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Wacom Cintiq companion.


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I received my wacom cintiq companion yesterday and i love it but my first order of interest that I had planned was to hackintosh it.  I was able to get into bios and boot it into a linux live usb but for some reason every OSX installer usb I make is either not recognized at all or wont load up.  I have tried different versions of OSX and different versions/types of usb drives.  The BIOS seems like it might be somewhat restricted but I cleared out as many security features as possible and still nothing. Is there a boot loader like a linux live usb that will recognize an OSX installer partition on the same usb drive?  Any ideas? Im kind of stumped. 

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I got mine today. i was having the same issue as you, but then i found someone who had used Clover bootloader on a surface, and i tried it. so far i have been able to boot into the Mountain Lion installer, but sits at a pinwheel and nothing else pops up. i am trying various kexts and boot args to troubleshoot. will let you know if i make anymore progress.

 

ps - i love this thing, but is your pen calibration working right? when i get to the edges its all wonkers.

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I was able to boot into clover using Clover_v2k_r2184  but it is only text based on screen and doesnt show much.  When I try to boot into the OSX installer it just hangs at a black screen.  I used a legit copy of osx from the app store and kakewalk.  Can you tell me the details of your install to the point youre at.  If i can get into the installer i might be able to make more progress.  Working on it right now.

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I got mine the other day. Just like the Surface Pro, it is going to be tough to get anything to work (I don't like working with UEFI only mobo). Chimera won't be able to boot this type of motherboard, Clover bootloader is the only one that will be seen as bootable. I was able to install it using the same method as you would the Surface Pro but I could not get it to boot without safe mode. The battery was not recognized, GPU wasn't working and the pen was recognized but wasn't calibrated. Bluetooth seemed to be working, but wifi would not work (probably never will, it's a Intel chip). I installed the Cintiq Companion software from Wacom but it stated in the settings 'no tablet found' so the system is not seeing it as a wacom tablet, but some kind of generic mouse. I ran a live Ubuntu installation to run a system profiler and I'm attaching the result. Here's a few highlights: Series 7/C210 motherboard, HDA-Intel (sound), Toshiba SSD, Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 (rev c4) 

 

 

 

Assuming we can open up the tablet, we could replace the wireless chip with a Hackintosh compatable one. I think if we can identify what battery it is and get started on finding the right kext we can get this rolling. This would make an awesome Modbook Pro like device. 

hardinfo_report.html

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I got mavericks installed this morning after a {censored} of a time, but i feel like the older versions are more stable. Still no pen calibration, sound, touch wifi.. i know i will have to switch out the wifi card bu if anyone has hints on the rest i would appreciate it. Will work on it later with a more detailed breakdown. Now i need to try to sleep a couple hours.

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I as well had it working using Clover/OSX 10.8.5. in order to get it to work without safe mode, you need to add three kexts to your extra folder, or in the Extensions folder itself. If you followed the Surface Pro instructions, you should have downloaded the zip that came with that guys tutorial. Inject the 3 kexts that he provides within that zip and you should be able to boot up without any args. (Besides the InjectEDID)

 

 

As for the Pen Calibration/working, I was as stumped as you officeninja. I tried both Companion and 13HD drivers, neither of them worked and gave me the same input. I believe the reason why is because the digitizer for the Companion is connected via a special USB port, and not an HDMI port like the Hybrid or a 13HD is. The only thing I can think of is trying to get ahold of a member of the Linux Wacom Project peeps and see if they have any way to work around it. Otherwise, there is no point in continuing to try this.

 

I also had another weird issue, I could plug in a USB mouse and it would work, but I wouldn't be able to see a cursor. Was that the case for you guys too?

 

I had thought about giving Mavericks a try too, but I figured it is all worthless until we figure out a way to get the Wacom drivers working.

 

Ciao

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Krooklyn - 

 

 

    So we had a similar problem with the Samsung Ativ 700t. The digitizer would be detected but was not calibrated and after installing the Bamboo drivers it would work correctly until you rebooted. Then it would lose all calibration and when you would check the tablet settings, it would say 'no supported tablet found'. We figured out that it was a USB power issue (there must be something in the boot logic in windows to power on this internal USB port that doesn't exist in Linux or Mac OSX) and a user named sfinktah (from Tonymacx86) created a script to install some custom kext and keep power to the digitzer. I'm attaching that script here. I suggest you back up your system with something like CCC if you try this because it may not work correctly. After installing this tweak on the Ativ, Mac OSX works almost flawlessly, stylus and all. In order for this to work on the Ativ, you had to put the system to sleep and wake it up again, then the stylus would function properly. Again this is due to power management of Mac OSX versus Windows. 

 

I'm still trying to get it to boot without safe mode so I'll try this script when I get the chance and let everyone know it works. I think if I can't get it to work correctly I will send mine back. It's just too expensive to keep without being able to dual boot. 

SamsungAtivKit-lite.zip

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  • 1 month later...

Hey, sorry i seemed to have abandoned it for a bit with class and halloween filing my time.  This past weekend I hacked away at it a bit, patching kexts with no success yet.  I have had the best compatibility with osx 10.8 but have been able to boot into mavericks.  With 10.8 I had sound, bluetooth full resolution (no qe/ci). Im doing a bit of research now to put together some tools and try mavericks again tonight and most of this weekend.  Will keep you updated.  Aeronick, have you done an install or attempt yet?  The more people the better.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, sorry i seemed to have abandoned it for a bit with class and halloween filing my time.  This past weekend I hacked away at it a bit, patching kexts with no success yet.  I have had the best compatibility with osx 10.8 but have been able to boot into mavericks.  With 10.8 I had sound, bluetooth full resolution (no qe/ci). Im doing a bit of research now to put together some tools and try mavericks again tonight and most of this weekend.  Will keep you updated.  Aeronick, have you done an install or attempt yet?  The more people the better.

 

No love on this side of the fence. I was able to get 10.8 to boot. Main issues seem to be pressure, brightness and any power controls. Also, booting this system externally is more difficult than any other PC I've had... With all boot security off it has a bear of a time even booting into Windows on an external drive.

 

Will keep fiddling.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys,

 

I know this topic is a little old, but I also have a companion I would like to try and hackintosh. Can I ask for a somewhat step by step (preferably with files links) you are using to boot into either 10.8 or 10.9? I've tried both using the information from the first few posts, but I always end up stuck during boot at the USB device. 

 

I am using clover w/surface install files, but no matter how I try to update the kexts either on the clover partition or on the OS X install USB drive I always get the USB device error. I know it's a text update, but I'm lost at that point. I can't find a clear method doing so... help?

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

Here is where im at so far.  

I created a standard install of mavericks 10.9.3 on a usb flash drive.  I installed clover r2671 on the same drive with the options of UEFI boot, a theme and emuvariableuefi-64 and osxoptiofixdrv-64.  I added UsbXHCIgeneric and Fakesmc to the kext/10.9 folder. 

 

I use this to install to a seperate external drive with one partition and guid table.  After install I boot with -x and install the same two kext from before usbxhcigeneric and fakesmc.  Wifi seems to work without any software mods since I have implanted the atheros ar5b195.  I can get the audio to work and show an icon at the top with voodooHDA, the volume rocker still doesnt work.   I got it to work once, literally youre able to push it once each restart and it just turned the volume all the way up or all the way down, and this required a specific kext I believe ps2nub?  I will find all the kexts im using and put them here.  I need to get it more ironed out first obviously.  

 

The wacom drivers install successfully but arent recognized.  In the system info it reports the wacom hardware but for some reason the kexts cant see it.  I converted the hardware and vendor id from system info to hex and modified the plist files of the wacom kext, the silab kext and the usbfamily kext to implant entries for "wacom".  I also cleared the entries from the applekextexlude list to see if this would help.  It says the silab kext is loaded when i boot -v but still no help. Im pretty sure the silab kext is directly related.

 

So if anyone has any tips for HD4000 acceleration, the wacom digitizer, bluetooth or sleep let me know.  Thanks, and I will keep you all posted as I work at it.

 

Also incase it matters I extracted the DSDT in windows switched it the extension from .bin to .aml and put it in the patched folder of clover.  Not sure if thats being done correctly but it doesnt seem to make a difference. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

@mactabletman

 

Awesome work man. That's crazy that the touch screen works right out of the box, makes me wonder if Apple is planning a hybrid device (laptop with touch screen or OSX based tablet) sometime in the near future because I have always had the same experience with touch screens. It seemed the OS knew it was there (you can see the mouse jump around a little) but it did not ever work. 

 

I actually sold my Cintiq but if we can get OSX working on it I would consider buying it again. I just wish the CC would have had BIOS legacy support because I have had much better experience with Chameleon than Clover.  Anyways, keep us up to date on your progress.

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  • 1 month later...

I installed the public beta of Yosemite.  The cintiq is a stubborn beast.  I have to have two usb devices plugged in and the external with yosemite is connected to a hub with the dongle for an external keyboard, the hub is connected to the top usb port.  Its strange because it wont boot unless there is something plugged into the bottom port but once its loaded up the bottom port doesnt work.  The touch and pen are recognized but the touch doesnt click unless you use two fingers.  For instance you have to have one finger on the screen then touch with another finger to get a click.  The pen is also not calibrated.  Still no acceleration for graphics pretty bare bones.  

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  • 1 month later...

Hello everyone! 
I'm just ordered my companion from US to Russia and as i'll get it i'm planning to try Hackintosh it. So dont let it thread just die out, there are people who still want it like grim death :P 

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys sorry for the hiatus, just wanted to come back and give you a quick update.  After making some great progress with the cintiq seen here 

I have gotten most things working besides the digitizer. It ran great and yosemite looked beautiful on it.  That being said, I will be walking away from the project for now.  I just sent my cintiq in for a replacement because it had a faulty power port and when I get the replacement I will more than likely be selling it because I never used it as much as I would have liked.  Also seeming to be the only one working on the project was frustrating and slow moving.  I had installed one of the latest drivers after emailing the Wacom developers directly and requesting support (which was denied), the driver gave me new results saying something about the pref panel being unable to load instead of the device not being found.  This made me think there was still hope, however I really just dont have time for it.  I will more than likely be focussing more on making art and working on a blog.  If/when Wacom releases a second iteration, I will more than likely jump on the project of getting a mac OS on it, with guns blazing and ready to go!  If anyone has any questions feel free to contact me. 

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  • 4 years later...

you should download the driver from their official site ,or you may meet many tech issues . 

 

It's a solid investment for digital illustrators who want flexibility. However, if you don't need to use it away from your desk, you could save money and purchase the XP-pen Artist 15.6 Pro  .

 

I currently use a XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Drawing tablet with screen , I Can draw directly on the screen just like your cintiq companion . It is a cintiq downgrade, but only because it does not have the muti-touch like the cintiq does. it support pen tilt function  , 8192 pen pressure levels , battery-free and wireless stylus . 88% NTSC Color gamut , 1920x1080 resolution , 15.6 inch IPS Screen , it has no parallax , no lag .

 

The only problems, however, is that it always has to be plugged into a PC , Though it is lightweight and works great, the graphics are nice, and its only $439 .
Overall its an amazing tablet and I do suggest it! It works amazing for me, and personally, I improved a lot while using it. 

 

Edited by chukong
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