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Installing ML on an Asus A8JR - installer won't boot up!


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Hi all! I'm trying to install ML on my laptop - an Asus A8JR; it is getting stuck at : USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): BF830....................

 

Machine Specs

------------------

 

CPU : Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0GHz

GPU : Geforce 9650M GT (1GB RAM) (upgraded from original ATI X2300 128MB (rebadged bottom end 1000 series card)

USB 2.0

SATA : ICH7-M

RAM : 4GB, Dual-Channel Mode - 3GB visible.

 

Modifications

---------------

 

1. The GPU has been upgraded; I used a vBIOS from an Asus M50 BIOS file, modded that, and placed it as a PCI Option ROM in the BIOS file. I've

used it for years (literally) and it works fine in windows, and all flavours of Linux (using Mint 15 / Ubuntu Raring at present).

2. The CPU has been upgraded from the old 533MHz FSB 1.6GHz Core 2; this upgrade also works fine, the Microcode is present in the BIOS, the

VT-x features work fine (weren't present on the old one). The chipset is running at 667MHz but it is designed to do that. The RAM is also rated for 667FSB and tests fine.

3. The BIOS doesn't have any SATA mode operation, and the SATA controller is stuck in IDE mode. However I have modified (upgraded) the DSDT

file and the controller now boots in AHCI mode - and I have used the DSDT file on Linux and it works fine. I am also using the DSDT file for my Mountain Lion installation attempts and the DSDT file is being loaded (it states this when beginning to boot).

 

Attempts to install

---------------------

 

I have tried myHack as well as [the installer from the guy whose name begins with t who rips off other people's work without credit]. I am using a genuine

copy of ML purchased on the Mac App Store, and using my MacBook Pro to build the USB drive (it is a non-retina model but has the same specs as the top-spec Retina MBP).

 

All attempts fail at 'USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): XXXXXXXX 0x1sfe 0x1e23 0x110'.

 

I have tried with PCIRootUID=0, GraphicsEnabler=No, -v, -x, -f

I have also tried removing all the NV Kexts (for what it is worth, I was getting bluetooth errors turning up over the minute after the 'USBMSC' line appears - showing the system hadn't actually frozen - these have gone by deleting the bluetooth kexts.

 

I have also tried : GraphicsEnabler=No PCIRootUID=0 -x -v -f (all in one go) - no change.

 

I would be really grateful for any advice on how to proceed from here!

 

Thank you!

 

Edit : Attached photo of crash (including bluetooth errors that show up after the USBMSC line),

Can't attach my DSDT.dsl - mods - am I permitted to attach it as a Zip for review if requested? Thanks!

post-1175727-0-37803500-1370168430_thumb.jpg

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from your USBInstaller delete all graphics kexts, then boot with: -f -v -x GraphicsEnabler=No npci=0x2000

 

Delete all graphics kexts (+ plugin and bundles) :

AMD

- AMDRadeonAccelerator.kext

- AMDRadeonVADriver.bundle

- AMDRadeonX3000GLDriver.bundle

INTEL

- AppleIntelHD3000Graphics.kext

- AppleIntelHD3000GraphicsGA.plugin

- AppleIntelHD3000GraphicsGLDriver.bundle

- AppleIntelHD3000GraphicsVADriver.bundle

- AppleIntelHD4000Graphics.kext

- AppleIntelHD4000GraphicsGA.plugin

- AppleIntelHD4000GraphicsGLDriver.bundle

- AppleIntelHD4000GraphicsVADriver.bundle

- AppleIntelHDGraphics.kext

- AppleIntelHDGraphicsFB.kext

- AppleIntelHDGraphicsGA.plugin

- AppleIntelHDGraphicsGLDriver.bundle

- AppleIntelHDGraphicsVADriver.bundle

- AppleIntelIVBVA.bundle

- AppleIntelSNBGraphicsFB.kext

- AppleIntelSNBVA.bundle

ATI

- ATI2400Controller.kext

- ATI2600Controller.kext

- ATI3800Controller.kext

- ATI4600Controller.kext

- ATI4800Controller.kext

- ATI5000Controller.kext

- ATI6000Controller.kext

- ATIFramebuffer.kext

- ATIRadeonX2000.kext

- ATIRadeonX2000GA.plugin

- ATIRadeonX2000GLDriver.bundle

- ATIRadeonX2000VADriver.bundle

- ATISupport.kext

Nvidia

- GeForce.kext

- GeForceGA.plugin

- GeForceGLDriver.bundle

- GeForceVADriver.bundle

- NVDAGF100Hal.kext

- NVDAGK100Hal.kext

- NVDANV50Hal.kext

- NVDAResman.kext

- NVSMU.kext

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Hi!

 

I removed all of those kexts from the Extensions folder (and added the Bluetooth back, but it makes no difference if the bluetooth is present or not). Not all of the kexts you listed were actually present but any that were, were removed. I used those boot parameters and a few other variants but all result in the installer hanging in the same place.

 

The same thing happens - the first picture is taken a minute or two after the Bluetooth module does its thing; the second is taken about 4 minutes later when I removed the USB key I am installing from - so the messages are not relevant but do show the kernel hasn't 'locked up' or anything.

 

I wish there was a way to get an even more verbose output - as when booting Linux - but I guess that isn't possible?

 

I have attached the DSDT I am using as a 'zip' file - but it isn't a zip, just renamed to zip, so if it is renamed to .dsl or .txt then it should open in a text editor!

 

Would be grateful for advice on what to try next!

 

Thank you!

post-1175727-0-76165000-1370217663_thumb.jpg

post-1175727-0-93452500-1370217672_thumb.jpg

DSDTdsl.zip

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Just tried something - iAtkos L2 also freezes at the same point!. Which isn't good! I guess that rules out AHCI as being the main issue - I guess that would show itself by there being no drives when it askes me to select where to install (and I'm nowhere near that point yet).

 

Also - tried cpus=1 - no effect

 

Also - would the fact im using guid rather than mbr partitions make any difference for the USB installer? (this computer supports GUID fully - my HDD is partitioned with GUID at present too and boots Linux fine).

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Hi all!

 

I can't see why Mac OS X doesn't want to boot up on this computer! Even when removing all the graphics kexts - so it should surely boot in some VESA raw framebuffer mode......

 

Given that I have removed all the graphics kexts, I would assume that my VGA card makes no difference, but.... the VGA card in my laptop is removable (it is a mirror image MXM card - the mirror image to ensure that you can only use ASUS cards and reduce the abilities to upgrade!).

 

I have the original 128MB ATI card here. When I used that card, the BIOS would boot in scaled fullscreen mode. On both this (A8JR) and the other laptop (A8JS), when I swapped out the VGA card, I had to select 'non-native panel' in the VGA sub-BIOS (PCI Option ROM) in order to make it display - or I just got a black panel, and only the VGA output worked (external monitor). Additionally, the TV-OUT stopped working on both the A8JS and A8JR when I upgraded them from GF7700->GF9650GT and ATI X2300 128MB -> GF9650GT.....

 

One thing I am thinking of trying is... getting a BIOS from an ASUS laptop that came, as standard, with the 9650M GT, and ripping the DSDT file from that, and

looking at the VGA section, and seeing if I can mod my DSDT to support TV-OUT, to support full-screen scaled mode during early bootup (not a small screen in the middle like now - although the scaling would only come into effect once the OS loads the DSDT of course)....

 

Another thing I could do, is swap out the 9650M GT for the ATI X2300 - the card the laptop came with - it doesn't take much work and I have plenty of Arctic Silver

and so on.

 

Given the problems seem to be graphics related, there may be some mileage in this... however... windows and Linux boot fine, both can use full 3D acceleration with no glitches, and I have removed all the graphics kexts from my USB installer anyway! Is there a chance that swapping back to the original VGA card could help?

 

Also is there any way of getting a more verbose output? It seems a lot of stuff is missing from the Mac OS X verbose boot - when comparing that to the huge amount of info that Linux shows in verbose mode. It would be great to get to a terminal as well - is there any way of doing this, or is the kernel not fully booted yet at the point my system is crashing?

 

Also... would it be worth making a DVD installer (if that is even possible?) rather than trying from USB? Is there a way I can install from a hard drive (I could make an 8GB partition easily and copy the USB installer to that - in case the problem is in the USB subsystem somehow)?

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Hi,

 

Modifications

---------------

[...]

 

Heh, I thought I was hardcore when I upgraded my microcode...

 

Also is there any way of getting a more verbose output? It seems a lot of stuff is missing from the Mac OS X verbose boot - when comparing that to the huge amount of info that Linux shows in verbose mode. It would be great to get to a terminal as well - is there any way of doing this, or is the kernel not fully booted yet at the point my system is crashing?

 

You'll get more (but not necessarily relevant) information by using the cmdline here: http://www.projectosx.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=456 (Some information here, too: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/205462-acpi-debugging/)

 

Also... would it be worth making a DVD installer (if that is even possible?) rather than trying from USB? Is there a way I can install from a hard drive (I could make an 8GB partition easily and copy the USB installer to that - in case the problem is in the USB subsystem somehow)?

 

Honestly, I wouldn't bother what with USB sticks being much more flexible in that it's easy to remove what you want etc. I'm no expert, but I don't think your problem lies with the USB subsystem, as the drive is obviously mounted and one NVIDIA kext is already showing as loaded.

 

You could try inserting the _DSM method with the right information into your GFX0 device in DSDT - like here: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/186694-nvidia-geforce-9650m-gt-now-work-with-smbiosplist/ but I'd take your VBIOS and run NVCAP Maker on it instead of using the one already in that thread - and see if that works, but I doubt it will work as you're not even getting Safe Mode and GraphicsEnabler is meant to do all that for you anyway (although it's never worked for my HD3000 - I perform manual injection of device properties so that I actually progress past the boot screen). Good luck!

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Tried some iatkos L2 experiments. I get an immediate kernel panic unless I use arch=x86_64 and -force64. Once I do this it crashes in exactly the same place as mountain lion. bus_ratio=12 makes no difference.

 

Interestingly, cpus=1 still results in both CPUs being identified and registered.

 

using mach_atom does boot, but still crashes in exactly the same way.

 

My USB stick only works in one of the two USB slots on my MacBook Pro for some reason, and was causing the BIOS to hang earlier

when using one slot on the Asus but now works fine gain on all slots!

 

On one boot I tried, it said it had trouble with the USB device at the usual place it hangs, but I couldn't replicate this.

 

Any ideas - should I try another USB stick (it works fine for installing Linux, but the strange behaviour above is a bit worrying; and Linux is only 1GB max). It is a genuine 8GB stick - not 4GB with hacked size table or anything, but still is weird how it only works on certain ports, even on the Mac!

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OK... Have spent most of today on this. I have tried everything above and am still no further forward. My computer isn't exactly that new, but, the hardware is definitely up to running ML! I actually have Lion running in a virtualbox window now - it is pretty slow due to no guest acceleration etc, but that is another story. I bought a new flash drive - good quality brand - and it doesn't fix the installation problems above either.

 

I removed the hard-drive from the Asus, connected it via USB to my MacBook, and I then booted up an OSX86 USB flash drive (made with myh4ck) on the MacBook! The ML installer booted up, and I installed ML to the first partition (which I had reserved for OSX86 a while back) on the hard drive. I applied the 'remove troublesome kexts' options, and rebooted. I then installed Chameleon manually, and rebooted again! Amusingly, even with Chameleon installed, and with no 'EFI' partition, the MacBook boots fine!. I tried deleting the graphics kexts mentioned above, and booting with the options above, but Mac OS X still stops loading at the same point the installer used to crash. I now have a Mac OS X which is minimally modified, but which boots up on the MacBook fine, and boots, via Chameleon, to the same stage (just before the screen should switch to graphics mode) on the Asus.

 

So........ I currently have:

1. A full install of Mountain Lion including the patches from myH4ck, on my Asus HDD. I also have Chameleon and I now boot Linux from that.

2. ML still freezes at the same stage as before - although if you insert / remove a USB device you can see messages come up, so it isn't locking up,

just getting stuck waiting for something

3. I have the ability to make changes to OSX by booting it up via my USB case on the MacBook

4. I have the ability to add anything to the OS X partition that could be helpful in terms of getting more info as to exactly where the bootup is getting stuck!

 

Would be grateful for any advice on what to look for. Annoyingly, on the system log (Console) application, I can only see the bootups that occured on the MacBook - any of the boots on the Asus, although they get quite far, leave absolutely no trace whatsoever in the logs folder (is this normal or a clue that something else is amiss with my AHCI mode?)

 

Edit : If anyone can look at my DSDT file, or let me know a few of the more common DSDT issues with ML, I can try to upgrade my DSDT file in those areas - the DSDT file is in place and AHCI is enabled (I think - Linux now reports it is, at least).

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I guess i've come up against a wall :( I would be really grateful if someone could help!

 

On a more positive note, I have installed Objective C on codeblocks under Linux so can use that, including most of the Foundation framework via

GNUstep, to carry on my learning of ObjC! Meaning I can carry around my Asus rather than the MacBook - and can actually play games without

the temp going up to 100 degrees C etc! And can do my iOS and OSX development on my Asus, keeping the MacBook for compilation etc (I have

a hackintosh VM under Virtualbox on the Asus although it is kind of slow!)

 

Watch out for a post in the next few months... I've downloaded the ML 10.8.2 version of XNU and am going to compile a custom kernel, with full debug

options like the Linux kernel, and boot from that, to find out exactly where it is crashing! If I make any progress I will post back here; would be cool

if I can get better hardware support or better ability to troubleshoot at least!

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