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[GUIDE] Installing Snow Leopard on ECS 945GZT-M v1.0

Uptown_J

By Uptown_J,
in OSx86 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

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  1. 1. Has this guide helped anyone with a 945GZ chipset?

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Uptown_J
Uptown_J
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NOTE: This is my first attempt at creating a walkthrough to help others. I will try to update it. I have been posting this similar response for others. Good luck!

 

NOTE 2: I do not use the GMA950 video on this motherboard. This guide will not cover getting that video card working.

I can confirm for an ECS 945GZT-M motherboard which are loosely similar to the Mac Mini second generation. I followed the AMD instructions. I use the nVidia 9400GT so that was working with the correct EFI String. (Unsure GMA950 will work - have not tested). If you are willing to try, I can give you some tips. It requires much patience but you will have more control over your installation than a prepackaged distro.

 

I will separate the tips into three sections. The first section goes over making an unpatched vanilla os and cloning it. I advise doing this so you can to play with it and come back to an original unpatched image as needed. The second section will go over patching the vanilla OS Install. The third section will show you links and kexts to use for this motherboard.

 

I. SECTION ONE - creating your vanilla OS Install and cloning it.

 

  • Install Snow Leopard from a working leopard machine onto a secondary drive. You can do this by opening terminal and typing:

    open /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ DVD/System/Installation/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg


  • Patch the drive to get it up and running in the most basic level of function. In order to do this you will need to stop here and skip to the next section. I explain why you have to do this below.

  • YOU WILL NEED TO Install Snow Leopard from Snow Leopard again! This is because you will get SERIOUS permissions issue from installing Snow Leopard from Leopard. Unfortunately, retail boot was not an option so I had to make a working install then remake it again from Snow Leopard.

  • Repatch your new SnowLeo from SnowLeo install

  • If you have 10.5 settings, use migration assistant to migrate your old settings over from Leopard to Snow Leopard. Be careful what you migrate over. I just did the home directory to be safe.

NOTE: If you have a working vanilla imac or macbook you can cut the middle man and just boot retail and install on a separate disk. I did my vanilla install at work and immediately made a clone of it using Carbon Copy Cloner so I can keep an untouched copy (as a dmg backup) and re-clone it from this dmg if I mess something up. This allows me to have a nice fresh vanilla install of 10.6 to tinker and destroy without touching my working install. It really made life easier for me.

 

II. SECTION TWO - The second section is about patching.

 

Follow these steps from this thread:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=181876

 

  • Use the kexts from the threat above.

  • Make sure you visit the AMD thread above for more information on the modbin kernel.

  • Replace the IOATAFamily and place the AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext in /System/Library/Extensions

  • Place all other kexts in the /Extra/Extentions area

  • Use the bootloaders from the AMD thread. I had no luck using the modbin kernel with Chameleon r431 and better luck with r640. The thread has all the necessary files and kexts!

  • Do not forget to use the kext utility to rebuild your caches.

Note: I cannot get 64bit with this kernel. I personally prefer the 32bit kernel but anyone who is looking to go 64bit will have until another kernel or method is released.

 

SECTION III. - This section lists the files I have used and the locations on where to find them.

 

Files used:

 

1.) Kernel for amd Snow 10a432 (modbin.test7)

2.) Kexts for System/Library/Extensions

  • AppleIntelPIIATA.kext
  • IOATAFamily.kext

3.) Kexts for /Extra/Extensions

  • NullCPUPowerManagement.kext
  • OpenHalRestart.kext
  • PlatformUUID.kext
  • dsmos.kext
  • fakesmc.kext
  • SeepEnabler.kext
  • VoodooPowerMini.kext
  • Disabler.kext
  • AppleRTC.kext
     
    <not sure if I need these. I just left them in there>

  • ATAPortInjector.kext
  • JMicronATAInjector.kext
  • AHCIPortInjector
  • IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector.kext

Here is the link to my ECS 945GZT-M Kexts

 

MB: ECS 945GZT-M v1.0

CPU: 1.8 Ghz Pentium Dual-Core E2160

GPU: 512 Mbyte nVidia 9400GT

RAM: 2 Gbytes

Drives: 80gb SATA, 80gb PATA, DVD+RW PATA

post-51963-1251777042_thumb.png

post-51963-1251777050_thumb.png

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edmondwck
edmondwck
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Thanks! Finally got it to work.

 

Mobo: Asrock 945GZ-DVI

CPU: Celeron 420

 

Remark:

1. Onboard GMA950 worked properly with patched dsdt.

2. I used kext utility (for snow leopard) to repair disk permission and build Extension.mkext.

3. The repair disk permission function in disk utility did not work.

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Uptown_J
Uptown_J
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Thanks! Finally got it to work.

 

Mobo: Asrock 945GZ-DVI

CPU: Celeron 420

 

Remark:

1. Onboard GMA950 worked properly with patched dsdt.

2. I used kext utility (for snow leopard) to repair disk permission and build Extension.mkext.

3. The repair disk permission function in disk utility did not work.

 

You will get the disk repair issue if you installed Snow Leopard from Leopard. What I had to do is first get a working Snow Leopard then use that Snow Leopard to install a new fresh vanilla Snow Leopard and then reapply my patches.

 

I was able to get the SL to boot from USB but it always seemed to kernel panic during install. Have not researched why. May have been due to IDE driver since I was testing this on an older IDE drive.

 

I am curious about the GMA950 patch. Can you post the link so I can test and add to the guide?

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edmondwck
edmondwck
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OK, installed snow leopard in new partition from existing snow leopard.

 

Internet connection

Slow ;) .I don't have any wireless setup. Any idea?

 

Update:

Fixed by replacing AppleRTL8139Ethernet.kext inside IONetworkingFamily.kext with the following one:

http://cid-8b65993ef55cf014.skydrive.live....hernet.kext.zip :D

 

GMA950

I just use same patched dsdt from Leopard 10.5.

I got native resolution but not sure if CI/QE is supported

becase CI/QE information is not available in system profiler.

How to check it?

 

To have perfect GMA950 compatibility, you need to add some code to dsdt file.

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=143340

 

Sound

Voodoohda.kext partly worked.

I got front panel earphone and 2.1 channel line output working properly.

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Uptown_J
Uptown_J
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OK, installed snow leopard in new partition from existing snow leopard.

 

Sound

Voodoohda.kext partly worked.

I got front panel earphone and 2.1 channel line output working properly.

 

 

I will have to try the dsdt information, thanks! Also I am unable to use the onboard sound. I blew out my USB/Sound power using one of those ide2usb devices. My usb works but needs external powersource (like a hub) and my sound just completely stopped working even though it shows up :-( This was after getting a high pitched squeal that got really high then *pop* nothing.

 

Currently I use a C•Media USB Sound card. It works brillianty for Snow Leopard.

 

 

Will this guide work on D946GZIS chipsets?

 

I think it is very similar and may need a slight modification to the guide. I would be curious to see what your findings are. It may just work straight from the guide or may need an extra kernel extension or two for some other device (sound, LAN, etc)

 

I do know you will need to use the PATA kext, kernel and bootloader from the guide. the 945 chipset is similar to the mac mini and has issues booting vanilla kernel at this time.

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  • 2 weeks later...
blix3
blix3
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Only a balky ethernet connection stands between me and a successful Snow Leopard installation on my 945GZT-M, thanks to you and others on InsanelyMac. Do you have a fix for this MB's Realtec 8100C (RTL8139?) ethernet chip? The error message I get is "Ethernet has self-assigned IP address and will not be able to connect to the internet." Under Tiger (10.4.10) I've used this MB and chip for a couple of years with no problem, and I was briefly connected in Snow Leopard, until I installed Dr. Hurt's ECS 945GCT DSDT file to allow my onboard GMA950 graphics chip to display 1680x1050. Worked like a charm, but knocked me off the internet. I've tried adding the R1000 kext as a plugin to IONetworkFamily, but no luck.

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edmondwck
edmondwck
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Only a balky ethernet connection stands between me and a successful Snow Leopard installation on my 945GZT-M, thanks to you and others on InsanelyMac. Do you have a fix for this MB's Realtec 8100C (RTL8139?) ethernet chip? The error message I get is "Ethernet has self-assigned IP address and will not be able to connect to the internet." Under Tiger (10.4.10) I've used this MB and chip for a couple of years with no problem, and I was briefly connected in Snow Leopard, until I installed Dr. Hurt's ECS 945GCT DSDT file to allow my onboard GMA950 graphics chip to display 1680x1050. Worked like a charm, but knocked me off the internet. I've tried adding the R1000 kext as a plugin to IONetworkFamily, but no luck.

 

Try replacing the kext "AppleRTL8139Ehternet.kext" inside IONetworkFamily with the following one:

http://cid-8b65993ef55cf014.skydrive.live....hernet.kext.zip

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blix3
blix3
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Tried it. No luck. I noticed your earlier post about AppleRTL8139Ethernet.kext and downloaded it from your link. When that failed, I moved on to the R1000 (both flavors, regular and Psystar). Still can't get past that pesky "self-assigned IP address" roadblock. I have the feeling that someone adept at DSDT patching could fix this problem in a couple of minutes, but I'm stymied.

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edmondwck
edmondwck
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Tried it. No luck. I noticed your earlier post about AppleRTL8139Ethernet.kext and downloaded it from your link. When that failed, I moved on to the R1000 (both flavors, regular and Psystar). Still can't get past that pesky "self-assigned IP address" roadblock. I have the feeling that someone adept at DSDT patching could fix this problem in a couple of minutes, but I'm stymied.

 

Did you repair the permissions and rebuild the file "Extensions.mkext"?

I droped the folder "Extensions" to the application "Kext Utility"

to repair the permission and rebuild the file "Extensions.mkext".

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blix3
blix3
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Yes, I rebuilt the mkekt from Terminal with these commands . . .

 

sudo chown -R root:wheel /Volumes/Hackintosh/System/Library/Extensions

sudo chmod -R 755 /Volumes/Hackintosh/System/Library/Extensions

sudo chown -R root:wheel /Volumes/Hackintosh/Extra/Extensions

sudo chmod -R 755 /Volumes/Hackintosh/Extra/Extensions

sudo kextcache -v 1 -m /Volumes/Hackintosh/Extra/Extensions.mkext /Volumes/Hackintosh/Extra/Extensions/

 

(Hackintosh is the name of my Snow Leopard volume.)

 

. . . and then I repaired permissions with these commands.

 

sudo chown -R root:wheel /system/library/extensions

sudo chmod -R 755 /system/library/extensions

sudo diskutil repairpermissions /volumes/Hackintosh

sudo touch /system/library/extensions

 

I found them somewhere in my internet searching. Are they correct? Should I repair permissions BEFORE rebuilding the kext?

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blix3
blix3
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To leave no stone unturned, I repaired permissions with Disk Utility and rebuilt the mkext with Kext Utility. Then, in system preferences, network, I even switched configure IPv4 from "using DHCP" to "manually" so that I could enter the correct IPv4 Address (which DHCP was configuring wrong), Subnet Mask, and Router. That turned the yellow light to green "connected" but Safari says I'm not connected. When I swap the Snow Leopard HDD for the Tiger and XP HDDs I have no problems connecting to the internet via my ethernet, so I know my hardware is okay.

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Uptown_J
Uptown_J
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OK, installed snow leopard in new partition from existing snow leopard.

 

Internet connection

Slow ^_^ .I don't have any wireless setup. Any idea?

 

Update:

Fixed by replacing AppleRTL8139Ethernet.kext inside IONetworkingFamily.kext with the following one:

http://cid-8b65993ef55cf014.skydrive.live....hernet.kext.zip :(

 

GMA950

I just use same patched dsdt from Leopard 10.5.

I got native resolution but not sure if CI/QE is supported

becase CI/QE information is not available in system profiler.

How to check it?

 

To have perfect GMA950 compatibility, you need to add some code to dsdt file.

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=143340

 

Sound

Voodoohda.kext partly worked.

I got front panel earphone and 2.1 channel line output working properly.

 

 

Thank you, I need to run an update on this guide! I have been working longer hours the past couple of weeks but will compile this into the guide over the weekend. I didn't notice my internet was slow until I went onto Hulu. Then it became very apparent.

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blix3
blix3
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Posted

 

GMA950

I just use same patched dsdt from Leopard 10.5.

I got native resolution but not sure if CI/QE is supported

becase CI/QE information is not available in system profiler.

How to check it?

 

Since Snow Leopard doesn't indicate CI/QE in profiler anymore, one way to confirm it is by running the chess app. If you can move the pieces, you have CI/QE.

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  • 4 weeks later...
LedY
LedY
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To leave no stone unturned, I repaired permissions with Disk Utility and rebuilt the mkext with Kext Utility. Then, in system preferences, network, I even switched configure IPv4 from "using DHCP" to "manually" so that I could enter the correct IPv4 Address (which DHCP was configuring wrong), Subnet Mask, and Router. That turned the yellow light to green "connected" but Safari says I'm not connected. When I swap the Snow Leopard HDD for the Tiger and XP HDDs I have no problems connecting to the internet via my ethernet, so I know my hardware is okay.

 

I got my RTL8139 working in SL on my 945GZT-M by removing the AppleHPET.kext extension.

 

What are you guys using for sound under SL? I'm currently using AppleAzaliaAudio.kext as I couldn't get VoodaHDA to work. It seems this board has the Realtek ALC883 codec.

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  • 4 months later...
Uptown_J
Uptown_J
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Update:

 

I followed the following thread and succeeded in installing Snow Leopard with vanilla kernel

 

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...p;#entry1269509

 

You may try this guide ;)

 

I forgot to update this. Been busy at work. I was able to update the kernel to vanilla by using a different AppleIntelPIIATA kext. I need to find the link and update the thread. Did not think anyone was still reading it :-)

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