MSI nVidia 7600GS 256Mb AGP

[Eddie Turfboer]

This thread is about installing a nVidia 7600GS card in Mac OS X (VenID=0x10de;DevID=0x02e1;RevID=0x00a2;PCIID=0x02e110de). I am a noob myself in doing operation system tweaking, however I find it very interesting to get Mac OS X working on my 'normal' pc.

 

First some tips when you are working with kext's in Mac OS X:

• Always keep a copy of your edited kext. Preferably in a 'know' location (for instance the desktop)
  
• Edit one kext at a time. If you suspect that kext are influences eachother it is aloud, although not recommended.
  
• Although you can drag kext in the extentions folder and repair permissions it is generally easier to use the terminal. Not only you do not have to repair permissions, te comands are the same if the graphical interface does not comes up anymore.
  
• To load kexts into the extensions folder use: "sudo -R /the/dir/of/the/kext/with/removed/last/back/slash /System/Library/Extensions/"
  
• To reboot use "reboot" in the terminal
  
• When typing in the terminal, use the Tab-key. Tab once (supposed to have a letter) terminal fills al the letters it can upon it has the full file or there are two or more files with that beginning. Tab twice gives a list of all the files mentioned at that location with the typed starting.
  
• Edit files using nano in the command line. "sudo nano /System/Library/Extension/****.kext/Content/Info.plist"
  
• If you have edited a kext boot using "-v". If you do you do not have to boot twice to see if it loads and why it does not (otherwise you first boot and see that it locks up, then reboot using -v why it does; now if it does not lockup it still starts)
  
• If there is a system lockup, press F8 on the bootloader and boot in single user mode, that is with "-s". Mount the file system by: "mount -uw /". You can now use your already known commands.
  
• Change you folder using "cd /the/folders/here/"
  
• Copy files or folders using "cp -r /source/ /destination/". The difference between the command for files and folders is this: use ".../****.kext/" for copy the folder and ".../****.kext" to copy the content of the folder (not the folder itself))
  
• Remove files or folders: "rm -R /folder/"
  

What I did for my card (doing one step at the time, with reboots and seing what happens):

• Boot normally and download a copy off all files you think you need (Natit, Titan, MacVidia, AGPGart, etc.) to your desktop and extract them so you have all the kext files you need.
  
• Set graphic card in the bios to 128 Mb.
  
• Copy AGPGart to the extentions folder (use the 2.1 while the 2.2 version does not work) - reboot - done (Bus = AGP)
  
• Copy Natit to the extentions folder (use the Natit_edited) - reboot - lockup - boot with "-v" - boot with "-s" - edit kext using nano (<key>IOPCIMatch</key>) - lockup - boot with "-s" - remove Natit
  
• edit GeForce.kext using nano (<key>IOPCIMatch</key>) - reboot - done
  
• edit NVDARESMAN.kext using nano (<key>IOPCIMatch</key>) - reboot - lockup - Wierd one this one, the only thing that is working is when you do add "&0xffffffff" to your PCIID so it becomes "0x02e110de&0xffffffff". I read that the add thread
  
• edit NVDANV40Hal.kext using nano (<key>IOPCIMatch</key>) - reboot - done
  
• Copy Natit to the extentions folder (use the Natit_edited) - reboot - lockup - boot with "-v" - boot with "-s" - edit kext using nano (<key>IOPCIMatch</key>) - reboot - done
  

Well all looks good, but there are some issues, AGP is available and Natit gecognises the card as being the correct one, but:

• QE is not available
  
• CI is not available
  
• Resolution is not changable and only default is available
  

So tried MacVidia, with and without and Natit. Keep getting the followning error "NVDriver(1.0.81)@300e8000"& "@0x300d7000" Panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001A3129): Unresolved kernel trap (CPU,0=devide error)"

 

My gues is that although NVDARESMAN is not giving an error it is infact not loaded correctly.

[Eddie Turfboer]

Well, I have it working now, what I did:

-Added Natut_edited.kext using sudo cp -R

-Added the IPPCIMatch of GEFORCE.KEXT, NVDARESMAN.KEXT, NVDANV40Hal.kext and Natit.kext. 0x02e110de.

-Rebooted

-Fouund that my dvi screen was turning to sleep mode when the login window should appear

-Connected (the same monitor) with bot the dvi and the analog cable

-Booted correctly (dual screen available)

-Shut down (no edit made in OS X)

-Removed the analog cable

-Boot in OS X with DVI

 

Well, there it was, including QE and CI supported.