HOW TO: eVGA 680i SLI Motherboard 10.5.5 Install

[dootimestwo]

I successfully installed 10.5.5 on my eVGA 680i board using this method.

It may work for other 680i boards as well. If it does work for others, please post your success and or problems.

 

I was able to install from SATA and IDE DVD ROM.

I was able to install TO SATA and IDE HDD.

 

I used the iDeneb v1.3 10.5.5 install disk. Search around to find this DVD iso. It is very common.

 

*** This guide if for installing LEO only. Once installed you can handle updating/config.***

 

 

 

 

-------SHORT VERSION----- *If you don't understand this go to LONG VERSION below*

 

Change your BIOS settings following this guide. BIOS SETTINGS FOR 680I

 

 

Install iDeneb using these options:

 

-X11

-AppleNForceATA-Test selected ONLY (other NON test version may work)

-Stage XNU 9.4.0

-AppleSMBIOS Mac Pro

 

 

After install reboot and press F8 for enter advance startup options

Type -s

Now type these lines in (pressing enter after each one)

 

mount -uw /

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/GeForce.kext

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/Ge*.kext

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/NV*.kext

exit

 

Now Leopard will begin to load.

 

To get everything working correctly start reading here:

Pre-Series 7 Thread by Verdant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------LONG VERSION---------------------------

 

Preparation:

 

1. Aquire iDeneb v1.3 10.5.5 and burn the image to a DVD using the slowest burn speed possible.

2. Change your BIOS settings following this guide. BIOS SETTINGS FOR 680I

 

 

Process:

 

Insert the iDeneb v1.3 DVD into your DVD drive and boot from DVD.

You will be asked to press any key to boot from install DVD.

Press any key here and begin.

 

The installer will take about 5 min to load. It will load an initial window with options to continue.

Click continue

Another screen will appear with license information

Click Accept

 

Now it will ask you what drive to install from.

Look up top at the "task bar" and click on UTILITIES and select DISK MANAGER.

 

Inside DISK MANAGER select the drive you wish to install to on the left.

Go to the partition tab and enter these settings.

 

--- 1 partition

--- name it as you wish

--- choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as your partition type

--- I used the MBR partition table you may be able to keep it on GUID (change these by clicking the bottom to the bottom left of the partition window in DISK MANAGER think its called "Customize")

 

Allow Disk Manager to partition your disk using these settings and then close partition manager.

 

Now it will bring you back to the screen asking you to select the drive location.

Select your newly partitioned drive and select next/continue

--- If you do not see your drive try clicking "back" then "continue/next" to reload the "select install drive screen"

 

DO NOT CHOOSE "INSTALL" YET!

 

*THIS IS WHERE YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE YOUR INSTALL*

 

 

Go into customize (button at the bottom left)

 

CHECK ONLY WHAT IS LISTED HERE

 

Language Translations: Your choice

Additional Fonts: Your choice

X11: SELECT <----- MUST SELECT

AMD Patch: Not selected

Audio: Not selected

Chipset: AppleNForceATA-Test selected ONLY <----- MUST SELECT

Kernel: Stage XNU 9.4.0 <----- MUST SELECT

Network:

- Ethernet: No selection

- Wireless: No selection

Fix:

- AppleSMBIOS: AppleSMBIOS Mac Pro <----- MUST SELECT

Video: No selections

Applications: Your choice

 

 

 

Now choose "Install" and let Leopard install

When its done choose restart

REMOVE THE DVD (don't want to boot into it again)

 

Now on restart

You will see a text asking you to press F8 advanced options

PRESS F8

Type -s

wait for :/ root# to appear

type each of the following lines, followed by Enter and then waiting for :/ root# to re-appear:

 

mount -uw /

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/GeForce.kext

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/Ge*.kext

rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/NV*.kext

 

followed finally by exit.

 

Now Leopard will begin to load.

 

Once in Leopard you'll need drivers for your NIC, Graphics, Audio, etc.

 

Search this forum for those answers.

 

Good Place to start : Pre-Series 7 Thread by Verdant

Scroll down past the FIRST thumbnail in first post.

You'll see "UPDATE: The Mysticus C* nForce Drivers Installer v1.2"

 

Start reading here to find out how to update your kexts (drivers).

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANKS FOR VERDANT FOR HIS EXPERTISE AND HELP!

 

I hope this post will save him from answering the same questions again!

Verdant is responsible for my knowledge pertaining to this install method.

I just wanted to put it all in one new updated thread without all the extra mumbo jumbo that confuses everyone.

 

 

 

 

I don't write tutorials and this is my first. If its hard to understand, you need help, something isn't working FEEL FREE TO PM ME.

 

 

Best of Luck,

Nick

[techhnyne]

fix bios settings link please!!

[Ragnir]

Yeppers, that's be great, that link seems broken somehow...

[verdant]

Yeppers, that's be great, that link seems broken somehow...

 

 

Check out my Pre-Series 7 nForce + Intel thread here......and my blog here......

[Michael-on-a-mac]

Thanks for the Guide, Very useful!

 

One Point of Contention:

Using this guide ideneb v1.3 would install but crash during the customization process on first boot. I checked the logs and found that this was caused by the lack of an ethernet device so i booted in single user mode and copied nForceLan.kext into /System/Library/Extensions/. from a usb flash drive and rm'ed /System/Library/Extensions.* that made it work after a quick reboot.

 

Thanks again!

 

Michael

[verdant]

Thanks for the Guide, Very useful!

 

One Point of Contention:

Using this guide ideneb v1.3 would install but crash during the customization process on first boot. I checked the logs and found that this was caused by the lack of an ethernet device so i booted in single user mode and copied nForceLan.kext into /System/Library/Extensions/. from a usb flash drive and rm'ed /System/Library/Extensions.* that made it work after a quick reboot.

 

Thanks again!

 

Michael

 

Glad to help...... AFIK iDeneb v1.1 has some Ethernet drivers integrated in the base system such as AppleRTL8169Ethernet.kext, and so while my onboard Ethernet was connected to LAN during an install process, I never selected network drivers on an initial install as until eno's nForceLAN.kext appeared recently, no decently working kext was available for the onboard LAN chipsets of most nForce MOBOs......

[zachxmorris]

Hi there... first post here... just getting my feet wet.

 

I've installed per these instructions using iDeneb and all goes well. I'm able to boot into 10.5.5 without any problems.

 

My issues begin when I start to install the kexts from the Mysticus C* package. I choose to install the

 

- nForceATA

- voodoo Beta 2c

- NVdarwin GFX Memory 512

- nForceLAN OptMode 0

 

With this combination I'm receiving a kernal panic on boot... Further delving into the loading with -v I see that it hangs on loading the LAN kext potentially although I'm not too sure.

 

I'm using a evga 680i with onboard LAN, dual 8800GT cards and an e8400 CPU.

 

Any ideas on what could be causing the kernal panics?

 

Also, after installing these kexts is there any way of reverting back to the original setup before installing them so that I don't have to reinstall os x every time I try to install one of them?

 

:::EDIT:::

 

I believe I will try to just install the nForceLAN OptMode 0 option and not install any other kexts and see if I can get on-board LAN working that way.