OSX86 on Dell Latitude C640 - Up and running

[jtmobile]

First off, a big thank you to everyone on these forums, with the help of everyone's posts, I've gotten OSX86 up and running cleanly on my workhorse Dell Latitude C640 laptop, a box known more for what doesn't work than what does.

 

Having run through most of the builds I've found out there, I've come up with the following successful setup that's forced me to apologize to a co-worker who I've busted on for several years for being a "Mac-boy". My goal wasn't to replace my Win setup, too comfortable with it, but wanted to demo it for my (much) better half since she absolutely detests Windows as being too confusing, stubborn and flaky. I think Santa's going to bring her a "real" Mac rig for Christmas, she has yet to be able to break this build and likes stuff that "just works".

 

This has been a real "brain candy" project for me to do this, several co-workers still think its just a shell on 'doz but the "Mac-boy" has checked it out and though astounded it would work, has pronounced it the real deal.

 

Again, thank you to everybody who's posted a problem, solution or question here, every answer I needed has been available.

 

Here's my specs, sorry for being long-winded!

 

DELL C640

CPU: Intel P4-M 2.0GHz (reports in sysprefs as 2.4)

RAM: 1GB

VIDEO: ATI Radeon Mobility 7500 -reports in sysprefs as 128mb but is 32mb

SOUND: Crystal (Built in)

WIRELESS: Dell Truemobile 1450 mini pci

ETHERNET: built in 10/100

DVD: Dell CDRW/DVD-R

 

Build: 10.4.6

Installed from bootable dvd to clean partition, MAC-journalled

Options-

SSE2 Intel kernel and patches- kernel reports (via uname) as 8.4.1

Wireless package

No special sound packages selected

No special ATI packages selected

No extra fonts or languages- keeping it simple

 

Wireless worked "out of the box", Airport sparked right up and asked for a target

Ethernet worked "out of the box"

Sound worked "out of the box" (amazed ME, this was very problematic in Linux)

Video sorta worked- fixed all w/10.4.1 repairs, details later

flurry screensaver- crashed

chess- crashed, works somewhat after the fix but doesn't matter to me

Quicktime- green/pink, area surrounding popups looked right

Divx Player- crashed on load of anything

VLC- crashed on load of avi's

Safari- crashed on certain sites, couldn't figure out what triggered it

 

Build notes:

doing "clean" installs-

10.4.5- could not get wireless to work, Mobility 7500 trick did not work.

Jas 10.4.8- got wireless to work every other reboot, 7th or 8th reboot got boot errors. Suspect it may be the laptop getting too warm as the fan control seems flaky. May try this one again on the spare "test" hd as I want to be able to run newer iTunes.

Uphuck 10.4.9 - Could not get this one to install correctly, 3rd try worked but most apps crashed, couldn't get wireless to work. Tried a wipe and reinstall, no joy.

Leopard- choked and puked on my shoes

 

upgrade install: Interesting note, was trying an upgrade install from 10.4.6 to 10.4.8 and it came up as 10.4.7. That one had wireless but AirPort wouldn't start up noway-nohow. I may have selected a different kernal inadvertently, can't read my own handwriting...

 

From sysprefs-

Apple80211:

Version: 4.2.7

Last Modified: 11/23/07 11:45 AM

Get Info String: Apple AirPort Framework, Copyright 2000 - 2006 Apple Computer, Inc.

Location: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework

Private: Yes

 

OpenGL:

Version: 1.4.1

Last Modified: 5/27/05 5:25 PM

Get Info String: OpenGL 1.4.1.7.0

Location: /System/Library/Frameworks/OpenGL.framework

Private: No

 

To get the Radeon Mobility 7500 working:

Removed:

OPENGL.framework

ATIRadeon.kext

Extensions.mkext

ATIRadeonGA.plugin

 

Installed from 10.4.1 (using Pacifist)

OPENGL.framework

ATIRadeon.kext

Extensions.mkext

ATIRadeonGA.plgin

 

chown'd and chmod'd the frameworks and extensions

deleted and rebuilt Extensions.kextcache

repaired perms w/DiskUtility

crossed fingers and rebooted- Eureka!

 

Software Notes-

Working:

Quicktime (no longer green/pink after doing the Mobility 7500 fix)

Safari 2.0.3 (no longer crashes after doing the Mobility 7500 fix)

Azureus 3.0.1.6

Pacifist 2.5.1

Divx Player 2.0 (no longer crashes after doing the Mobility 7500 fix)

Gimp 2.4.0-RC3

iPhoto 5.0.2 (from 10.4.1)

iWork 6.0 - Pages and Keynote

iTunes 6.0.2 (can burn cd's in cd and .mp3 format)

NeoOffice 2.2.2

TinkerTool 3.8

VisualHub 1.27

VLC 0.8.6c (no longer crashes after doing the Mobility 7500 fix)

Epson Printer Utility2 - works w/network print server

Stuffit 12.0.1

Rosetta Stone 2.0.7

 

Non-working:

iTunes 7.5 (wasn't looking at it, somehow updated itself... had to roll back)

MS-Office 8 beta- wouldn't install, wants 10.4.8+

iLife 08- needs 10.4.9

Toast 8.0- main app crashed

Toast 7.1.2 - crashed on the setup screen

 

Sorta working:

System Preferences- gets some things right, others ain't even close

Startup disk- half the time it only shows network boot, not the disk01s1 partition.

It does boot up correctly though.

Time- seems to be about 2 hours off after swapping the hd

w/Windows hd, am going to try the local time fix.

 

TBD:

Office 04

Toast 7.xx

Other browsers

[w00gie]

Glad to see someone has gottne this to work, and thank you for the detailed documentation. I have two of these boxes and would like to take advantage of your efforts.

 

If I understand you correctly the key was the 10.4.6 build, but which one?

[Richard9795]

How Does Your Sound Work? i have the same laptop with OS X86 Maxxuss Patch, and my sound does not work! can you explain how did you get it to work, or the patch version you used? Thanks!

 

oh, and also i have 10.4.1 (sorry for the double post)