Toshiba A210/A215 Success or Problem Thread

[spybld]

@Hurleyman

!! thanks man! you are the best.... I had given up on osx on this laptop till I saw your success post. Yes I'll echo how fast it runs, it's pretty great.

 

Sorry, the video's not going to happen... best compromise I've come up with is to disable the stretching in the bios, then it'll look good.

 

Wireless, I'm gonna try with this:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=156546

 

It looks like our chips, so both wireless and audio should work. Lets see. For now I'm on ethernet.

 

Thanks again... you all rule.

[Hurleyman]

spybld - The guide you posted was the best one I could find as well. On my first attempt I followed his guide exactly and couldn't get anything. I remembered a trick from somewhere where you open safari and it gives you an error on the network connection so you go through the little network wizard and it says the airpot card is turned off and it will automatically turn it on. So I did that and it worked Kismac came up with all the surrounding networks and I logged into mine and it worked perfectly. Reboot and and nothing even tried the safari trick and still nothing. I can reboot 10 times and be lucky to get it once. I am convinced the problem is with Kismac so I have given up on the wireless for now. Not sure why it works for some but most of what I have read kismac is so unreliable.

 

I also came to the same conclusion as you with the video card its going to be a while before that gets resolved.

 

I am still searching for both graphics and wireless solutions but for now it works and I am happy with that. I do have my audio working fine. I think I used the Azalia driver on install instead of the default one. You can boot to the disk and install it without having to reinstall everything just make sure its the only thing selected in the customize screen.

[spybld]

Hmm... I sort of gave up half heartedly on the wireless because I saw some comments in that thread that it depends on some Intel kernel (not voodoo). But if you say it's sorta working, great! I'll try as well.

 

Audio, I again tried the kexts in that guide, but it's really bad. Sound is fuzzy, and only system sounds work (no itunes, vlc.. etc). I will try Azalia.

 

One issue that's bugging me... keyboard and touchpad only work with ApplePS2 driver installed. BUT, it does not detect taps, and goes into some weird buggy mode where it outputs '2222222' everywhere. I have to restart to fix it. I really cannot stop tapping by mistake.. so i've disabled this kext and am using external keybd/mouse. Anyone have a fix?

 

Keep it up, thanks guys!

[wedgin]

I have an A210-FS1 and have at least had some success in installing iDeneb 1.4, but I can't get it to boot. It will go to the Darwin boot setup screen, but when it tries to boot it just restarts the machine. I'm not too knowledgeable with how bootloaders function, so I'm hoping that might be my issue. I currently am using EasyBCD 1.7.2 to do my boot setup. Is there something else I should use. I have Vista running on the other partition.

 

I attempted Kalyway today but couldn't even get the thing to boot into the install.

[spybld]

Nothing but iAtkos v7 worked for me...

[sideorder]

Nothing but iAtkos v7 worked for me...

 

Would you mind telling me the install selections you used?

 

bootloader:

DSDT?

decrypters

SMBIOS

Kernel

ACPI?

disabler

OHR?

Remove tymce kext

vga driver

speedstep

 

Thanks - i'm having a devilish time.

 

I'm dual booting Vista/OSX, but when I select the OSX to boot it shuts down the computer. I used a different boot loader and I got a 'error parsing plist file'

thanks

[kgriffin]

i finally got it to install and it worked great i have a Toshiba satellite a215-s4757

here is what i did for the install

under x86 patches i installed the 9.5.0 kernel voodoo

installed OHR

under drivers/vga i installed the ati driver

under drivers/system i installed the ATI sata/ide driver

under drivers/sound i tried both the voodoo and azalia and they do the same thing

under drivers/ps2 mouse keyboard i install

i install the laptop battery detection kext

under drivers/network/wired i install

 

Whats not working

wireless ar5007 device id 168cx001

sound is pretty {censored} but then sometimes it works perfect

 

 

I am trying to get the wireless working but i have found that will probably not happen if anyone knows any good tutorials that would be really cool. Sideorder i know your question wasnt directed at me but maybe this will help you

 

edit: oh and i used iAtkos V7

[wopski]

I have a Toshiba Satellite a215-s7414 I have succesfully installed Leo4all version 4.1 and everything works fine but video and wireless and I fixed audio with taruga's a268 patcher and the provided applehda.kext the sound was fuzzy but I turned down the mic volume and it was fine but then it stopped working after several reboots a couple days later need help with video i have ati radeon x1200 video card and rtl8187b wireless tried different kexts and installers also tried running parralels in leopard to try to bridge the connection for windows vm but it sticks and wont let me exit the vm i need a fix please help I just found out about all this hackintosh stuff about 3 weeks ago

[grandslamjmh]

ok well i have a toshiba a215-s4757 laptop

 

i have this same laptop. I have tried kalyway, iatkos, ideneb, Snow Leopard by Hazard. And the only one that will pass where we are freezing up at is one ISO that is called: Mac OS X 10.4.8 [JaS AMD-Intel-SSE2-SSE3 with PPF1 & PPF2]

 

I know its Mac OS X 10.4.8 but if you want something to work you have to start with the basics. Im going to finish installing this as im typing, and then I will find a way to upgrade all the way to Snow Leopard.

 

**EDIT**: That mac osx 10.4 was a total waste of time, you couldnt use disk utility to partition, you prettymuch couldnt do anything.

[ADoNuT333]

i have this same laptop. I have tried kalyway, iatkos, ideneb, Snow Leopard by Hazard. And the only one that will pass where we are freezing up at is one ISO that is called: Mac OS X 10.4.8 [JaS AMD-Intel-SSE2-SSE3 with PPF1 & PPF2]

 

I know its Mac OS X 10.4.8 but if you want something to work you have to start with the basics. Im going to finish installing this as im typing, and then I will find a way to upgrade all the way to Snow Leopard.

 

**EDIT**: That mac osx 10.4 was a total waste of time, you couldnt use disk utility to partition, you prettymuch couldnt do anything.

 

The JaS distro you tried will work, but you need to splice the sb600 kext into the install disk for it to find your harddrive to do anything to it. However there still seems to be a lack of a suitable Ati x1200 QE/CI or resolution workaround, so until that changes it really isn't worth much as an operating system.

 

I would suggest that you try one of the Leo4All releases or any release that includes the SB600 kext.

[grandslamjmh]

The JaS distro you tried will work, but you need to splice the sb600 kext into the install disk for it to find your harddrive to do anything to it. However there still seems to be a lack of a suitable Ati x1200 QE/CI or resolution workaround, so until that changes it really isn't worth much as an operating system.

 

I would suggest that you try one of the Leo4All releases or any release that includes the SB600 kext.

 

I love how you are all trying to help me and all the disk versions you are telling me dont work. The one version that works great with Toshiba Satellite A215-S4747 is {iATKOS v7}.

 

what i did first step by step:

 

1. partition my drive with pmagic (HFS+)

2. CUSTOMIZING (leave everything how it is)

a. 9.7 voodoo kernal

b. x86 ACPI

c. ATI SATA/IDE

d. cardbus driver

e. USB

f. Voodoo PS/2 driver w/ Trackpad

g. DONT CHOOSE video card, sound, or wireless.

h. laptop battery (optional)

 

After you have chosen those and installed. you should be able to boot Mac os x without having to plugin a flashdrive

 

you will want to get these attachments from here to finish getting your toshiba to work.

 

The one thing i couldnt upload was the KisMAC program you need. use google and seach for KisMAC 2.99

IO80211Family.kext.zip

VoodooPS2Controller.kext.zip

Working_Wireless_and_Sound.zip

Working_Wireless_and_Sound_2.zip

Working_Wireless_and_Sound_3.zip

[ADoNuT333]

I still say its not worth much without an actual working solution for QE/CI. Congrats on finally getting it to work. And JaS would work on your system, you just forgot to format a partition to Fat32 before trying to use DiskUtility.

[grandslamjmh]

Will Snow Leopard work on here? and whats the best way to upgrade to that?

[ADoNuT333]

Will Snow Leopard work on here? and whats the best way to upgrade to that?

 

I am not entirely sure. Currently I am getting back into this stuff after 2 years of not doing it so I'll have to try it out myself.

Usually what I've found is if you inject the SB600 chipset kext and the kext for the CD drive into the iso, you should make it all the way to the install screen, barring a few tweeks to the boot. (-v -Legacy...) And make sure that either the install dvd has a package for the SB600 chipset or after install, copy over the kext into the install and boot with "-f" if I'm remembering correctly.

 

Still have to try this all out.

 

As far as upgrading, (try at your own risk) you should be able to download the update from apple and remove afew kexts and use Marvin's AMD patching utility to make it work with AMD. This may or may not f*ck up your install so make sure to back everything up.

If not, just do a clean install on another partition.

[grandslamjmh]

LOL ok so after a week of getting my laptop working with mac os x leoaprd. I download Parellels and follow the intructions and insert my disk to that i can install the windows os on the virtual pc. and when i click start BAM!! kernal panic...

 

So i hold my power button to turn off my laptop and to restart. well FYI to anyway that tries this "parellels" re-enables [legacy usb support] LOL well i didnt know that till i freaked out and wiped my HDD so now i get to restart and reinstall MAC OS X Leopard

[grandslamjmh]

Here is the most important problem I am having...

 

**Battery runtime**

 

is there anything to install that i would be missing?

 

I have tried enough with the energy power saver to get a long lasting batty. But all i keep getting is at least 5 min of runtime when unplugged.

 

How can i fix this to get at least 1-2 hours worth.

[whiteb68]

thanks

I have a a215-s7413. I tried several different times to install the kalyway 10.5.2 dvd and here is what worked for me:

 

pop in the dvd and boot from it

format your partition (im dual booting with vista) as journaled extended (not case sensitive)

continue on and click customize

leave everything as defualt (MAKE SURE not to check any graphics cards - i have x1200 and it craps out no matter what i pick)

go down to AMD PATCHES and check the second one along with the legacy one

check any "free apps" you like

 

cheers!

thanks for this it helped me out alot!!! got my a215-s7422 to work teh same way!

Thanks!

[spy 1]

I have read this thread and some good info here. But I have no luck booting into leopard. I have dissabled the ubs legacy like suggested but it does not work. I have installed iAtkos v7 10.5.7 and iDeneb v1.5 10.5.7 succesfully but when I restart to let the leopard boot for first time I see the apple logo and the logo underneath that. It keeps spinning but nothing happens can I get any help ? Also when booting I see no HDD activity. My laptop is a

 

A215-S7444

 

AMD Turion 64 X2

 

3GB DDR memory

S-ata HDD 250 GB

[justchaz]

ive got a pretty good working install of 10.5.6 on a toshiba satellite a215 s7437 i used the xxx osx86 10.5.6 universal final distro. had to swap out the realtek wireless card for a broadcom4311 from an older hp lappy. as far as actual install, for options i chose:

essential system software, chameleon bootloader (v1.0 w snbios and dsdt override), all essential system kexts (minus smbios efi and ps2 nub), optional system kexts: dsmos, disabler, ehci sleep enabler, smbios resolver, system profiler fix, acpi 10.5.5 kexts, acpi battery manager, legacy acpi kexts, anv 9.6 kernel, atisata chipset, atheros wireless, broadcom wireless, io80211family kexts 10.5.4, toh ionetworking family, open halt restart, clam shell display, anv modified ps2 nub, anv pci family, usb family 3.2.8, another usb option directly under the last one (forget what it said), all tools, no sound or video. post install, with wired lan internet connection, downloaded iopcmcia kext, synaptics 10.5.6 trackpad installer, all available apple software updates minus 10.5.8 combo update, voodoohda w 0.22 prefpane, cameleon 2.0 rc2 (remove smbiosresolver.kext before install), then modified systemversion.plist so system software shows 10.5.8 to download all latest software updates from apple software update (minus 2010-005 security update [which had previously crashed my machine]). and i think thats it i know alot of the install info from the install dvd are out of order, but its all there. i took some fooling around here and there, but i keep a copy made with superduper! on a second partition to mess around w. i havent gotten the system profiler to show everything 100 percent correct, but this being my first osx86 attempt, im pretty pleased with the results, except for the fact that the sound is choppy unless the cpu is really busy (installing and/or downloading software, for example), im sliding my finger on the trackpad, or my lightsnake usb to 1/4" guitar adapter is plugged in. the aforementioned sound problem has been persistent through the various combinations ive tried during the few months since ive started this madness, be it with alcinject and apple hda, or with voodoohda. ive also used the same distro disk to do a dell dimension 4600 with a p4 single core processor, nvidia 256mb gfx card, soundblaster live audio, 2.256 gb ram and so on. that machine runs as well if not better than this lappy here, and either of them run better than any of the various windows installs ive used over the years. neither of these machines are dual booted with windows, tho each did start life as a windows machine, w vista on the lappy and xp sp3 on the dell. im bout to start a dual core dell machine w 5gb ram and some other system specs ive never had the honor of playing with, since my previous "best" processor was a p4 2.9ghz 800mhz fsb HT that i accidentally fried, from an hp media center i found in the trash. hopefully this rambling account will help some others with their installs. any questions, comments, tips, etc., hit me up!

[raecharkenzi]

success with 10.6 on toshiba satellite a215-s5818

 

What works:

 

ati radeon x1200 supported up to 1200x800

 

SATA and ATA

 

keyboard and mouse

 

still no audio

 

I have uploaded the kexts, just use kext helper

A215_Kexts.zip

[raecharkenzi]

I have tried every solution known to man to fix the audio, decided to buy a usb audio device, will let you know if it works

[raecharkenzi]

nevermind, I used idlehalt=o to fix the issue, also voodoohda 2.7.2

[CTX_2]

So far trying to install Leopard on Toshiba A215-A5818 (2GB RAM, ATI SB600 chipset, Radeon Express x1250)

 

I'm using iAtkos v7. This DVD also worked on:

1. Athlon 64 2800+ (SSE2 only, Biostar K8M800 mobo, USB not working)

2. Compaq C500 model 501TU (so far everything works, only wifi Broadcom 4311 doesn't -> switch problem).

 

Basic functions worked:

1. 
   Mouse, touchpad, keyboard -> use PS2 with touchpad kext option
   USB (high speed USB works, external USB HD, USB printer works)
   Battery level display/status
   DVD-RW drive (tested with

Burn)
Ethernet LAN
VGA worked with native LCD resolution 1280x800 using this Leopard RadeonHD kext, no QE, CI software only. Internal LCD display only, external not tested

 

Looking for solutions:

Audio (ALC268) -> worked but still not perfect (choppy, stuttered)

Wi-fi (Atheros AR5007EG) -> not working, this is very hard to work with

 

Conclusion: usable without audio , wi-fi may work using USB wifi. Not as fast as I would like though, I feel the Compaq C500 worked better. Suggestion on wifi USB: Ralink based chip, official support for Mac OS X Leopard available on their site.

 

Will post update if any of those two issues solved. Everyone seems to move to Snow Leopard these days....

 

**Update**

Caution!

Using this option in com.apple.Boot.plist

 

<string>idlehalt=0</string>

 

to prevent audio stutter seems overheat the processor. Setting processor speed to "Always Low" in BIOS didn't help.

[mztriz]

How can I get this to boot?

 

I have the A215 and I installed Leo4All. I could not get it to install without using "idlehalt=0". It finally installed successfully, but I could not get it to boot.

 

After being frustrated with it not booting, I installed windows 7 on a separate partition. What can I do to boot OS X? I don't have a boot loader installed. Can someone send me some directions?

 

I have an A215-7422 and i found that in order to get passed the "still waiting for root device" i had to disable the internal ethernet and shut off wireless before booting the install disc. I got through the install with Kalyway but ran into video issues on bootup afterward. After reading some of the info on this thread i'll tackle it again and see what I can do to get it up and running.

 

 

How did you get it to boot after install?

[grozni88]

just to spare time for all future satellite a210 users: no, it is not possible to make a working leopard or snow leopard.

just don't waste your time, no matter what anyone said.

it is possible to make part working leopard. (no wifi, it freezes, and processor working only when you move the mouse). That's the farthest what satellite a210 can do.

cheers.