Safe updates?

[canadrian]

Got my IBM T60 running Kalyway 10.5.1, and it's sweet. Now that it's installed, I was wondering - which automatic software updates will break my install, and which ones are safe? Is it ok to update Quicktime or iTunes? Obviously I want to shy away from OS and security updates... Any advice?

[socal swimmer]

Got my IBM T60 running Kalyway 10.5.1, and it's sweet. Now that it's installed, I was wondering - which automatic software updates will break my install, and which ones are safe? Is it ok to update Quicktime or iTunes? Obviously I want to shy away from OS and security updates... Any advice?

 

Security updates may break your install, and OS updates will definitely break it. Other than that, all updates are great!

 

quicktime, itunes, ilife, etc are all just updates to individual applications, and therefore won't break your install.

 

if your hardware is compatible, consider installing pc_efi. this allows you to do software updates with no fear...

 

Expanation of pc_efi:

 

 

The main reason why you can't simply install OS X (unmodified) on a regular Pc is that macs use EFI to initialize the hardware at startup, and PCs use BIOS. Use google if you want to learn more. pc_efi is this magical thing that replaces the darwin bootloader, and uses bios calls to initialize the hardware and pass correct addresses of hardware to the operating system, in a way that the operating system thinks it is using efi. If you install pc_efi, you can use Software Update to update your OS without it breaking your install, and you can use the vanilla (normal, unmodified, retail) kernel, and most vanilla kexts (kernel extensions, provide driver support for stuff).

 

 

it requires modern hardware and a Core 2 processor.

[iScott]

PC_EFI isn't what allows you to do OS updates, it is the vanilla kernel along with PC_EFI that allows it.

[canadrian]

Awesome, thanks! Currently I'm using an MBR-partitioned disk and the MBR bootloader that comes with the Kalyway disc. Will PC_EFI require that I use GPT? Also, will I still be able to select my OS? And what about TPM - if I install an Os udpate with PC_EFI, am I still going to have to manually remove kexts or something to deal with the TMP problem?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but I do get less n00by by the day...

[socal swimmer]

Awesome, thanks! Currently I'm using an MBR-partitioned disk and the MBR bootloader that comes with the Kalyway disc. Will PC_EFI require that I use GPT? Also, will I still be able to select my OS? And what about TPM - if I install an Os udpate with PC_EFI, am I still going to have to manually remove kexts or something to deal with the TMP problem?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but I do get less n00by by the day...

 

There is no TPM in intel macs, and OS X does nothing with TPM. There has been nothing relating to TPM since the days of the intel transition period.

 

pc_efi has full support for MBR partition disks. You will be able to select your OS, but not all are compatible. I know that fully updated 64-bit Vista and XP are fine, though.

 

I am not sure if your hardware is compatible. Your processor is fine, but I don't know about the laptop part. You will have to ask someone else about that one.

 

Here is an install guide I wrote for installing pc_efi:

 

PC_EFI:

 

*********************** begin pc_efi install guide: ***********************

this assumes that you have two working computers. The "new" one is the one you are modifying, and the "old" one is the one that works.

 

 

boot from brazilmac-patched dvd (or any leopard install dvd) .... takes a while (maybe 15 minutes) ...

 

- to speed this up, go here (maybe, I didn't do this myself): http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=75426

 

while you are waiting:

-download EFI Pack from http://rapidshare.com/files/75234066/EFI_Pack.zip.html

-copy EFI Pack and brazilmac patch to thumbdrive (but keep thumbdrive plugged in to the old (working) computer

 

now that the install dvd has loaded up, choose english and press enter. wait while it is "preparing installation" for about 30 seconds

 

then go to Utilities -> Disk Utility (it is slow. everything is slow)

 

choose the hard drive you are installing on

 

go to the partition tab

 

choose 1 partition from "Volumes Scheme". Choose 1 partition even if you want more. The beauty of GUID is that you can add and remove partitions, like for other operating systems

 

choose your name (I chose Mac OS X Leopard)

 

go to options, choose GUID Partition Table

 

here is the scary part: click "Apply"

 

once its done, find the name you chose (Mac OS X Leopard for me) in the sidebar and select it, then click info. write down the Disk Identifier (mine is disk1s2)

 

**go back to the old computer (let the new one be) and open up EFI.sh on thumbdrive/EFI Pack

 

change to this: Patch="/Volumes/thumbdrivename/EFI Pack/pc_efi_v80" (change thumbdrivename to the name of your thumbdrive, duh)

 

find this: EFI="/dev/rdiskXsY" and replace X and Y with what you got from the disk identifier from disk utility on the new computer (so i put /dev/rdisk1s2)

 

find this: DRIVE="/dev/diskX" and change X to the number you got from disk identifier (so i put /dev/disk1)

 

now copy brazilmac patch to thumbdrive, open up 9a581PostPatch.sh

 

change Patch to "/Volumes/thumbdrivename/brazilmac patch/leopatch"

 

change Leo to "/Volumes/leopardvolumename"

 

--be smart by changing "leopardvolumename" to the name of your leopard partition, etc.

 

now save the files and eject the thumbdrive

 

**go to new computer

 

in sidebar of disk utility, click on your volume and click unmount

 

quit disk utility

 

now plug the thumbdrive into the new computer

 

go to Utilities -> Terminal

 

cd /Volumes <press enter>

 

cd thumbdrivename <press enter> (put a forward slash [ \ ] before spaces, apostrophes, etc)

 

cd EFI\ Pack <press enter>

 

./EFI.sh <press enter>

 

It should say stuff, but no errors. this is important. read through what it tells you, and make sure there are no errors. if you get something like "file does not exist" then check the path names

 

if its all good, continue. if not, fix it.

 

i said "N" to the reboot so i could check for errors. now that there are none:

 

reboot <press enter>

 

wait a little while for it to reboot(maybe 3-4 minutes if it appears to freeze and then pull the plug (no harm done, it will still work)

 

at bios post, choose boot disk (means pressing F12 for me), and choose the volume with leopard on it

 

if everything is as it should be, you will get this: "System config file 'blahblahblah' not found". This is GOOD! if you get "verifying DMI Pool Data" and it hangs, you are in bad shape. make sure you didn't miss any steps, or screw them up. Use common sense, i MAY have missed something (lol haha). if your good, move on.

 

*********************** end pc_efi install guide: ***********************