict>

</array>

5. With the USB installer ready, remember before restarting system to change boot priority of USB stick to first to install Sierra on the hard disk of choice.

6. Highlight the USB installer from the bootloader menu screen and type kernel boot flag nv_disable=1 to avoid a blank screen (for Maxwell+ GPU's), resulting in 'No Display' signal.

7. Once the installer is finished, it will automatically restart the system. Boot from the USB installer and select the drive where you installed Sierra.

• STEP 3: macOS 10.12 Post-Installation

1. As the system is loading, you'll be prompted to the macOS Welcome screen.

a. Select your country then click "right arrow" to go to the next screen.

b. Select "My computer does not connect to the Internet."

c. Select "Don’t transfer any information now."

d. Do not "Enable Location Services on this Mac"

e. Agree to "Terms and Conditions."

f. Enter your name, password, and hint and Continue.

g. Confirm "Diagnostics & Usage"

h. Wait a moment for the macOS desktop to load.

i. When prompted to back up any disk with Time Machine, click on the "Don't Use" button.

• STEP 4: macOS 10.12 Post-Installation (Continued)

1. macOS Sierra no longer allows unsigned apps to run that did not come the App Store or identified developer. You can re-enable this function by running the following in Terminal:



sudo spctl --master-disable

2. Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy and disable GateKeeper to allow installation of software by unidentified developers.

3. Copy the 'EFI' folder of the USB stick to the EFI partition of Sierra boot disk.

4. Install Clover v2.3k on the Sierra install HDD partition you plan to boot from. In addition to the settings configured earlier, select "Install RC scripts on target volume" and "Install Clover Preference Pane" when installing to the HDD.

Installing RC scripts enables nvram variables required for iCloud and other services. It processes logs that are located in /Library/Logs/CloverEFI. You can also type bdmesg > Desktop/boot.txt in Terminal to get them manually.

5. Edit the config.plist from your boot disk in EFI/CLOVER/ by adding the following <dict> entries:

a. New Method for Enabling NVIDIA Web Drivers. Boot flag nvda_drv=1 no longer works in config.plist to enable Web Drivers. A new setting under System Parameter in Clover called "NvidiaWeb" has been updated to fulfill this instead.



<key>SystemParameters</key>

	<dict>

		<key>InjectKexts</key>

		<string>YES</string>

		<key>InjectSystemID</key>

		<true/>

		<key>NvidiaWeb</key>

		<true/>

</dict>

Remove Boot/Arguments/nvda_drv=1 if necessary.

b. Recovering designated name of boot menu entries. Copy NTFS.efi to EFI\CLOVER\drivers64 in order for Windows partitions to show their correct name instead of "Legacy HD" in Clover boot menu.

c. Hide unwanted partitions. Now you can block any partition from showing up on boot menu with its given name or GUID in config.plist.



<key>GUI</key>

	<dict>

		<key>Hide</key>

		<array>

			<string>HD(2,GPT,EA7857A1-DC6B-4BF9-A04C-43CADE9FCF89)</string>

			<string>MINI TB</string>

			<string>MISC TB</string>

			<string>GAMES</string>

			<string>VISTA</string>

		</array>

</dict>

d. USB patch. Sierra 10.12 requires the port limit to be raised in order for USB 3.0 ports to be recognized. This process involves installing FakePCIID.kext as well. Add this <dict> entry to the config.plist:



<key>KextsToPatch</key>

	<array>

		<dict>

			<key>Comment</key>

			<string>change 15 port limit to 20 in XHCI kext (9-series) 10.12</string>

			<key>Find</key>

			<data>g710////EA==</data>

			<key>Name</key>

			<string>AppleUSBXHCIPCI</string>

			<key>Replace</key>

			<data>g710////FQ==</data>

		</dict>

</array>

Be sure to copy FakePCIID.kext and FakePCIID_XHCIMux.kext to /EFI/CLOVER/KEXTS/10.12.

NOTE: Set 'XHCI Mode' to Smart Auto in the BIOS to enable USB 3.0.

6. Remove Recovery partition. Deleting and merging a partition with 'diskutil' from the command line is the most precise method to remove the partition since it targets the recovery disk directly and merges it with the full Sierra partition.

Launch the Terminal and type the following into the command line:



diskutil list

This will print out your drives partition scheme and look something like this:

Look for "Recovery HD" and see which identifier it uses. In this screenshot it’s disk2s4.

To remove that partition we use the following command (you can also use the volume name):



diskutil eraseVolume HFS+ Blank /dev/disk2s4

The partition will be erased. You’ll now have a blank partition sitting around, so you’ll want to merge that with your other Sierra partition:



diskutil mergePartitions HFS+ SIERRA disk2s3 disk2s4

This will merge the two partitions, with disk2s3 absorbing the space from disk2s4 and expanding, it causes data loss so don’t expect this to preserve anything.

7. NVIDIA graphics cards 'Maxwell'+ currently lack native support in macOS 10.12 so you will not be able to boot without nv_disable=1 kernel flag.

a. Download and install NVIDIA Web Driver 367.15.10.05f01 to enable NVIDIA Graphics Cards because they won't work OOB without them.

NOTE: Remember to go to the NVIDIA Driver Manager menu bar at the top, change the settings to use Web drivers. Changes will take effect after restart.

8. Reboot using the USB installer and choose the Sierra install drive.

9. Download CUDA 7.5.30 drivers (increases GPU computing performance) needed for 10.12 support and install.

10. [OPTION 1] Install AppleALC to enable native audio by injecting the layout id supported for ALC898 through dynamic patching without modifying any kexts. Audio will no longer be affected after each macOS update and SIP can remain enabled. More details here.

NOTE: AppleHDA must be native, original and unpatched.

a. Mount EFI partition and add the following entry under Devices/Audio in the config.plist to inject working layout id 1 (or 2 or 3).



<key>Devices</key>

	<dict>

		<key>Audio</key>

		<dict>

			<key>Inject</key>

			<integer>1</integer>

	  </dict>

b. Download the latest version of AppleALC (v1.0.18) and copy it to CLOVER/kexts/10.12.

NOTE: Rebuild kext cache if you have removed a modded AppleHDA to replace it with a native one by using Kext Utility or 'force rebuild cache' in Terminal:



sudo –s

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

11. [OPTION 2] Install the following patch associated with Realtek ALC898 AppleHDA Audio (by Toleda):

a. Mount EFI partition, verify "Disable SIP" entry CsrActiveConfig=0x3 is in config.plist.

b. Download audio_cloverALC-120.command.zip and extract "audio_cloverALC-120_v1.0d.command".

c. No edits made to any native AppleHDA.kext file, 2-4 files added to Resources folder.

NOTE: There may be noticeable pops before starting playback which is caused by OS X putting the audio codec to sleep. Disable AFGLowPowerState in config.plist with following <dict> entry:



<key>Devices</key>

<dict>

    <key>Audio</key>

    </dict>

        <key>AFGLowPowerState</key>

        <false/>

    </dict>

If popping is still exists after using the method above, try using antipop.

NOTE: There may be noticeable distortion after around 2 minutes of audio playback. Update to the latest version of Clover and add UseARTFrequency=false entry in the config.plist:



<key>CPU</key>

<dict>

	<key>UseARTFrequency</key>

	<false/>

</dict>

<key>Devices</key>

<dict>

12. Create a DSDT??? (More to come later)

13. [OPTION 1] Create a SSDT (Secondary System Description Table) to configure the maximum clock speed.

a. Download Pike's ssdtPRGen.sh script which should auto-copy into your home directory, 'Volumes/Users/<username>' folder. Open Terminal and type the following:



curl -o ~/ssdtPRGen.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Piker-Alpha/ssdtPRGen.sh/Beta/ssdtPRGen.sh

b. Next, set the execute/search bits:



chmod +x ~/ssdtPRGen.sh

c. Run ssdtPRGen.sh script for first time without any arguments and let it download all the data that you need:



./ssdtPRGen.sh

d. The Haswell.cfg should have already downloaded.

e. Once finished you will have the ssdt.aml on the ~/library/ssdtPRGen/. Move it to /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched.

NOTE: If you come across issues try the following:

○ Use Terminal to ensure Haswell.cfg is in the 'Data' folder by typing: open ~/library/ssdtPRGen/Data

○ You can remove any previously generated and downloaded script file by typing: sudo rm -R ~/Library/ssdtPRGen

○ You can rerun another freshly downloaded ssdtPRGen.sh script with your processor type: ./ssdtPRGen.sh

○ For additional help see also: ./ssdtPRGen.sh -help

14. [OPTION 2] Create a SSDT (Secondary System Description Table) to configure the maximum clock speed.

a. Download the Pike’s script v14.1 (modified for i-core processors) and put it on your desktop. Use it only for the PC it is running from. The script reads some information specific about your CPU and its number of cores.

b. Open Terminal and type "sudo" then leave a space and drag the script file into the Terminal window then leave a space and type in the Turbo Speed (Maximum Turbo Frequency) for your processor and then press enter.

e.g., Intel Core i7-4770K type code:



sudo /Users/"YourUsername"/Desktop/ssdtPRGen.sh -TURBO 3500

Type your password when prompted and press Enter.

c. Ignore the following "Error: Unknown processor model ..." since the CPU is unsupported.

d. A decompiled file called SSDT.aml will generate in a hidden folder "tmp". Type "open /tmp" (no quotations) to reveal its location.

e. Place SSDT.aml into /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/ folder.

15. Installing the following kexts/widget is optional. Copy the kexts into the /EFI/CLOVER/KEXTS/10.12 folder. Install the widget using Launchpad → Dashboard:

○ HWSensors 6.23.1417 Binaries (with FakeSMC): Helps you monitor CPU, memory, disks, network, temperatures, fans, load/uptime, and processes.

16. Install iStat Pro 4.92 r2, a highly configurable widget that lets you monitor every aspect of your Mac including CPU, memory, disks, network, battery, temperatures, fans, load & uptime and processes.

• STEP 5: Updating to 10.12.2

1. Download and install macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Combo Update and reboot.

2. After restarting, accept the popup window that prompts you to download and install the latest the NVIDIA Web Driver 367.15.10.25 to proceed.

3. Download CUDA 8.0.57 drivers needed for 10.12.2 support from NVIDIA and install and reboot.

4. Reinstall audio by patching AppleHDA with audio_cloverALC-120.command.zip [for OPTION 2].

• OPTIONAL: Fixing Time Sync issue with macOS/Windows – Registry Fix Method

NOTE: Only works for Vista/Windows 7, 8 & 10

1. Press the Win + R keyboard combination to bring up a run box, then type "regedit" followed by Enter. Confirm "yes" once UAC prompt appears.

2. When the registry editor opens, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\TimeZoneInformation

3. Right-click on the empty space right below 'TimeZoneKeyName' and create a new DWORD (32-bit). It will appear as D-WORD On 32-bit versions of Windows 7/Vista.

4. Rename it "RealTimeIsUniversal" (without quotes and it’s case-sensitive). Double-click on the new DWORD and change its value data "0" (zero) to "1" (one) as a hexadecimal.

5. Save everything. Reboot to macOS, set the time properly and now boot back to Windows. You should notice it adjusted the correct time.

NOTE: Avoid changing the time in macOS if you are running a multi-boot system. You only have to modify the time in the BIOS and in Windows followed by enabling the setting to sync the clock with online time.

WORKING-config.plist-for-Z97.zip

nawcom · December 30, 2016

l. Delete following kexts from System/Library/Extensions/: AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext and AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient.kext

Haswell CPUs don't use this. You can leave it be. They use XCPM for power management which is within the kernel itself, and the Clover kernel patch KernelPm which you're also using is what fixes the issue.

Frank Nitty · January 2, 2017

Haswell CPUs don't use this. You can leave it be. They use XCPM for power management which is within the kernel itself, and the Clover kernel patch KernelPm which you're also using is what fixes the issue.

Yeah, you are right. I went ahead and removed it from the guide since it was overkill. I believe that step was necessary for a guide I made for a former Skylake setup. When I read your name I initially had to do a double take because I knew I seen it from somewhere. Correct me if I'm wrong, but am I speaking to the 'legendary' nawcom "Boot CD" dev himself or do I have u mixed up with another nawcom.

nawcom · January 2, 2017

Heh yeah I'm that person. I've just felt like becoming active in the forums as of late. I never really was even though I made my account here in 2006 - I did lots of reading but little posting other than making threads for the 10.6 legacy kernels and such. I mostly communicated with the other osx86 people through IRC.

Great job with putting together the guide :thumbsup_anim:

Frank Nitty · January 2, 2017

Heh yeah I'm that person. I've just felt like becoming active in the forums as of late. I never really was even though I made my account here in 2006 - I did lots of reading but little posting other than making threads for the 10.6 legacy kernels and such. I mostly communicated with the other osx86 people through IRC.

Great job with putting together the guide

Thanks man... I'm just giving back to the community. About 6 yrs ago I started building hackintoshes when 10.6.0 was the gateway and I owe it to guys like u ('forefathers') who architected the scene and by providing tools to help make installing osx86 more widespread and feasible to accomplish. Back then there was a few boot CDs of choice I had to use to get started b/c I had no access to a real Mac. There was yours, then HackBoot v6.2, but my fav had to have been Empire EFI 1.08.

[GUIDE] How To Install Sierra On EVGA Z97 With Clover in Legacy Mode... or Z87 FTW?

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