Noobs installing Yosemite - read this first

[bobble999]

Hi,

 

I've written this as a general approach for Noobs or part-time Hackintosh fans.  This is in part due to the amount of similar cries for help I've seen on the guides/methods

 

First up, this is much trickier than previous installs (IMHO).  Also, many of the really talented guys on here (i.e. the true hackers and smart guys who put together install methods) are not native English speakers, so they may be slightly ambiguous at times.  Finally, You really need to try and appreciate/understand why they are doing things in the guide.  If you have only ever followed the likes of TonySlack or just read instructions without trying to understand why, then you will struggle here.  Please help the very talented and busy guys here by at least trying to learn and understand.

 

So, you need to decide which Bootloader you are going to try and use.  Choices are Chameleon and Clover.  I tried chameleon first, got installed, but then had loads of pain with KPs.  Further reading suggested that Clover was the approach more enlightened folk were taking, so I went that route personally.  For me r2391 and the UEFI method works well.  Can't say what will work for you.

 

You will also need to get some tools ready, so perhaps put them on another USB drive (maybe name it Hack Tools, so as not to confuse it with your Installer USB);  

• Show hidden files
• Chameleon and/or Clover bootloader
• Chameleon Wizard and/or Clover Configurator
• Kext Wizard
• Pacifist
• PlistEdit Pro

 

Along with these, sit your kext files in a folder on the same drive so you can get them to hand.  The obvious ones are:

• FakeSMC.kext
• NullCPUPowerManagement.kext
• AppleHDA.kext

 

I would also make sure you have the correct Ethernet kext - in my case I originally had ALXEthernet (which crashed) so I used Realtek8100 instead.  

 

All methods follow a process that pretty much goes:

• Partition/format your Installer USB drive (for me Journaled and GUID boot sector)
• Show hidden files
• Mount the InstallOSX dmg file
• Locate and mount the InstallESD
• Restore it to the Installer
• When complete, find and delete the packages shortcut on the Installer USB - replace with the packages folder from InstallESD
• Copy the BaseSystem.dmg and BaseSystem.chunklist  files to the ROOT of your Install USB
• Then install your preferred boot loader onto the Installer USB, with relevant options (legacy or UEFI), and then copy the correct kexts onto it as well (location will depend on your preferred boot loader method)
• Boot from the Installer
• Choose suitable flags for install (eg; -f -s -v ncpi=0x2000 kext-dev-mode=1) - the kext-dev-mode is probably the most important one.
• Go through process, then install the boot loader onto the fresh Yosemite Install on your Hard Drive
• Any final kexts and tweaks (iMessage fix, etc.)

 

In terms of a more detailed how to, there are 2 videos I'd highly recommend.  This is probably the most straightforward:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6khqe_4JJ5o

 

This also helped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQqIWT0bteg

 

Again I cannot stress enough that you need to watch and try and understand why certain things are being done.  I see multiple cries for help when kext-dev-mode=1 is missing from the boot args.  I see KPs that having FakeSMC.kext fixes.  I see other problems that are simply cases of people not following instructions to the letter (maybe partly due to the language challenges).  Kernel file missing (wrong location), can't copy to my EFI (run correct tool to mount/make visible), kext not loading (wrong location), etc.

 

In the short term, there may be problems outside of the scope of the smart guys on here.  Remember, this is BETA software.  This install will no doubt get easier and if it is frustrating then my advice is to stick with your current OS and maybe wait awhile.  

[kingbird]

I used chameleon for years, new to clover. I created a bootable clover usb install disk. I am able to install and boot osx 10.10 with UEFI. Almost perfect. 

 

However, I can't boot without usb drive. 

 

 

Never mind, it seems, I need to copy fakeSMC.kext to S/L/E

[bazpaul]

 

• Go through process, then install the boot loader onto the fresh Yosemite Install on your Hard Drive
• Any final kexts and tweaks (iMessage fix, etc.)

 

The above two steps are not so trivial for n00bs to Clover. In an ideal world these stes couold do with much more clarification.

 

To get my boot loader working I had to copy the EFI folder from the EFI partition on my USB to the EFI pertition on my Yosemite HDD.

[bobble999]

 

• Go through process, then install the boot loader onto the fresh Yosemite Install on your Hard Drive
• Any final kexts and tweaks (iMessage fix, etc.)

 

The above two steps are not so trivial for n00bs to Clover. In an ideal world these stes couold do with much more clarification.

 

To get my boot loader working I had to copy the EFI folder from the EFI partition on my USB to the EFI pertition on my Yosemite HDD.

 

Correct - they are not.  This is kind of my point.  

 

I've been building Hack's since Leopard and for me, this version has been the trickiest.  It took several attempts and I read and re-read many different guides, taking into account the different approaches and hardware types so that I could eventually be successful.

 

Because the smarter guys here have been figuring out the best boot loader and amending both to make them work with 10.10, The installation of Yosemite (IMHO) is NOT for noobs right now - especially if they are expecting to follow instructions with no sense of what the steps are for and where they may need to do some trial and error (kexts being a perfect example).  Ultimately, the old adage about any forum is especially true here.  Read, read, read.  Search for your answer first - even then, some issues and the ways people have addressed them will seem contradictory.  Just like kext-dev-mode

 

And yes - you would need the EFI on your HD to contain the correct files in order to work.  The guides go through mounting and amending your EFI.