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Can only reach Desktop in safe mode (black screen)!

theconnactic
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theconnactic
theconnactic
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Intel i7 4790K, Z97 Gryphon, 10.13.2, latest clover. Using a dual monitor setup, IGPU (DVI connector, primary GPU) and a nVidia card to VGA monitor. Using the very same config.plist that have been working fine with 10.12. Cannot log in to iCloud as well, but perhaps that has to do with safe mode. System report shows both cards correctly (of course in safe mode, since that~s the only way I can boot High Sierra).

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Cyberdevs
Cyberdevs
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55 minutes ago, theconnactic said:

Intel i7 4790K, Z97 Gryphon, 10.13.2, latest clover. Using a dual monitor setup, IGPU (DVI connector, primary GPU) and a nVidia card to VGA monitor. Using the very same config.plist that have been working fine with 10.12. Cannot log in to iCloud as well, but perhaps that has to do with safe mode. System report shows both cards correctly (of course in safe mode, since that~s the only way I can boot High Sierra).

As far as I know Apple dropped support for VGA in macOS High Sierra and getting dual GPUs to work was a bit more challenging than the previous versions but since macOS 10.13.3 and 10.13.4 things got more interesting.

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theconnactic
theconnactic
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Plus, the troubleshooting I have found here and elsewhere doesn't seem to apply to my own case, first because it is not really the dual monitor setting that is causing trouble, for if I boot with only one monitor plugged in without being in safe mode, the result would also be a black screen (in both cases, the mouse pointer even shows up for a second before vanishing and the screen fading to back).

I think it is something wrong with my config.plist. I uploaded it (with # covering the serials etc) if someone could take a look and find errors I did not.

config.plist.zip

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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Hi, I started a post yesterday about multiple gpus.

I think it might be related (HD4600 based). I had same symptoms till 13.3. Did you try a clean install of 13.4 ?

Also, can you check your logs : on my build the disappearing/reappearing mouse pointer was related to a windowserver crash with an error about no MTLDevice.

on 13.4 it's different, as detailed on my post, HD4600 hdmi output works.

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theconnactic
theconnactic
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Same error: windowserver crashes unless I start in safe mode. Clean install makes no difference. Strange... Intel hackintoshing is not as straightforward as it used to be. Unfortunately none of my monitors have HDMI: the one I use with the HD4600 is DVI and the one used with the nVidia 9800 GT is VGA-only.

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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WindowServer now relying on Metal, we're back to the stone age of multi-gpu hackintoshes. Did you try nv_disable ? And switching smbios --assuming you're on a 14.2-- to 15.1 ? it should unload nvidia gfx, then you'll know whether DVI output is a problem in itself with your HD4600.

My humble understanding is that Metal WindowServer is not very happy with nvidia drivers for older devices, even if they're properly loaded and registered, and AppleDisplay instance created. Especially with Intel IGPU.

Also I'm not an expert with clover config files, I keep mine as simple as possible :

  • ScreenResolution 1920x1080
  • Inject Intel Yes
  • Ig-platform-id 0x0d220003
  • kernelandkextpatches AICPUPm / RTC / KernelPm / Trim
  • BooterConfig 0x28
  • CsrActiveConfig 0x67
  • Smbios iMac 14.2
  • InjectKexts Yes

if you need nvidia webdrivers for your 9600GT, you'll want nvda_drv=1 as a boot argument and NvidiaWeb Yes in Systemparameters, and you probably already know webdrivers have to be installed with SIP enabled. EmuVariableUefi driver is also required.

To add to Cyberdevs answer, I never was aware of any kind of VGA support on real macs, but I used it on a 9600GT under Yosemite. Since you had it working with Sierra, maybe it's not the heart of the problem.

 

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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what about smbios 15.1 ?

I mean : try changing smbios to something that is actually using a config set in AGDC/AGDP. Make sure before that, that you're not using a custom DSDT (GFX renaming to IGPU for instance) and not using Lilu and its graphicsfixups neither...

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Cyberdevs
Cyberdevs
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1 hour ago, theconnactic said:

Nv_disable did no good. Steel safe mode is the only way to boot high sierra. Strange.

 

42 minutes ago, oliveiro said:

what about smbios 15.1 ?

I mean : try changing smbios to something that is actually using a config set in AGDC/AGDP. Make sure before that, that you're not using a custom DSDT (GFX renaming to IGPU for instance) and not using Lilu and its graphicsfixups neither...

try with this patch, add it in "Kernel and Kext patches" specially if you are going to use iMac15,1 SMBIOS. iMac 15,1/17,1 and MacPro 6,1 need a patched AGDP to avoid the black screen. Also make sure that you have CSM disabled in BIOS/UEFI.

Spoiler

<dict>
                <key>Comment</key>
                <string>Disable board-id check to prevent no signal © lvs1974, Pike R. Alpha, vit9696</string>
                <key>Disabled</key>
                <false/>
                <key>Find</key>
                <data>
                ugUAAAA=
                </data>
                <key>InfoPlistPatch</key>
                <false/>
                <key>Name</key>
                <string>com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy</string>
                <key>Replace</key>
                <data>
                ugAAAAA=
                </data>
            </dict>


This patch will disable Board-ID check in the Apple GraphicsDisplayPolicy.kext, if the black screen is caused by the incompatible board ID (which I doubt it is) it might help.

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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actually I mentionned smbios15.1 without patched AGDP, because on my system, from 10.13.0 to 10.13.3, it was one easy way to actually reach desktop.

I know it is strange enough, because at the exact opposite of usual recommandations, but I could not boot with (my usual) smbios 14.2, facing the same symptoms Theconnactic described (windowserver crash, black screen + mouse pointer starting then crashing repeatedly), and 15.1 + patched AGDP would lead to the same situation.

Smbios15.1 is using config2 in AGDP ("GFX0 unload = No", implying the unloading of all other graphics) which in that case unloads nvidia devices, leaving HD4600 alone. (main condition being that HD4600 is still named GFX0)

but that's just an idea to help isolate problems, and find out whether HD4600 DVI output is a problem itself.

Edited by oliveiro
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Cyberdevs
Cyberdevs
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1 minute ago, oliveiro said:

actually I mentionned smbios15.1 without patched AGDP, because on my system, from 10.13.0 to 10.13.3, it was one easy way to actually reach desktop.

I know it is strange enough, because at the exact opposite of usual recommandations, but I could not boot with (my usual) smbios 14.2, facing the same symptoms Theconnactic described (windowserver crash, black screen + mouse pointer starting crashing repeatedly), and 15.1 + patched AGDP would lead to the same situation.

Smbios15.1 is using config2 in AGDP ("GFX0 unload = No", implying the unloading of all other graphics) which in that case unloads nvidia devices, leaving HD4600 alone. (main condition being that HD4600 is still named GFX0)

but that's just an idea to help isolate problems, and find out whether HD4600 DVI output is a problem itself.

Well, hmm, as we all know a hackintosh needs a lot of trial and errors, specially when it comes to macOS High Sierra, Apple has changed lots of things from 10.13 to 10.13.4, for instance if I remember correctly having dual GPU on 10.13 was a mess at first and then with 10.13.1 and 2 things got much easier and with 10.13.4 it got easier.

I guess what you have proposed could work and since you've had a personal experience to confirm that idea it could be better if @theconnactic tries it and if that work out for him then his problem is solved otherwise he can use the patch I posted to determine if the AGDP is the root cause for the issue rather than the VGA output itself.

I know from several other topics that no one has a successfully working hackintosh with High Sierra using the VGA port. Older versions of macOS like 10.8/10.9/10.10 or maybe the 10.11 can use VGA port but High Sierra can't (As far as I know, I might be wrong).

I'm only sharing what I know and we all looking to resolve a problem and learn something new in the process ;)

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Guest ricoc90
Guest ricoc90
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Posted (edited)
On 13-4-2018 at 1:42 PM, Cyberdevs said:

I know from several other topics that no one has a successfully working hackintosh with High Sierra using the VGA port. Older versions of macOS like 10.8/10.9/10.10 or maybe the 10.11 can use VGA port but High Sierra can't (As far as I know, I might be wrong).

I'm using a 17" VGA monitor with the GT 710 on my Optiplex 755 running HS without issues (default macOS Drivers), so I guess it's very GPU depended

Edited by ricoc90
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oliveiro
oliveiro
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@theconnactic hey I just re-checked the config file in one of your first posts, but I find it to be a bit confusing with all those commented lines (the file you attached doesn't include Intel Injection, nor igplatformid). Did you try to recreate a simple config.plist according to the following recommandations ? Then changing only the smbios to 15.1, without any AGDC patch/edit or any Lilu kexts ? try removing anything but fakesmc.kext. One final thought, you didn't mentionned bios settings : you have Intel IGPU enabled, primary, and usual DVMT settings, right ?

On 4/11/2018 at 2:45 PM, oliveiro said:

I'm not an expert with clover config files, I keep mine as simple as possible :

  • ScreenResolution 1920x1080
  • Inject Intel Yes
  • Ig-platform-id 0x0d220003
  • kernelandkextpatches AICPUPm / RTC / KernelPm / Trim
  • BooterConfig 0x28
  • CsrActiveConfig 0x67
  • Smbios iMac 14.2
  • InjectKexts Yes

if you need nvidia webdrivers for your 9600GT, you'll want nvda_drv=1 as a boot argument and NvidiaWeb Yes in Systemparameters, and you probably already know webdrivers have to be installed with SIP enabled. EmuVariableUefi driver is also required.

 

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theconnactic
theconnactic
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Oliveiro, the only non-vanilla kext I have is FakeSMC. Yes, the BIOS settings are correct. I don’t even know what Lilu is: my hackintosh has been stable for so long that I kind of stopped keeping up with the newest develeopments. For example, this config is the one that is working, with perhaps one tweak here and there, since Yosemite (or perhaps before: I really don’t remember). Thank god, this time I was cautious enough to install High Sierra on a new SSD, so I have my main working Sierra install intact - I tried High Sierra as soon as it was released on my main SSD and it was a disaster, so I restored Sierra from the Time Machine and decided to wait a few months. I see that waiting didn’t help: something seems to have changed at fundamental level and don’t have the slight intention to buy new hardware.

Anyway, I’ll follow your recommendation and build a config from sctratch, then report back.

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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yep "Metal WindowServer" is the name of that fundamental level you're talking about. And don't worry, I have about the same approach you have. I keep a dedicated partition for testing, and use a usb key for alternative clover booting, so that my workstation is always 100% functionnal for my daily work including safe-untouched-rocksolid bootloader settings for 10.11 and 10.12 (!)

:thumbsup_anim:

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oliveiro
oliveiro
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my guess about the cpu is your power management is probably not implemented, and windowserver crashing and restarting uses the cpu a lot.

another thing you can try to neutralize nvidia is renaming IONDRVsupport.kext to .bak in SLE. It should prevent nvidia drivers from loading, even earlier in boot process than nv_disable=1 does.

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