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OSx86 version of NLite / VLite


Bob Ajob
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Just image the nirvana that would be -

 

A small OSX GUI-based application that lets you -

  • Choose the bare minimum components required for running OSx86 (i.e. no unused languages/fonts/driver kexts) from any existing retail DVD or hacked release image or disk
  • Download the latest standalone updates and patches from Apple (i.e. 10.5.5 and beyond) and strip only the minimum required files from it
  • Download the latest kernels (if required/chosen), hacked driver .kexts and other minimum hacks/patches suited to your fairly standard motherboard chipset, graphics and other hardware
  • Slipstream all of the above into a bootable .ISO that can be written to either a USB,CD or DVD image

A very similar little tool already exists for both Winblows XP and Vista and is called NLite / VLite ... would be a dream come true if someone worked on something similar for OSx86 ...

 

EDIT:

 

Wow! It seems like STLVNUB is already working towards this goal called INSTAhackintosh! See -

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=128285

 

Finally,

 

I had an idea for a catchy name for the alpha version of the project once it gets a GUI. Something like -

 

Advanced

Mac

OSx86

Easy

Bootdisk

Activator

 

Codename A.M.O.E.B.A.

 

Hopefully those out there tweaking the scripts will like my idea :D

 

[EDIT] I'm now wondering, is it possible to build a bootable .iso image that actually contains multiple compressed disk images (like Clonezilla or something) of perfect GUID-partitioned disks which all include prepared, bootable EFI partitions containing the most compatible kernel, kext disabler items and hacked driver kexts? If those images could be restored to a hard disk before booting the retail leopard dvd, would this (in theory) allow for a quick'n'dirty solution with minimal interference and pre-made bootable EFI setups that are tweaked perfectly for particular hardware? I'm interested in the order in which the various boot dependencies go, to see if a single sweep cd/dvd boot could even achieve this goal. If the total sum of the required files inside the 200MB EFI partitions are only tens of megabytes, then many multiple compressed disk images could be stored on a single bootable CD or DVD and therefore cover many potential hardware options, especially if the original build scripts give the user certain choices over which kernels and kexts are best suited for their platform.

Also, do you think it is possible to extend Galaxy's slimbuild script to add building and populating a bootable EFI partition? This would allow the .iso images generated to include scripts for building the various partitions for the user and include the kernel and extensions chosen for the original slimbuild (which I would assume were the same). Also would make sense to store the build script, just in case other users also find the end results useful.

I'm hoping that it won't be long before a standard solution appears that allows the majority of the OSx86 community to easily build a custom bootdisk which can also build the EFI partition with the correct kernel and extensions alongside the latest vanilla retail leopard. I think the steps would go -

 

1. Boot from CD/DVD which contains disk images with pre-populated bootable GUID EFI partitions

2. Restore bootloader, bootmenu and EFI partitions then choose main OS GUID partition size from rest of hard disk and resize to suit

3. Boot from restored chosen 200MB EFI partition, which then gives easy boot options to install/boot Leopard/otherOS to/from the other chosen partition/s from previous step...

 

 

Should be possible if GUID partitions are resizable, although most disk imaging software can only restore complete disk sizes and not individual partition maps or filesystems within a disk. This may seem like a very backward step (for those who remember the deadmoo flat image) but could actually allow for a much more standardised pre-install routine if scripts to dynamically build EFI partitions are considered too difficult or risky.

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