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Dell Inspiron Mini 9 ?

jns_mt

By jns_mt,
in OSx86 10.5 (Leopard)

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Boris AParicio
Boris AParicio
Posted
Posted

Damn my story is not a good one: I ordered a 32GB Runcore drive of ebay, got it yesterday, at night came home an opened the mini, when tried to unscrew the screw it got loose, got the other one easily but that one wouldn't unscrew, so after much tough and trying to unscrew it decided to simply destroy the original 4gb one (with pliers) So I did, I cut in half the HDD, and that way then i was able to take out that stupid screw, cleaned off the fallen pieces, plug in the 32GB drives, booted and XP found a 7.xx GB drive while Leo found a 13GB drive, but it cannot be formatted, connected through mini usb on both systems and it finds the 32GB and is able to format it. but no luck on XP or Leo. Now the questions:

1. can it be that the mini is not detecting the 32 GBS for some compatibility issue, maybe the bios needs to be flashed? (i tried to be very careful when cutting the HDD not to mess anything else)

2. anyones heard of this kind of problem?

3. Anyone willing to sell me/borrow their 4GB HDD while i send it to dell?

4. Anyone knows where can I buy a STEC 4GB or 8GB HDD?

5. Any ideas on what to do?

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UnaClocker
UnaClocker
Posted
Posted

hehe, that is a very unique problem. Make sure you have the runcore seated squarely in the slot. If you have to send your mini back to dell, just tell them you had confidential information on the SSD, so you kept it. Though I don't know what you'll say is wrong with the machine.

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jeffberg
jeffberg
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Posted
Hey. I have the 16GB STEC SSD in my Dell. I installed your KEXT in my EFI partition on /dev/disk0s1 and ran the update.sh script and restarted and it would not wake from sleep. Then i also copied to to /System/Library/Extensions (there wasn't a built in one to replace, it just copied over) then deleted Extensions.mkext and restarted. It would not wake from sleep. So then i tried sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleIntelPIIATA.kext and it said that it or a dependency was already loaded. Then I tried to unload it so I could load it again and after unloaded it my computer beachballed like when waking from sleep.

 

Am I installing this right? Is there a way to make it work from just the EFI partition? And how come you already had a built in copy of the kext in Extensions that Apple put there and I didn't?

 

Thanks for your help on this... this will save me buying a new SSD.

 

*EDIT* I'm still running 10.5.5. When I had 10.5.6 it seems we get a kernel panic whenever a program tries to load the graphics info from the system profiler.

 

 

fixed my own problem. The custom kext goes into the plugins folder of IOATAFamily.kext.

I copied the Apple IOATAFamily.kext into the EFI partition and then copied the customer AppleIntelPIIATA.kext into the plugins folder of the copied ATAFamily.kext. Ran ./update.sh and then restarted. Still have vanilla OS X that boots on normal macs with normal ATA family kexts but on the dell it has sleep. Awesome!

 

Thanks again!

 

P.S. I know you have already done a lot of work on the SD Card slot reader... any chance to get Memory Sticks working?

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miniatoms
miniatoms
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Posted
fixed my own problem. The custom kext goes into the plugins folder of IOATAFamily.kext.

I copied the Apple IOATAFamily.kext into the EFI partition and then copied the customer AppleIntelPIIATA.kext into the plugins folder of the copied ATAFamily.kext. Ran ./update.sh and then restarted. Still have vanilla OS X that boots on normal macs with normal ATA family kexts but on the dell it has sleep. Awesome!

 

Thanks again!

 

P.S. I know you have already done a lot of work on the SD Card slot reader... any chance to get Memory Sticks working?

 

I too have the stock 16GB drive and used a Type 11 install and would LOVE some sleep. Can you please give me total scared n00b instructions for copying the kexts around? I can follow what you did fairly well, but I am not familiar with all of it.

 

Also, does the Mini wake from sleep with audio and Wifi and everything working? Does it sleep by closing the lid and choosing Sleep from the menu?

 

Thanks so much!!! I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate all of your input and hard work. Having OS X on this Mini is SO AWESOME.

 

 

BTW - I am just plain atoms over at mydellmini.com. I hope they get the site back up soon.

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km9
km9
Posted
Posted

IMHO the most user-friendly way is as follows, to install the modified version of AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext,

 

1) Mount DellMiniBoot123v6.iso

2) copy INSTALLER.DMG to your HDD

3) mount INSTALLER.DMG you just copied

4) copy the modified AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext into the Extensions folder of INSTALLER.DMG (click yes on overwrite alert)

5) run MiniScript in the INSTALLER.DMG

 

If you have other kexts different from the ones bundled with DellMiniBoot123v6.iso, copy all of them into the Extensions folder in step 4, and they will be updated as well.

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jeffberg
jeffberg
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IMHO the most user-friendly way is as follows, to install the modified version of AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext,

 

1) Mount DellMiniBoot123v6.iso

2) copy INSTALLER.DMG to your HDD

3) mount INSTALLER.DMG you just copied

4) copy the modified AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext into the Extensions folder of INSTALLER.DMG (click yes on overwrite alert)

5) run MiniScript in the INSTALLER.DMG

 

If you have other kexts different from the ones bundled with DellMiniBoot123v6.iso, copy all of them into the Extensions folder in step 4, and they will be updated as well.

 

Thanks, that worked perfectly. no need to have the whole ATAFamily in there.

OH MY GOD MY DELL ROCKS!

 

Thanks a million KM9

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UnaClocker
UnaClocker
Posted
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We're working diligently on the audio after sleep issue in the Mini9 forums.. We think either the audio is being muted and we have no way to un-mute (because mute doesn't normally work), or the amplifier is getting turned off and we have no way to turn it back on (I keep meaning to take mine apart and see if I can identify the amp chip and meter it..

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jorisw
jorisw
Posted
Posted

I can't make my mini 9 boot off my iPod.

 

Here's what I'm doing:

 

1: Partition the iPod as GUID with 1 partition HFS+

2: Restore the install image to that partition

3: Connect the iPod to the Mini 9

4: Boot the mini 9 and press 0

5: Choose USB drive boot

 

I get:

 

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable

PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

Operating System not found.

 

Same issue if I use my external USB Big Disk instead of my iPod. I've also tried using a different iPod cable for the iPod.

 

Any ideas?

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UnaClocker
UnaClocker
Posted
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PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable

PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

Operating System not found.

 

Same issue if I use my external USB Big Disk instead of my iPod. I've also tried using a different iPod cable for the iPod.

 

Any ideas?

Those error messages are from the Network card trying to do a network boot, which is what it does after failing to boot from USB. You must be doing something wrong, because the machine has decided your USB devices aren't bootable.

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AzRocks
AzRocks
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Posted

I'm interested in installing Leopard on my Mini 9 through the Type11 method using 2 USB Thumb drives.

 

I understand that you have to restore the Leopard DMG through Disk Utility, and was wondering if someone would provide step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

 

I found these instructions online:

 

1. Launch the Disk Utility app in your Utilities folder. Select your USB drive, and under the Erase tab choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Select the Partition tab, then click Options and select Master Boot Record. Select OK and then hit Apply.

 

2. With the USB drive selected in Disk Utility, select the Restore tab. For Source, choose the image file of the hacked OS X (MSIWindosx86.iso). For Destination, choose your USB drive. Then click Restore.

 

3. Launch OSX86 Tools. Click Install EFI/Run FDISK. Install the tools, then select "Run Script." A Terminal window will open. Type in your administrator password. Then enter 4 to run Chameleon EFI. Then follow the directions listed in the Terminal window to install the code onto your USB drive.

 

4. Eject your USB drive. Now insert it into the MSI Wind. Hold down F11 when booting up the Wind and choose your USB drive as the startup disk.

 

5. The OS X installer will launch. When you reach Install Summary, make sure to click on Customize, choose Patches and uncheck Kernel.

 

6. Run the install, then reboot and you've got OS X on your Wind!

 

Could I do this, and substitute the retail DMG for the MSIWindosx86.iso?

 

 

Thanks!

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jorisw
jorisw
Posted
Posted

Just FYI, I got mine working through the following steps:

 

1: Format an iPod GUID, 1 partition

2: Restore windosx86.dmg to it

3: Install Chameleon EFI to it to make it bootable

4: Put the wifi and audio kexts on the iPod for easy access

5: Boot the Mini 9 and press 0

6: Select USB Storage boot

7: Repartition the mini 9 hard drive as 1 partition GUID

8: Install Leopard

9: Install the wifi and audio kexts

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David S.
David S.
Posted
Posted
I'm interested in installing Leopard on my Mini 9 through the Type11 method using 2 USB Thumb drives.

 

I understand that you have to restore the Leopard DMG through Disk Utility, and was wondering if someone would provide step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

 

I found these instructions online:

 

1. Launch the Disk Utility app in your Utilities folder. Select your USB drive, and under the Erase tab choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Select the Partition tab, then click Options and select Master Boot Record. Select OK and then hit Apply.

 

2. With the USB drive selected in Disk Utility, select the Restore tab. For Source, choose the image file of the hacked OS X (MSIWindosx86.iso). For Destination, choose your USB drive. Then click Restore.

 

3. Launch OSX86 Tools. Click Install EFI/Run FDISK. Install the tools, then select "Run Script." A Terminal window will open. Type in your administrator password. Then enter 4 to run Chameleon EFI. Then follow the directions listed in the Terminal window to install the code onto your USB drive.

 

4. Eject your USB drive. Now insert it into the MSI Wind. Hold down F11 when booting up the Wind and choose your USB drive as the startup disk.

 

5. The OS X installer will launch. When you reach Install Summary, make sure to click on Customize, choose Patches and uncheck Kernel.

 

6. Run the install, then reboot and you've got OS X on your Wind!

 

Could I do this, and substitute the retail DMG for the MSIWindosx86.iso?

Thanks!

 

 

I tried this repeatedly, and I cannot get this to work at all.

 

I posted the same results over at the other forum and they were deleted.

 

But again, substituting the Leopard Retail dmg for the MSIWind one and installing the EFI stuff doesn't work

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John Wilson
John Wilson
Posted
Posted

Tried to post this before, and I think it got lost somehow. My apologies if it shows up somewhere else.

 

I have a Dell mini-9 up and running with Type11 and no issues. Original Dell SSD and 2GB Crucial memory.

 

I would like to purchase a RunCore 64GB SSD to replace the one that came from Dell, but I don't want to start all over with a Type11 install.

I think it is possible to use Disk Utility to clone the original Dell SSD to the external SSD via a USB cable before removing the original SSD. I think . . . . . .

 

Two questions:

 

1. Am I correct in the above assumption . . . . that I can use Disk Utility to clone the original SSD before installing the new Run Core unit?

2. If I do this and have a SSD failure on the new RunCore drive at some time, can I simply reinstall the original SSD and be up and running like before?

 

OR: Will the new 64GB SSD have changed something in the system to prevent successful reinstall of the original SSD?

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UnaClocker
UnaClocker
Posted
Posted

Yes, you can do that. Use CarbonCopyCloner, not DiskUtility. CCC is a free app.

You will have to boot off the Type11 disk after swapping drives and re-run the Miniscript to get the bootloader onto the new drive.

Yes, if you have a drive failure in the future, just swapping back to the old SSD will have you back up and running in seconds.

 

Anyone stumbling across this old thread.. Here's a newer thread with good news.

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mc.ubba
mc.ubba
Posted
Posted

Hi everyone,

Total noob to the board here, and I really thought that I would have no issues using the Type11 method. Bah, was I wrong.

 

I have no idea what insanely dumb thing I am missing or doing, but I cannot get any cd to boot off an external USB drive and I've burned 5 diff ones. It always just goes to Windows.

 

I have the hard drive as the fourth boot device in the Mini's BIOS. I bought an new external drive just to get this to work. FAIL. I have a copy of 10.5.4 I bought from MacMall last week. I just cannot get this done and I'm so frustrated and losing patience.

 

What one little thing am I missing here?

 

And thanks to UnaClocker and all involved in getting this to work...I'm looking forward to getting OSX to run on this cool little machine.

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UnaClocker
UnaClocker
Posted
Posted

You'll get the best support for your issue at the DellMini's OSX forum.. Anyways, make sure you have USB Legacy Support enabled, you can't boot off a USB drive without that turned on in the bios. If you do and still can't boot, you're going to have to try a different USB drive. We've found that half of them don't work. Don't know why. You could try making a USB thumb drive with the Type11 image on it instead.

We have guides and how-to's here.

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mc.ubba
mc.ubba
Posted
Posted
Anyways, make sure you have USB Legacy Support enabled, you can't boot off a USB drive without that turned on in the bios.

 

You could try making a USB thumb drive with the Type11 image on it instead.

We have guides and how-to's here.

 

 

I do and still nothing...gearing up to try some more tonite. I can't do the USB thumb drive since we both have PPC and no Intel. Thanks for replying...I'm looking thru the dell forums some more.

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