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Dell XPS420, SnowOSX v3.5 - "Still waiting for root device"

salado

By salado,
in OSx86 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

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salado
salado
Posted
Posted

Folks,

 

This is for Dell XPS420 SL Installation.

 

I've been struggled with booting from internal primary HD for SL for quite some time. With help from innocuoussoul and bigv616, I now can run SL (and upgrade to 10.6.2) without issue from my external USB hard-drive.

 

But, while I can successfully boot from the external USB HD, I can't see my internal SATA drives at all.

 

For installation I use SnowOSX v3.5 + IOATAFamily.kext patch + NVinject.

 

No matter what I tried as the following, still got endless "Still waiting for root device".

 

(1) Tried multiple versions of IOATAFamily.kext

(2) Boot options with "rd=disk#s#" along with -x32 -x options.

(3) Chameleon 2.0 RC3

(4) However, I am wondering how the SnowOSX v3.5 installation boot can see all the drives.

 

Now I realize that this might be the SATA driver issue for this SL release in one or more *ATA*.kext. But I just couldn't figure out what they are and where to find the good version.

 

Anybody got the same issue? I've read other folks reporting the same issue here (like innocuoussoul, don't know if he/she has figured out the solution).

 

Any information would be appreciated.

 

-salado :)

 

 

 

Oh, I forgot. For XPS420 BIOS settings, there is no place you can set ACHI mode to SATA or ATA. Only thing you can do is to select between "SATA" or "RAID".

xenophex
xenophex
Posted
Posted
~~~~

Anybody?

 

Salado,

Greets. Here's the deal in a nutshell (my experience).

BIOS need to have your Drive SATA Mode to be AHCI (RAID ON).

When I rebooted Chameleon RC3 would result in a boot1: error, this was due to a similar issue with the XPS 410 apparently having a BIOS issue. Someone compiled a boot1h ... more info http://blog.thestevo.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

 

I had to find a dsdt.aml for the XPS 410 that had been modified to not include IRQ addresses and modified as well for the CMOS fix so it doesn't reset your Bios each time you boot up. This, as well as the rest of some needed kexts. I believe I pulled those from http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...p;#entry1334945

 

Here's the deal though if you don't get the dsdt.aml right. Only SATA 0 will work, and the rest of your SATA Ports will act wacky. I originally installed to a USB drive first, made sure I got everything working right, then Carbon Copy Cloned to a Software Raid Stripe, and followed the Chameleon directions.

 

Audio accomplished thru VoodooHDA.kext

LAN thru Intel82566MM.kext

I have a 8800GTX NVidia accomplished thru OSX86Tools EFI String

 

All SATA's work, WD Raptors (2), WD Black Terabyte Drive, and twin DVD-RW's.

 

Hope the info helped.

delphinus87
delphinus87
Posted
Posted

I had this same problem on my 420, until I remembered I forgot to plug my Mac HD into the SATA 0 socket on the MOBO. Just saying, sometimes you forget the simple things.

 

BTW, could you link the install pages for Snow Leopard? I've been trying to get SL on my 420 for a few weeks now >.<

salado
salado
Posted
  • Author
Posted

I used SnowOSX v3.5. Burn the ISO to DVD if you want to install to internal drive.

 

Google it, you will find the place to get it. The installation is very simple for the 420. But I didn't use the original 2400HD card. Can't make it work.

 

I had this same problem on my 420, until I remembered I forgot to plug my Mac HD into the SATA 0 socket on the MOBO. Just saying, sometimes you forget the simple things.

 

BTW, could you link the install pages for Snow Leopard? I've been trying to get SL on my 420 for a few weeks now >.<

 

 

Thanks a lot xenophex!

 

I will try it out and report back...

 

 

Salado,

Greets. Here's the deal in a nutshell (my experience).

BIOS need to have your Drive SATA Mode to be AHCI (RAID ON).

When I rebooted Chameleon RC3 would result in a boot1: error, this was due to a similar issue with the XPS 410 apparently having a BIOS issue. Someone compiled a boot1h ... more info http://blog.thestevo.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

 

I had to find a dsdt.aml for the XPS 410 that had been modified to not include IRQ addresses and modified as well for the CMOS fix so it doesn't reset your Bios each time you boot up. This, as well as the rest of some needed kexts. I believe I pulled those from http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...p;#entry1334945

 

Here's the deal though if you don't get the dsdt.aml right. Only SATA 0 will work, and the rest of your SATA Ports will act wacky. I originally installed to a USB drive first, made sure I got everything working right, then Carbon Copy Cloned to a Software Raid Stripe, and followed the Chameleon directions.

 

Audio accomplished thru VoodooHDA.kext

LAN thru Intel82566MM.kext

I have a 8800GTX NVidia accomplished thru OSX86Tools EFI String

 

All SATA's work, WD Raptors (2), WD Black Terabyte Drive, and twin DVD-RW's.

 

Hope the info helped.

xenophex
xenophex
Posted
Posted

Cool hope it works out. I did the tape mod to my Q6600 and that worked too so I'm up to 3Ghz now. The same mod didn't work on my 410 though.

 

I used SnowOSX v3.5. Burn the ISO to DVD if you want to install to internal drive.

 

Google it, you will find the place to get it. The installation is very simple for the 420. But I didn't use the original 2400HD card. Can't make it work.

 

 

 

 

Thanks a lot xenophex!

 

I will try it out and report back...

salado
salado
Posted
  • Author
Posted

I tested the SnowOSX v3.6 from an USB drive based installation. The installation is smooth. Right after installation the system boot up (with no RAID-ON), by default the NV video cards are not directly supported. And my internal SATA drives were not there.

 

1. Following the path of v3.5, I copied over the NVInject from ATools/_Drivers. Initially my 7900gs was fully supported. But there was KP due to NVResMan.kext crash after couple of minutes. Removed the NVResMan.kext, NVInject stopped working.

 

2. Armed RAID-ON, both SATA drives were shown but the speed is just sloooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.... And one of them can barely do directly listing.

 

I think the default KEXT set of SnowOSX v3.6 still don't have the solution for the SATA controller for 420. Need to figure out more before migrating my daily system to SL.

 

Sigh....

 

 

Cool hope it works out. I did the tape mod to my Q6600 and that worked too so I'm up to 3Ghz now. The same mod didn't work on my 410 though.
xenophex
xenophex
Posted
Posted

I'm not to familiar with the NVInject stuff since 10.5.5. EFI string works fine for my 8800GTX and 9500GT.

If you use the dsdt.aml from the XPS 410 kext pack I linked on that other board (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=47FX5UWG or http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...t&id=62668) I think you'll be in biz with the slow SATA stuff. I just stuck that DSDT in the root of my installed drive. There are other kexts in support of SATA in that zip too like the ApplePIIATA or IOATAFamily from memory. Mines been rock solid, and just tossed another 2GB Memory modules in it to take it up to 8GB.

 

I tested the SnowOSX v3.6 from an USB drive based installation. The installation is smooth. Right after installation the system boot up (with no RAID-ON), by default the NV video cards are not directly supported. And my internal SATA drives were not there.

 

1. Following the path of v3.5, I copied over the NVInject from ATools/_Drivers. Initially my 7900gs was fully supported. But there was KP due to NVResMan.kext crash after couple of minutes. Removed the NVResMan.kext, NVInject stopped working.

 

2. Armed RAID-ON, both SATA drives were shown but the speed is just sloooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.... And one of them can barely do directly listing.

 

I think the default KEXT set of SnowOSX v3.6 still don't have the solution for the SATA controller for 420. Need to figure out more before migrating my daily system to SL.

 

Sigh....

  • 1 month later...
vojky
vojky
Posted
Posted

Hi Guys,

 

Been trying to get this ti work without luck with the SnowOSX 3.5 & 3.6.

 

What does it mean when you boot from the DVD and after a while you're still on the gray apple logo page but there's a flashing red icon (circle with a line thru it)?

 

I've also tried running the installer from the packages folder (I have 10.5.2 on USB) but no luck there either.

 

Wondering which distro you guys are using...

 

thanks

  • 3 weeks later...
xenophex
xenophex
Posted
Posted

Hi,

Been awhile since I checked back but when I used the DSDT.aml from the XPS 410 setup things worked but I noticed some strangeness with some CPU/Hard drive related apps like Tech Tool and Parallels. I opted to reinstall 10.5.6 on my USB Hard Drive and use the DSDT Patcher to pull a fresh dsdt from the system. I noticed if I tried to do it in SL it would just give me the same DSDT from the XPS 410 I used which obviously was undesirable.

 

I've attached the one I used that had modifications to the RTC, PIC and TMR for CMOS Reset issues etc ... I'd recommend the XPS 420's use that instead of the one for the 410's. Differences were vast.

 

I brought my Apogee Audio interface over from my MacBook Pro to test using USB Audio instead of the VoodooHDA.kext but the USB (all ports) produced this very nasty scratching/hissing ground feedback type loop. I then tested it on my XPS 410 and it did the same thing. Not sure whats causing the loop but I will maybe swap out the power supply to rule out the dell ones. Very apparent when Scrolling or moving the mouse around or anything that makes the CPU throttle.

dsdt.aml.zip

  • 6 months later...
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