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macOS boot.efi developer's thread

Has anyone actually tried to boot macOS Sierra with my latest commit? Thing is. What I found in the kernel is the old fpu switch for SSE/SSE2 but the string SSE4(.1/2) is not used anywhere in the kernel. The SSE4.2 CRC32 instruction is also not used in the kernel so it may actually not be that bad for old hardware after all.
 
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Pike R. Alpha said:
Has anyone actually tried to boot macOS Sierra with my latest commit? Thing is. What I found in the kernel is the old fpu switch for SSE/SSE2 but the string SSE4(.1/2) is not used anywhere in the kernel. The SSE4.2 CRC32 instruction is also not used in the kernel so it may actually not be that bad for old hardware after all.
Click to expand...

I have not tried your latest commit. but from what I have seen the Sierra kernel boots fine on old HW but the problem is i think launchd or some other critical process requires SSE4 and the lack of it causes it to crash and take the system down with it... ether way someone should try the latest commit and see what happens
 
Hopefully mike & peter will pitch in. Otherwise if someone can compile Pike's commit, I can test over the next few days.
 
Here's what I could do: install Sierra on an external disk from my MP 5,1 at work and then test the OS at home on my 1/2,1. I'll copy the installation on one of my internal partitions and then try the boot.efi whenever a new one comes out.

However we can't compile in Xcode correct? Then someone else would have to post it in this thread and I'll grab it from here.

If it's a viable option I'll be glad to help.



Could take a few days before I'm "operational" I'll keep you all posted.:)


[edit] downloading Sierra now...
 
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I've been fixing Windows 7 and installing SP1, so I could install VS and compile boot.efi, almost whole night (it's past 5am here).
Have to rest for a few hours but I report just white screen with apple logo.
If I hold cmd+V then it just freezes there with the black screen and white square where apple logo is. At least no more panics :)

I'll check tomorrow if I did everything right few more times.
 
These are the kinds of people Apple should hire as devs. (Actually, some are ex-devs). We all clearly value the OS (and especially the hardware) more than Apple's current devs do, considering we'd want to do such things as getting Mountain Lion-through-Sierra onto a 1,1/2,1.

I really hope this happens. And, hopefully any other machines off to the side (such as a 2007 MacBook Pro) can run it. We're all grateful for you devs.
 
Pike R. Alpha said:
Has anyone actually tried to boot macOS Sierra with my latest commit? Thing is. What I found in the kernel is the old fpu switch for SSE/SSE2 but the string SSE4(.1/2) is not used anywhere in the kernel. The SSE4.2 CRC32 instruction is also not used in the kernel so it may actually not be that bad for old hardware after all.
Click to expand...
Hello Pike

I tried a while back, with one of the early betas.

I'll have another go and report back...
 
@richgoga , I'm getting flashing Folder with question mark with yours boot.efi.
With mine, I'm getting just apple logo. com.apple.boot.plist has -v in both cases.

Maybe I will build another installer, third time the charm... :)
 

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App Store does not allow to download macOS Sierra on the MacPro1,1. It will be another 2 weeks before I get access to my other hardware to download the installer :-(
I will post results once I have got my hands on macOS Sierra.

Apple may have followed their usual approach and built-in a few checks of SMBIOS information elsewhere in the system, even if the code would run fine (or with some missing features) without SSE 4.x. That means the boot loader may now have to pretend to be a MacPro 5,1 instead of currently claiming to be MacPro3,1 through the Board-ID.
 
just tested the 2 boot.efi files posted here and they both give the same result with a sierra USB installer the boot.efi will load on the mac pro and ill get activity on the USB stick but then after a while it will jump back to the macs EFI and ether boot my last volume or if no volumes are there just give me the flashing question mark (and sometimes pick up on the USB stick again and go into an endless loop)
 
Inspector42 said:
App Store does not allow to download macOS Sierra on the MacPro1,1. It will be another 2 weeks before I get access to my other hardware to download the installer :-(
I will post results once I have got my hands on macOS Sierra.
Click to expand...

Use this tool from http://dosdude1.com/sierrapatch.html (here), then "Tools>Download macOS Sierra"
Make sure to use app store password supplied in the tool.
[doublepost=1474469416][/doublepost]
owbp said:
@richgoga , I'm getting flashing Folder with question mark with yours boot.efi.
With mine, I'm getting just apple logo. com.apple.boot.plist has -v in both cases.

Maybe I will build another installer, third time the charm... :)
Click to expand...

Hmm... must have messed something up!
[doublepost=1474469492][/doublepost]
LightBulbFun said:
just tested the 2 boot.efi files posted here and they both give the same result with a sierra USB installer the boot.efi will load on the mac pro and ill get activity on the USB stick but then after a while it will jump back to the macs EFI and ether boot my last volume or if no volumes are there just give me the flashing question mark (and sometimes pick up on the USB stick again and go into an endless loop)
Click to expand...
Sounds like the SSE 4.1 launchd init is going to be a big obstacle...
[doublepost=1474469829][/doublepost]
Inspector42 said:
Apple may have followed their usual approach and built-in a few checks of SMBIOS information elsewhere in the system, even if the code would run fine (or with some missing features) without SSE 4.x. That means the boot loader may now have to pretend to be a MacPro 5,1 instead of currently claiming to be MacPro3,1 through the Board-ID.
Click to expand...

Just noticed you have two Hacks in your signature... have you tried the Clover route on your real Mac Pro?
This is what we all did before Tiamo and Pile arrived on the scene.
Could be a starting point.
 
richgoga said:
Use this tool from http://dosdude1.com/sierrapatch.html (here), then "Tools>Download macOS Sierra"
Make sure to use app store password supplied in the tool.
[doublepost=1474469416][/doublepost]

Hmm... must have messed something up!
[doublepost=1474469492][/doublepost]
Sounds like the SSE 4.1 launchd init is going to be a big obstacle...
[doublepost=1474469829][/doublepost]

Just noticed you have two Hacks in your signature... have you tried the Clover route on your real Mac Pro?
This is what we all did before Tiamo and Pile arrived on the scene.
Could be a starting point.
Click to expand...

its not even launching the kernel at this point. so SSE4 is not even coming into play (aka its a recession from the last boot.efi here that could boot the kernel.)
 
@richgoga: Thanks for the tip with the tool. Downloading now, however, I don´t have enough high speed volume left on my mobile contract and the hotspot I am using here has very meager bandwidth. May still have to wait until I am back home :-(

I bough the MacPro 1,1 as a backup machine after Tiamo´s boot.efi was available. It is my primary machine in my temporary residence on a business assignment and hence I have not messed that much with it. Just replacing the boot.efi (because of the 32Bit EFI) was the more attractive option (besides having to add a few entries in plists to trick apple´s installation&startup procedure). If I get bored, I may try clover here as well.
 
owbp said:
@richgoga , I'm getting flashing Folder with question mark with yours boot.efi.
With mine, I'm getting just apple logo. com.apple.boot.plist has -v in both cases.

Maybe I will build another installer, third time the charm... :)
Click to expand...

With this (owbp's) compiled version of boot.efi, in verbose mode, I get:
Code: 
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000

EDIT: exact same result with richgoga's compiled version.
 
Last edited:
randyoo said:
With this (owbp's) compiled version of boot.efi, in verbose mode, I get:
Code: 
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000
PIKE: bootArgs->PhysicalMemorySize= 0x400000000

EDIT: exact same result with richgoga's compiled version.
Click to expand...
How much memory do you have installed?
 
richgoga said:
have you tried the Clover route on your real Mac Pro?
Click to expand...
I'm gonna try it (just for the sake of seeing if SSE4.1 is a stopping point), but I'm not sure what to do with EFI booting.
Clover once had option for Legacy UEFI (sort of Apple EFI tribute), but now it's just UEFI or BIOS...
 
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