Guest terry Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 @terry: It seems that either the graphic is {censored}, or we indeed have a "must have partition" situation here My failure, I think I didn't make myself clear enough. For sure the OS loader is an integral part of EFI. EFI is much more multi-layered than traditional BIOS approaches. It is a rich and modular interface between hardware and software. But we're really talking about two different things here. If the EFI OS loader on a FAT32 partition of the harddrive were absolutely necessary (like the rom in the machine), how would you start setting up a clean system with a clean hard drive? Do you see the problem? The EFI OS loader is not a part that comes with your bare computer, but is provided by the EFI-aware operating system you decide to install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrana Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Please start a new thread for this EFI stuff. It has totally derailed the thread, which I was hoping would be more of a person's experience with their new iMac, impressions, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinkadius Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 That's a good plan. Damn I wish I had an Intel iMac here right now to play with!! worth a shot to try renaming it. what's the worst that could happen? :-) also i was going through that shell i downloaded, and i noticed that i would let me boot any .efi file from any media on my machine. i was thinking that when i get home, just rebless that efi folder, boot from the shell again with the vista dvd, and see if i can manually try to boot the efi by specifiying it in the shell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owiber Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) worth a shot to try renaming it. what's the worst that could happen? :-) also i was going through that shell i downloaded, and i noticed that i would let me boot any .efi file from any media on my machine. i was thinking that when i get home, just rebless that efi folder, boot from the shell again with the vista dvd, and see if i can manually try to boot the efi by specifiying it in the shell. Yeah, I think that's what Dave Schroeder tried to do (who I quoted a few posts up) and it didn't seem to work... This document has some instructions on how to burn EFI bootable CDs with Nero: ftp://download.intel.com/technology/efi/d...xt/EfiHowTo.txt Edited January 19, 2006 by Owiber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinkadius Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 Yeah, I think that's what Dave Schroeder tried to do (who I quoted a few posts up) and it didn't seem to work... This document has some instructions on how to burn EFI bootable CDs with Nero: ftp://download.intel.com/technology/efi/d...xt/EfiHowTo.txt i'll try both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradsm87 Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Couldn't somebody run the first part of the vista installation on a PC (just the part where it boots from CD, formats the drive and copies enough files over to boot from the hard drive) because I've heard the Mac's EFI can't boot from ISO9660 Partitions, install the hard drive into the intel imac and then try and boot it from the hard drive with the cd in the drive so vista can continue installing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spanky Deluxe Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Couldn't somebody run the first part of the vista installation on a PC (just the part where it boots from CD, formats the drive and copies enough files over to boot from the hard drive) because I've heard the Mac's EFI can't boot from ISO9660 Partitions, install the hard drive into the intel imac and then try and boot it from the hard drive with the cd in the drive so vista can continue installing? Hmmm... that just gave me an idea. Instead of taking out the drive from the iMac (which is a huge hassle). It does involve wiping your OS X install though, sorry! Anyway, here it is: 1) Connect a firewire cable between the iMac and a PC. 2) Boot the iMac while holding down he 'T' button to start the iMac up into target disk mode. 3) The PC should detect an external mass storage device since the iMac is effectively emulating an external firewire hard drive. It won't come up as a physical drive with a letter like 'E:\' unless you've got MacDrive installed. This shouldn't matter. 4) Startup VMWare and create a new profile. When it comes to telling it where to put the hard drive select the firewire hard drive. Do find out which disk to use have a look in the Disk Management section of the 'Manage my computer thingy' (right click My Computer and click Manage). 5) Stick in the Vista install disk or use an iso file and boot up the virtual machine. 6) Follow the instructions to install Vista and do a clean install, wiping the drive when it comes to the part where it restarts the pc to continue the installation turn off the virtual machine, disconnect the firewire cable and start the mac up as per usual. You might want to do an install of OS X on the mac first and partition OS X to the first 100 Gigs or something and leave the rest empty into which to install Vista because I'm not sure if OS X likes to install into partitions without repartitioning everything itself. Ideally you'd want to be able to have both OSs on there so that you can bless the vista efi boot file via OS X. Actually the EFI test utility should be able to do that job itself. Chances are this won't work but simply putting in the OS X recovery disk should have you happy as larry in no time!! Spanky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b00ga Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 I've been following this thread for a few days and reading up on what I kind about EFI. I *think* based on information that we have so far that you can boot a Linux kernel (and quite possibility take that to a Linux install). kinkadius, since you've been so kind as to be the guinea pig for many ideas, I wonder if you'd kindly try something like what I'll outline might work... - Create a directory in the OS X /efi (say /efi/linux) - Download a 32bit IA-32 version of elilo and put it in that directory (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/elilo/elilo-3.5-pre1-ia32.efi?download) - elilo docss say they will try to load a kernel from the same directory that elilo was loaded from. Get say an install kernel and initrd, say from CentOS and place them in same directory (http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/4.2/os/i386/images/pxeboot/ - vmlinuz & initrd.img) - Create a simple elilo.conf in same directory - something like prompt timeout=50 relocatable image=vmlinuz label=linux read-only initrd=initrd.img - Bless this directory and see what happens If it won't boot from blessing it, you could try booting it from the Intel EFI boot manager like has been posted that you've already done earlier in this thread. Thanks! -b00ga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinkadius Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 I've been following this thread for a few days and reading up on what I kind about EFI. I *think* based on information that we have so far that you can boot a Linux kernel (and quite possibility take that to a Linux install). kinkadius, since you've been so kind as to be the guinea pig for many ideas, I wonder if you'd kindly try something like what I'll outline might work... - Create a directory in the OS X /efi (say /efi/linux) - Download a 32bit IA-32 version of elilo and put it in that directory (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/elilo/elilo-3.5-pre1-ia32.efi?download) - elilo docss say they will try to load a kernel from the same directory that elilo was loaded from. Get say an install kernel and initrd, say from CentOS and place them in same directory (http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/4.2/os/i386/images/pxeboot/ - vmlinuz & initrd.img) - Create a simple elilo.conf in same directory - something like prompt timeout=50 relocatable image=vmlinuz label=linux read-only initrd=initrd.img - Bless this directory and see what happens If it won't boot from blessing it, you could try booting it from the Intel EFI boot manager like has been posted that you've already done earlier in this thread. Thanks! -b00ga i'll give that a shot B00gz, but you might want to check out this thread i just made http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=7168 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Just ordered my macbook pro - i got a shipping date of on or before 15th february. Is this a generic date that everyone has been given or did people who ordered earlier get earlier estimates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalupus Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Just ordered my macbook pro - i got a shipping date of on or before 15th february. Is this a generic date that everyone has been given or did people who ordered earlier get earlier estimates? I ordered one today, also, and was told that they'd ship in early feb and should be with me by the 15th. I think they are waiting for iNtel to ship the notebook chip - as seen by all the other notebook vendors also "Shipping in Feb". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofors Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) I am really not sure what thread to put this in, but it pertains to BIOS booting (Windows XP, 2000, BIOS-Linux and even DOS) on the new Core Duo Macs... Anyways, this would be no problem had Apple choosen to include an EFI-CSM to emulate BIOS in their Boot ROM (System Firmware). So we need to consider adding one ourselves. Apparently, the Gateway Media Center 6x0 uses Insyde Software's InsydeH20 EFI that includes such a BIOS emulating CSM. If we extract the EFI system firmware from both a Core Duo Mac and a Gateway Media Center 6x0, we should have the essential pieces needed to construct a CSM-modified Boot ROM that will load both OSx86 and any BIOS operating system (like Windows XP, etc.). That would then need to be flashed on the motherboards. Edited January 19, 2006 by bofors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltraNEO* Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) BTW... What is this "osx86" thing everyone is talking about??? Did Apple release a new version of the OS and told nobody about it... I'm looking and I see "os 10.8.6" anyway, thought the OS called Mac OSX. And for the firmware thing, well i Hope Apple fits a priority chip on the Mac, and make OS X go lookie for it... so you {censored}'s can't install our OS on your s.h.i.t.e. PC. I think, if you wan to run Mac OS on yo puters, then buy a Real Mac. And why the feck would a Mac user wanna install windows? We brought a Mac to get away from unstable and unpredictable windows in the first place. Kinda stupid to spend more money on a Mac, only to install "s.h.i.t.e" windows? Init? Anyway, regarding the original thread.. I GOT MY INTEL IMAC TODAY!!!, woo!! Dunno know have you seen it.. but someone ripped one apart a few weeks ago right down to it's very guts that power the thing. Striped it naked, limp from limb. then posted it's naked ass on the internet. Oh And I smashed the drive to little bits. also there's a PwerBook that's been smashed.. and maybe a PC! Though, you might have to scroll. The thread's called "Ultra Slim SuperDrive" http://ultraneo.com Edited January 19, 2006 by UltraNEO* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terry Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 ...EFI-CSM... ...need to consider adding one ourselves... ...extract the EFI system firmware... ...should have the essential pieces needed to construct a CSM-modified Boot ROM... ...need to be flashed on the motherboards... Please, STOP that "flashing" madness! You don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about, but nonetheless you continue to spam this board. STOP IT, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John the Geek Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Dunno know have you seen it.. but someone ripped one apart a few weeks ago right down to it's very guts that power the thing. Striped it naked, limp from limb. then posted it's naked ass on the internet. Oh And I smashed the drive to little bits. also there's a PwerBook that's been smashed.. and maybe a PC! Though, you might have to scroll. The thread's called "Ultra Slim SuperDrive" http://ultraneo.com Oh my... I suppose that's one way to make it thinner... It's also just an old Combo drive. You can read in the picture "Combo 8122A" It's probably from an original PowerBook G4 that got upgraded to a SuperDrive. Maybe it was already dead, sure would be a waste if it wasn't. I know people who can't easily install Tiger cause they can't read DVDs... =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest terry Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 We brought a Mac to get away from unstable and unpredictable windows in the first place.http://ultraneo.com Pluralis maiestatis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INFNITE Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Personally, I would NEVER attempt to flash the motherboard in any way shape or form unless it's an officially released firmware. It's just too risky, and there's a good chance you will end up with a dead motherboard. No way. Plus it voids your warranty. Any type of irreversible modding should not be attempted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John the Geek Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Any type of irreversible modding should not be attempted. Agreed. Or encouraged. Apple's warranty doesn't cover ID10T errors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofors Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) Please, STOP that "flashing" madness! You don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about, but nonetheless you continue to spam this board. STOP IT, please! Are you trying to say that you know for a fact that EFI-CSMs (specifically the InsydeH20-CSM) do not exist in firmware? Can you explain how to install an EFI-CSM to boot BIOS operating systems on the Core Duo Macs? I am not encourgaing anyone to flash anything right now. Not only is there no firmware to flash, there is no way a flash anything on a Core Duo iMac yet anyways. I am interested in understanding how this EFI technology works and part of that may involve examining EFI firmware from different machines. Otherwise, I am merely posting ideas that others here find useful and interesting. I am sorry that you have a problem with that, but feel free to just ignore my posts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am looking at Amit Singh's EFI Overview and he says two things about CSM's: (1) "Gateway even sells an IA-32 system with EFI-based firmware: the Media Center 6x0, which use Insyde Software's InsydeH2O firmware. InsydeH2O includes a CSM for legacy BIOS runtime compatibility." That implied to me that CSM existed as firmware. (2) " Compatibility Support Module (CSM) -- a series of drivers cooperating with a legacy BIOS runtime component." Drivers seem to imply software. So, it is not clear to me, but I guess I am leaning towared software at the moment. Edited January 19, 2006 by bofors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrana Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Please use a separate EFI thread like I requested unless you want me to close this one. Final warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Pluralis maiestatis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtraa Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 (edited) /ot Edited January 20, 2006 by xtraa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sHARD>> Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Please cut the junk from this thread. If you'd like to discuss the merits of running OS X on a normal grey box PC, please start a thread in the Thunderdome. My finger is resting on the close button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowdiver Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 you lucky owners of a new imac: how is unibin frontrow working? do you have screenshots or... more? what could be of interest: Applications folder and your Core Services folder (hardrive -> system -> library -> core services) and maybe: BezelServices.framework in PrivateFrameworks folder (hdd -> system -> library -> private frameworks) frontrow runners are out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrana Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) Ok, if I see a single post about EFI, I'm closing the thread. Three of you are ignoring me, and it's getting very old. Or do we need to suspend accounts in addition to thread monitoring? I've deleted a few of the latter posts on EFI after my last warning. Perhaps I should go through and remove the rest, but I thought it started out ok as a decent iMac thread. slowdriver has good questions, keep it on things like that and general iMac questions. Edited January 20, 2006 by cyrana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts