51 replies to this topic

[delish]

I decided to remake Kext Helper from scratch, this new version support drag and drop of kext (or any other files you want in your Extensions folder)

Minor update for Leo compability

How-to use:
1. Drop files on its icon or on the open application.
2. Type your password (for root access)
3. Click Easy Install button.
4. Wait for confirmation and do a reboot to enjoy your new (hopefully working) kexts.



Advanced features:
Shows output from shell as script runs.
kext permissions: sets permissions to all files in your extensions folder.
make script: makes a install script for the chosen kexts.
tag cache rebuild: makes script for touch extensions folder, so cache gets rebuild on next boot.
Run ->: runs the current script, so be sure you got no errors if you edited it.

 khelper2.png   46.77K   3326 downloads


Backup:
When you already have a file with the name you are installing, the old one will be put in a folder name "Backup Extensions" on the root of your system disk.

Known issues:
Doesn't support files with spaces in the file name (spaces in the path to the file works fine).


Use at your own risk.
Hope you find it usefull, and give feedback for suggestion on how to improve it

In the works:
Kernel installation
Loginwindow instalation
More options in advanced mode
Sudo edit of plist in selected kext (open plist in sudo textedit prob)

New versions will be posted on my website in the future:
http://www.cheetha.net/Kext_Helper/

Drag and drop version:
 Kext_Helper_b7.zip   1.2MB   15914 downloads
 Kext_Helper_b6.zip   1.2MB   1641 downloads
 Kext_Helper_b5.zip   1.2MB   346 downloads

Old Automator app:
 kext_helper_1.1.zip   131.71K   520 downloads

[microsoft whiz]

I Think That This Is A Great Release To Stop All Of The Kextfusion (Yes, Yes I Know, LAME) And This Should Definitely Sticked And Put In The Dev Section!  

[Superhai]

delish, on Jun 15 2007, 10:57 PM, said:

-ask to fix permissions
-sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions
-sudo chown -R root:wheel /System/Library/Extensions

This is a dangerous thing to do, as there might be cases where permissions and owners should be different.

Quote

-ask to delete cache files
-sudo rm -f /System/Library/Extensions.kextcache
-sudo rm -f /System/Library/Extensions.mkext

I know many people say that you should delete and I am sure it is alright in any cases, but still the apple recommended way to do it is to use
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

But all in all this is an appreciated utility and I see that 95% of the cases where osx it is not working is because people dont set the right permissions and invalidates the kextcache.

[delish]

About setting permissions to all the .kext, that's what I been using myself (either that or using Inspector/Info in finder), Im to lazy to typing the full path too each of the modified .kext usually
-sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions
-sudo chown -R root:wheel /System/Library/Extensions

Superhai, on Jun 16 2007, 12:48 AM, said:

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

Thanks for the heads up on this one, its been updated

Thanks for the feedbacks.

[siddharth]

Good job.

[delish]

Thanks for feedback.

With 10.4.10 out I guess a bump could save some new topics form appearing  

[Hagar]

Just a pet idea of mine, but how hard would it be to make it so that if you drop a kext on it, it gets copied to /System/Library/Extensions & then ran the rest of the helper? That way installing a kext becomes a matter of dropping it on an icon & entering your password...


Just a thought...

[delish]

with the level of control you have with sending parameters to a shell in automator (read lack of), thats not too easy to do. The finder commands in automator can't be set to sudo either, so using those to copy something into your system folder doesn't work, automator doesn't give any errors... but no files are copied.

the obvious easy fix for this would be to use a sudo command in shell to set user permission to extensions folder and everything in it, then copy into it and reset permissions, but I don't think thats the right way to go somehow

I guess the way to go is using applescript or dusting off old basic skills


Just putting a alias to Extensions folder next to kext Helper, could be a temporary fix for this thou.

Thanks for your feedback, I'll look into making a drag and drop application

Update:
kext helper 2.0 preview of my current project

[delish]

Application is updated, remade from scratch, see main post.

[Dellius]

Thanx m8. Cool proggy.

[delish]

Thanks
version b6 is out,
New features:
You can now edit the script before it is run.
Some extra script buttons for commonly used tasks.
updated main post.

app is hosted externally now since upload here doesnt work currently.

[Panik]

amazing tool!! i'm dropping kexts like no tomorrow!

any idea on an uninstall feature??

[apple apple]

I use it. Works great speeds up re-installation when I fudge up. Thank you.

[delish]

Thanks

thesis: currently there isn't a plan for uninstall feature, might be added in the future thou.
kernel installation and loginwindow installation will probably be in the next version.
here is a sneakpeek of the next one:
 Picture_14.png   56.2K   353 downloads

[delish]

I'll fix the capitals in next version
The app is made in realbasic.

[delish]

Its compiled as intel only.
I don't have Leopard (at least yet)  

[AkshayGenius]

Okay, I know this is gonna sound lame, but, what exactly are kexts?