Leopard on VMware

[~pcwiz]

Hello everyone. Over the past few weeks I've been struggling at it to get Leopard on VMware working, which is in huge demand. I have now succeeded. Using the Leopard flat image, a VMware conversion, and some kernel and kext tweaks I have Mac OS X 10.5 working on VMware. And you know what the best part is? This setup requires NO configuration with the config file. Just make a new virtual machine, pop in the image and we're ready to go. Without further ado, I present to you Leopard on VMware:

 

 

The setup is Mac OS X 10.5.0, using the netkas EFI SMBIOS, PC EFI v5.2 and the ToH 10.5.1 kernel. Its not the fastest, but it even runs Cover Flow just fine.

 

Comments please...

 

Status: 10.5.2 and Leo Graphics Update installed, no problems

 

INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS HERE

 

EDIT: Forgot to add, I'm using VMware Workstation 6.0 build 45731 on Windows Vista Ultimate x64 SP1. I might decide to release this as a downloadable package.

[~pcwiz]

Wowie...this update is taking a long time, but its working so far. Kalyway update is done, installing kernels now. Will report back on how it goes If everything goes OK, I think I'll load in the latest software updates with the exception of the Time Machine update that installs the nasty kernel

 

EDIT: Update is done, all thats left is to repair permissions (doing it now) and reboot

[macgirl]

Congrats ~pcwiz

 

for VMware I'll stick with 10.4.3 (runs on Intel or AMD seamlessly without change anything)

[Dense]

The problem with VMware and OS X is only related to the installer. If you take a working install, snapshot the image and then restore it inside VMware it should work no problem. However that is quite a long process to do and until some VMware bugs are fixed a direct install inside a virtual session is not possible at this time. I have the actual specifics of the bugs in VMware direct from a developer and none of them are trivial to get around.

[S.SubZero]

It might be a good idea to copy that VM once OS X is installed and working, and then you can always have a fresh install ready to go at anytime.

[muitommy]

good job ~pcwiz

have you tried vanilla kernel, that works?

[Donk]

Well done, but some of us have had this running for some time. http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=81721. If your setup is easier then maybe you could give us a few hints please? Also you may want to check out the post where I explained how to get networking and USB running. http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=&...st&p=661559

[~pcwiz]

10.5.2 fully working with netkas kernel and mac.nub SMBIOS:

 

 

Things left to do are test USB, Sound, and Ethernet. I think I might make a PPF patch for the original Leopard flat image that patches it to a VMware friendly 10.5.2 form like my current setup. I'm also gonna test this with 2 processors and with the guest OS set to Darwin and parallel/serial/floppy disabled to see if it makes any difference in speed.

 

Donk,

 

This setup is 100% stable and although it takes long to boot, it works fine with the exception of QE/CI but Core Image seems to have Software support.

[Jezz]

Good job, did you tried leo4all too? Havent seen any reports in vmware with that release so i am gonna try that now.

Did you use a real cd or mounted iso?

 

Edit:

Leo4all with PPF2 doesnt seem to work

Tried Kaly too, and Uphuck iAktos 1.0 R2, dunno how you got Kaly working but i get the cpu disabled error and the apple com boot list or something not found error.

[NSCXP2005]

Hi mate,

 

Its not kalyway he has got running, its a flat image of Leopard that has been converted to a vmdk file and then modifed to run on its own.

 

The kernal has been modified and a few other files.

 

I'm looking forward to when the PPF file is made available to patch the flat image file.

 

All the best

 

NSCXP2005

Good job, did you tried leo4all too? Havent seen any reports in vmware with that release so i am gonna try that now.

Did you use a real cd or mounted iso?

 

Edit:

Leo4all with PPF2 doesnt seem to work

Tried Kaly too, and Uphuck iAktos 1.0 R2, dunno how you got Kaly working but i get the cpu disabled error and the apple com boot list or something not found error.

[~pcwiz]

Whoa whoa slow down everyone, let me take a breath here Everything has gone great, I just need to do some speed tweaks and a couple other minor adjustments and it should be ready for prime time. I'll post "beta" instructions here to see if anyone can reproduce the results, and I'll probably release a PPF patch for the flat image to get it to work properly.

 

Everyone, as NCXP2005 kindly outlined, this is Leopard flat image converted to VMware format with some mods. The final setup is flat image + 10.5.2 Update + netkas kernel + mac.nub SMBIOS. I see no point in applying the Leopard Graphics Update since QE/CI in VMware doesn't work anyway, but I might as well do it.

 

Everything is stable and good, no kernel panic

 

EDIT: Oh yeah and I'll also install the latest updates from Software Update, excluding the nasty Time Machine one I expect the PPF file to be somewhere between 1 and 2GB in size, but I don't know

[apowerr]

Excellent job! Front Page'd

[~pcwiz]

Guys I am writing up some basic (not detailed) instructions for this. Watch this post for the instructions

 

EDIT: The final instructions with 10.5.2 and all are here

qemu_img.zip

Edited March 29, 2008 by ~pcwiz

[~pcwiz]

Yeah, thanks I even was about to install Linux because you see, the Windows version of the qemu-img program used for converting the IMG file can't work with images over 2gb, and the OS X image was 7GB so no go there. The linux version of qemu-img didn't have this problem so I had my linux discs all polished and ready until by luck I found a version of qemu-img that was patched to work with large files. That is the one I have attached onto the guide thread

 

EDIT: I am attempting to connect to the net to get the latest software updates but no go, it won't connect. Maybe a quick reboot might do the trick

 

EDIT2: Bad news, no internet connectivity. Ethernet doesn't work. Also, guest OS=Darwin causes kernel panic. Only FreeBSD 64bit works on my system. Only things left to test are sound and USB, I know USB doesn't work. Didn't work on Tiger not on Leopard. Sound worked in Tiger, not smooth at all but it worked. Maybe sound on Leopard will work too. I'll see. Then I will make a PPF patch for this.

[DiaboliK]

not to be the bearer of bad news but leopard in vmware has been done a long time ago, heck even psiscape made it run in pearpc.

 

-D-

[~pcwiz]

Yes, true, but thats PearPC (PPC emulation) and most Leopard installs weren't stable. Someone did manage to do it this way too, with the flat image but this is the first time there were actually instructions for a stable install

 

EDIT: I forgot to add, make sure you start your VM with the CD-ROM disconnected. It makes it a lot slower at boot starting with it connected. Also, I tested audio and it works, but its very cracky and inconsistent, not worth listening to I got most of it down. Theres just one last teensy thing I need to test.

[DiaboliK]

Yes, true, but thats PearPC (PPC emulation) and most Leopard installs weren't stable. Someone did manage to do it this way too, with the flat image but this is the first time there were actually instructions for a stable install

 

someone cant read.... I said leopard has BEEN DONE ON VMWARE before this, I also added that it also has been done via pearpc.

Two entirely seperate things!

 

-D-

[~pcwiz]

Yes I know its been done on VMware. I read Anyone try Leopard on VMware thread. Donk was one person who did it with iATKOS, and he said it was unstable like only 1 in 3 boots would be successful, there was one other person who did it with the flat image like this, but no one has ever posted instructions on how to do it. I think I'll release a PPF patch for the flat image to patch it too

 

EDIT: Does anyone know a good file share host? Like with good speeds and big upload allowances, say 500MB.

[DiaboliK]

Yes I know its been done on VMware. I read Anyone try Leopard on VMware thread. Donk was one person who did it with iATKOS, and he said it was unstable like only 1 in 3 boots would be successful, there was one other person who did it with the flat image like this, but no one has ever posted instructions on how to do it. I think I'll release a PPF patch for the flat image to patch it too

 

someone spends too much time here rather than somewhere else, where its all been done before

 

-D-

[Mebster]

Yes, true, but thats PearPC (PPC emulation) and most Leopard installs weren't stable. Someone did manage to do it this way too, with the flat image but this is the first time there were actually instructions for a stable install

I think what DiaboliK is trying to say is that you've made it appear as though Leopard on VMware has NOT been done before:

Over the past few weeks I've been struggling at it to get Leopard on VMware working, which is in huge demand. I have now succeeded.

This I'm sure was unintentional but I think if you pointed out that what makes you thread different is that it actually creates a STABLE installation unlike the others. That's a strong position to be in and so openly state that that is your selling point.

 

Also this really should have been posted in the Tutorials (The Genius Bar)

[~pcwiz]

OK I acknowledge that mistake, its just that Leopard on VMware is not that wide spread really I just thought I'd share my "product". Originally this was just news but after I posted the guide I guess it became more of a tutorial...Something funny happened today. I was tidying up the drive getting ready to make the PPF and I accidentally deleted mach_kernel I had to boot from Tiger again and reinstall the netkas kernel...

[Mebster]

OK I acknowledge that mistake, its just that Leopard on VMware is not that wide spread really

Which is why if this truly is a stable method of install (I haven't tried it), then it is still of great importance.

 

Keep at the great work pcwiz and don't let anyone derail you.

[~pcwiz]

Sure sure. I'm having some technical difficulties right now. After I restored the kernel and tried to boot it up again, no go. Then I restored to a snapshot but it was before the 10.5.2 update. So I have to update all over again This will delay things a bit. Meanwhile I have some pretty MD5 hashes for you to look at:

 

leopard.img

 

5fa34f8793d641b63d5102c5e87bdc44

 

leopard.vmdk (converted)

 

f08eb735b0c8707d0c40f623a0cb9e88

 

Study them, live them, breathe them But no seriously, those are the actual hashes so if you are following the guide then verify the hashes. *sigh* back to installing the update...which took a good 2 hours

 

EDIT: Never mind. It seems to be a nasty problem with the kernel, I booted up with the ToH 10.5.1 kernel and it works fine...

 

EDIT2: Actually I'll probably upload the PPF to a nice file sharing site that has unlimited file size and download. Much easier that way.

[~pcwiz]

I'm running into some bad problems with trying to make the PPF patch. The file sizes are not equal. So I think I'll have to compress the entire thing...

 

EDIT: Found an excellent site: http://www.filedropper.com/ It lets you upload up to a 5GB file, I'll upload the RAR there.

 

EDIT2: Uploading it now. 3.55GB. Might take a very long time

[ReggieMac]

I'm running into some bad problems with trying to make the PPF patch. The file sizes are not equal. So I think I'll have to compress the entire thing...

 

EDIT: Found an excellent site: http://www.filedropper.com/ It lets you upload up to a 5GB file, I'll upload the RAR there.

 

EDIT2: Uploading it now. 3.55GB. Might take a very long time

 

 

I have been following this thread with great interest and I am very interested in getting Leopard to run in VMWare but before I toddle off trying to find all the files that I need I thought that I would ask you how your file upload is progressing as I would like to try that if at all possible? Thanks.