What is your MacOS with the exact version number?
Works for me on Sierra 10.12 (not 10.12.1, 10.12.2, etc - only 10.12)
When I discovered in my tests that
agc=0 did not need to move AMDRadeonX3000.kext, then I thought it would be easier.
AMDRadeonX3000.kext inside /System/Library/Extensions -> no freeze Macbook Pro 2011.
Unfortunately Apple changed something in the Sierra and HighSierra that this was no longer possible.
Now the message in boot verbose is "
Boot to IG: policy disable!". It is inside AppleMuxControl.kext -> AppleMuxControl executable file.
Now, you need to move AMDRadeonX3000.kext to /System/Library/Extensions-off/ -> not freeze Macbook Pro on boot.
IG = Integrated GPU / Intel GPU.
agc=0 and agc=9 -> power off AMD GPU after login and load AMDRadeonX3000.kext.
agc=1, agc=2, agc=3, agc=4, agc=5, agc=6, agc=7, agc=8 -> do not power off AMD GPU after login and load AMDRadeonX3000.kext.
Unfortunately this
agc option is not documented and we have to walk in the dark to know what it does exactly.
In the discussions.apple.com post, user Linc Davis makes a "guess". But it does not mean that
agc is connected with the GPU switch.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7295722
If you use HighSierra then you can use the
AGDCDiagnose command to see if your AMD GPU has been turned off.
IG = Integrate GPU / Intel GPU
EG = Discrete GPU / AMD ou Nvidia
IG = 0 -> power state on
EG = 0 -> power state on
EG = 6 -> power state off
Code:
/System/Library/Extensions/AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/MacOS/AGDCDiagnose -a | grep -i Power
IG: FB0:on FB1:N/A FB2:N/A 3D:idle HDA:N/A Power:on
EG: FB0:off FB1:off FB2:off 3D:idle HDA:idle Power:off
Policy:off GPUPowerDown:on Backlight Control:on Recovery:on
Power State Machine IG: 0 EG: 6
El Capitan and Sierra:
One of the best app is the
Istat Menu that shows the system temperature and GPU temperature.
If the GPU temperature drops to zero or 5 degrees Celsius after load AMDRadeonX3000.kext, then the AMD GPU has been turned off.
The temperature of the system can vary greatly depending on the weather.
Unfortunately I do not have an external GPU. HighSierra 10.12.4 has External GPU support.
It would be interesting to do a test to see if an external GPU works on the Thunderbolt port (Macbook Pro 2011).
Macbook Pro 2011 - HighSierra 10.12.4 - test with External GPU
1 - gpu-power-prefs to AMD GPU -> Thunderbolt port wired to AMD GPU.
2 - Boot Single User Mode (SIP disable) move AMD kexts to another directory -> not freeze Macbook Pro 2011 at boot -> AMD6000Controller.kext.
3 - Boot normal -> gpu-power-prefs to AMD GPU -> load fallback driver -> no AMD kexts inside /System/Library/Extensions -> Properly install the external GPU kexts -> reboot.
4 - Boot normal -> external GPU connected in Thunderbolt port.-> gpu-power-prefs to AMD GPU -> load fallback driver AMD -> no AMD kexts inside /System/Library/Extensions -> use gfxCardStatus app to change to External GPU -> test HDMI port external GPU to external display and test heavy graphics app.
Macbook Pro 2011 -> thunderbolt port -> external GPU -> HDMI port external GPU -> external display.
[doublepost=1528058890][/doublepost]
fw0 -> firewire port/device
Boot Safe Mode -> Terminal ->
kextstat | grep -i firewire
Normal boot load firewire kexts - see if in safe mode -> no load firewire kexts.
Normal boot - Macbook Pro 2011 - HighSierra 10.12.4:
Code:
kextstat | grep -i firewire
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily
com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP
Kexts FireWire inside /System/Library/Extensions/
Code:
ls -la /System/Library/Extensions/ | grep -i firewire
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Jul 15 2017 IOFireWireAVC.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Dec 17 15:30 IOFireWireFamily.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Dec 17 15:31 IOFireWireIP.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Jul 15 2017 IOFireWireSBP2.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 Dec 17 15:37 IOFireWireSerialBusProtocolTransport.kext
If the problem is firewire kexts -> then move firewire kexts to another directory -> not load on boot -> example move to /System/Library/Extensions-off/ .
1 - Single User Mode (SIP disable) -> change permissions "/" to Read and Write:
Code:
mv -v /System/Library/Extensions/*FireWire*.* /System/Library/Extensions-off/
reboot
Note:
Fire
Wire
2 - Boot normal.
What exactly is the result of your
nvram -p command?
Example:
Code:
nvram -p
bluetoothInternalControllerInfo %xxxx%xxx%xx%fa%xx%xx%x%xx%
fmm-computer-name xxxx
SystemAudioVolumeDB %80
bluetoothActiveControllerInfo x%xx%xx%xx%xx%xx%xx
SystemAudioVolume %80x
backlight-level %65%00
boot-args -v
