[Guide] Success! Install 10.8 on old unsupported Mac

[Rastafabi]

TO get iMsg, FaceTime working, just use Chameleon, everything works fine. Ill be posting some modded X1600 kexts up for Mavericks soon.

First of all: It's great to hear about the close release of the x1600 driver files.

Secondly: Can you just run the installer (Chameleon) while being on mavericks?! Will it keep the system being bootable?... especially if it's not installed internally, but on an USB drive - for testing purpose. Now (Soon) with 64bit MavericksPostFactor could fully support FusionDrive setups. How about those? I'm sure there are guides for this out there, but they are kind of easier to follow with having an actual BIOS... (which Macs don't have).
Furthermore I think (uncertain) the XServe (at least an earlier version) simply does not have the legacy mode implemented with it's efi-configuration (works with clover, limited i-Services support).

What I'm at, is an Installer/Guide to shift to Chameleon (GUID, Hybrid MBR) - Chameleon Setup installed to the GUID Efi partition (which would make it easier to support FusionDrive). Furthermore I think you have to install using Clover, as you can't boot legacy via USB, or you would be forced to setup the installer partition internally.

Just some thought, ideas and questions I liked to share.

EDIT: One more Thing xD what about using clover mbr (bios) rather than chameleon - could solve some Hardware issues mentioned in the previous post, as Apples stock boot.efi is loaded.

 

[hackerwayne]

First of all: It's great to hear about the close release of the x1600 driver files.

Secondly: Can you just run the installer (Chameleon) while being on mavericks?! Will it keep the system being bootable?... especially if it's not installed internally, but on an USB drive - for testing purpose. Now (Soon) with 64bit MavericksPostFactor could fully support FusionDrive setups. How about those? I'm sure there are guides for this out there, but they are kind of easier to follow with having an actual BIOS... (which Macs don't have).
Furthermore I think (uncertain) the XServe (at least an earlier version) simply does not have the legacy mode implemented with it's efi-configuration (works with clover, limited i-Services support).

What I'm at, is an Installer/Guide to shift to Chameleon (GUID, Hybrid MBR) - Chameleon Setup installed to the GUID Efi partition (which would make it easier to support FusionDrive). Furthermore I think you have to install using Clover, as you can't boot legacy via USB, or you would be forced to setup the installer partition internally.

Just some thought, ideas and questions I liked to share.

EDIT: One more Thing xD what about using clover mbr (bios) rather than chameleon - could solve some Hardware issues mentioned in the previous post, as Apples stock boot.efi is loaded.

Why not try it internally. Chameleon works fine. With the graphics kexts, its 10/10 working. Thats for x1600. Not so lucky for those GMA graphics cuz 64-bit kexts are extremely buggy. Haven tested out Clover method yet.

 

[burnout8488]

OK, to expand on what I did:
1. Initially Messages accepted my login and asked me what numbers/emails I wanted to be contactable on.
2. But then when I tried to send an iMessage it wouldn't work (contacts were highlighted in red).
3. Went back to the account settings and then got the error. Tried several times but still got the error.
4. I then quit Messages. I also quit the imagent process (using Activity Monitor).
5. Rebooted.
6. Launched Messages, added my iMessage account and this time it worked without the error. Tested sending iMessages OK.

This is on a MacBookPro2,2, 10.8.4 using MLPostFactor 0.3, clean install.

Thanks for the tips, I tried it and although it didn't work, quitting imagent did make it behave a little bit differently when I tried to log in to iMessage.

I think the problem might be that I downloaded the Install Mountain Lion.app from my 2012 MacBook Air (Purchased from App Store) but installing it on my iMac makes it not work somehow?? (Serial number mismatch perhaps?)

Does it matter whether I create the MLPostFactor bootable ".app" on my '12 MBA or should I create it on my iMac? (Copy the ".app" over to the iMac prior to fixing it with MLPF?)

 

[MLhelp2013]

Issues

Hi i have the original 4gb app in the applications folder but mlpostfactor wont detect it, also is there any way to make a usb install key. Apologies if this is not the right place to ask please redirect me. thanks

 

[mcrum23]

Anyone got a valid download link? All the ones I found were dead and the torrent doesn't work either


edit: alright found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYIptXHXMIg

 

[Rastafabi]

Why not try it internally. Chameleon works fine. With the graphics kexts, its 10/10 working. Thats for x1600. Not so lucky for those GMA graphics cuz 64-bit kexts are extremely buggy. Haven tested out Clover method yet.

Probably I will try, as soon as i get hands on the modified x1600 drivers.
BTW: Does this mean, that any graphical issue will be gone, as it sound like the frameworks were untouched? (Still had one game [my favorite] which did not work 32 & 64 bit - although it ran fine on an officially supported machine.)

 

[Bob Kiwi]

Wanted to post my experience with 10.8.4 and MLPF 0.3 on a MacBook Air 1,1 original model with 2GB of RAM.

- Had a real crazy time getting space for the partitions set, this machine came with a 60GB SSD (when they were crazy expensive, like this machine) and it took a good bit of time to clear out space.
- Had to run fsck -fy to solve the partition making failing, in Single User Mode
- MLPF 0.3 installer app in 10.7.5 is fantastic
- The EFI Boot ML install environment was fine, but rather than "failing" it succeeded and wanted to reboot, at which point it couldn't. Rebooting manually and starting up caused the error boot screen to appear (circle with line through it).
- Boot back to EFI boot install and ran the MLPF patching, then all worked well (had to force restart though).

Only issues I've had stem from making the ML partition too small to work with - I did 10.5GB and wow, that was a mistake. Using Symlinks to offload Mail and deleted/disabled the hibernation sleepimage to recover enough space to breathe (2-3GB). That and removing languages/non-Intel architectures.

I'd definitely make a bigger partition next time. In fact, I'll probably wipe the machine if 10.9 gets an install path, and do...

- 10-12GB for Lion 10.7.5 for install/emergency
- 8-9GB for Install partition
- 40ish GB for ML

The big reason I upgraded, iMessages, worked great. Thanks for bringing additional life years to this machine. The machine is actually for my father, and doing all this was a great Father's Day gift. He's looking forward to Mavericks on his old 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo MBA from 2008.

I have a Mac Pro 2,1 with a non-Apple 5870 with 16GB RAM, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing a MLPF for me too ;3

 

[don.caviare]

Snitching, etc.

Thanks to Wayne for spending so much time on this free project.

Just to confirm: nobody has been able to make Little Snitch work as of yet with MLPF, right? It's the one thing that still prevents me from buying you that cup of coffee, Wayne =)

Apart from that, my MacBook 4.1 runs like a charm under 10.8.3, it's a real pleasure.

(one more thing though: my PPTP/LP2P proxy connections seem to be very unstable, as compared to under 10.5.8... any explanation for that?)

Cheers,
D-

 

[batmanofzurenar]

OK here it goes….

Now the not so good news…

My OS X 10.9 Mavericks install on my Mac Pro possess the following critical flaws.

1.) Sleep issue

Simply put computer will not wake from sleep

2.) No recognition of Blu-ray SATA optical drive connected via the SATA port on my Mac Pro’s motherboard

...and perhaps the most critical

3.) NO AUDIO whatsoever

I have tried both replacing the AppleHDA.kext in OS X 10.9 with the OS X 10.8.4 version as well as installing the widely used “Hack type” solution, the VoodooHDA.kext version 2.8.4 Unfortunately neither of those remedies have resolved the issue.

Given my findings, I can only access that in it’s present state OS X 10.9 Mavericks is not usable for me. Perhaps others will have better results to report after installing or maybe fixes will come along in either future OS X 10.9 releases or newly created “Hack” solutions.

I'm running a vanilla install of OS X 10.9 Mavericks with no additional kexts or patches (except for the boot loader) on my Mac Pro 1,1 with no problems what so ever. (Although I never tried hooking up my blu-ray SATA drive to my Mac Pro). Sound, Wifi, Bluetooth, Graphics, Sleep, all worked out of the box.

 

[batmanofzurenar]

Mac Pro 1,1 with 4870 here. What exactly did you do to get Mavericks working? I tried the method on Jabbawok's site using the Mavericks installer instead of ML, but it didn't work. The installer says it can't find the Essential System Software package.

I've gotten a truck load of e-mails from people asking the same question. I'm going to be backtracking my steps to see exactly what I did differently than others and see if I can write some sort of a tutorials for you guys.

 

[Buddygor]

Why not try it internally. Chameleon works fine. With the graphics kexts, its 10/10 working. Thats for x1600. Not so lucky for those GMA graphics cuz 64-bit kexts are extremely buggy. Haven tested out Clover method yet.

Well, it looks like us GMA-owners re back to square one in terms of 10.9 . It's amazing to think that we might even get Mavericks on our trusty old MacBooks soon. Thanks for all your work (as well as MLForAll), my MacBook is running great under ML, and I can't wait for a MavericksPostFactor in the future

Good luck, and thanks a ton again!!


Noah Budgor

 

[watons]

Why not try it internally. Chameleon works fine. With the graphics kexts, its 10/10 working. Thats for x1600. Not so lucky for those GMA graphics cuz 64-bit kexts are extremely buggy. Haven tested out Clover method yet.

when does the modded X1600 driver up for ML or Mavericks release?

 

[batmanofzurenar]

 

[gpatpandp]

I'm running a vanilla install of OS X 10.9 Mavericks with no additional kexts or patches (except for the boot loader) on my Mac Pro 1,1 with no problems what so ever. (Although I never tried hooking up my blu-ray SATA drive to my Mac Pro). Sound, Wifi, Bluetooth, Graphics, Sleep, all worked out of the box.

Might you recall what version of Chameleon and/or the boot loader you used ? I can NOT get either my installer nor the Mavericks OS boot drive to boot with the same Chameleon version that is used in jabbawok's 10.8 method (Chameleon-2.1svn-r1921) which also happens to be the version that boots my current OS X 10.8.4 "jabbawok" method Mountain Lion system drive.

Also, ANY deviation from my actual Mac Pro system information that I attempt to change or alter to reflect a supported Mac Pro model in the smbios.plist result in a kernel panic when booting to OS X 10.9 OS system.

I am using the information generated from using "Chameleon Wizard"

Maybe it is my lot if life to own the only Mac Pro in existence that runs the jabbawok OS X10.8 method perfectly yet just will not play nicely with OS X 10.9.

 

[gpatpandp]

The current OS X 10.8 jabbawok method does not yet account for the lack of the "mach_kernel" no longer being present in the root of OS X 10.9 Installer.

Try this instead:

Just to summarize, HERE are the new/additional instructions to jabbawok’s guide for creating an installer/installing OS X 10.9 Mavericks (at least for the initial Developer Preview release) on an unsupported Mac Pro 1,1.

What you will need additionally from what is already covered in this guide:

1.) Obviously the OS X 10.9 Mavericks Developer Preview.dmg
2.) Chameleon v2.2 svn r2246
3.) Pacifist 3.0.10

While following this (jabbawok’s) guide, instead of the previously mentioned Chameleon version (21_r1921) you will need to download and install Chameleon v2.2 svn r2246 on your “BOOT” partition as described/explained here as v21_r1921 no longer works for booting OS X 10.9.

Once you get to this step:

“Next job is to copy mach_kernel from MacOSInstallESD to the Installer partition.

In terminal navigate to the Installer ESD with: cd /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ ESD then copy mach_kernel to the installer partition with cp mach_kernel /Volumes/Installer/mach_kernel have a quick look in terminal to see that it’s there with: cd /Volumes/Installer/ then ls . You should see it there.”

…omit it as in OS X 10.9, the “mach_kernel” (invisible or otherwise) is no longer located within the “root” of the OS X 10.9 installer.

Instead you will need to launch/open the Pacifist .app. Once you have done this, you will need to Locate your 10.9 installer. Right-click and chose ‘show package contents’. Locate InstallESD.DMG in the SharedSupport folder. Double ckick on InstallESD.DMG to mount it. Once mounted, you will see a folder entitled “Packages”. Open that folder and locate the OSinstall.mpkg file. Take that file and “drag and drop” it into your Pacifist .app. Continue clicking through the following content folders: “Contents of EssentialSystemSoftware”, then “Contents of EssentialSystemSoftwareGroup”, then finally “Contents of BaseSystemBinaries.pkg”. About half way down the list you will come across the “mach_kernel”. Before clicking on the “mach_kernel” file, find the “Not Authorized” lock icon located in the top upper right hand corner of your Pacifist .app and click it.
Enter in your admin password when prompted. The click on the “mach_kernel” and select the “Extract To…” icon in the upper left of the Pacifist menu list and extract the “mach_kernel” to the root of the OS X 10.9 “Installer” boot image that you created.

After you have completed this. the last step in “jabbawok’s” guide:

“Pretty close to the start is a section headed var PlatformSupportValues there is a list of board IDs in speech-marks and separated with commas. like “Mac-F42D88C8″,”Mac-F2218EA9″,”Mac-F42D86A9″ you need to add your mac’s board it to it. This is specified in the smbios.plist in the Extra as Mac-F4208DC8 so if you’re using that smbios.plist then add that value. close text edit and go back to flat package editor. delete distribution from the package and then drag the one you edited from desktop into flat package editor, then save the package. this is mine with my board ID Mac-F4208DC8 and Mac-F4208DA9 OSInstall.mpkg”

…you will also need to perform this step (adding your motherboard ID) with Text Edit .app to these specific files in these locations within your created OS X 10.9 “Installer boot image:

System/Installation/Packages/InstallableMachines.plist
System/Library/CoreServices/PlatformSupport.plist
System/Library/CoreServices/com.apple.recovery.boot/PlatformSupport.plist

 

[batmanofzurenar]

Might you recall what version of Chameleon and/or the boot loader you used ? I can NOT get either my installer nor the Mavericks OS boot drive to boot with the same Chameleon version that is used in jabbawok's 10.8 method (Chameleon-2.1svn-r1921) which also happens to be the version that boots my current OS X 10.8.4 "jabbawok" method Mountain Lion system drive.

Also, ANY deviation from my actual Mac Pro system information that I attempt to change or alter to reflect a supported Mac Pro model in the smbios.plist result in a kernel panic when booting to OS X 10.9 OS system.

I am using the information generated from using "Chameleon Wizard"

Maybe it is my lot if life to own the only Mac Pro in existence that runs the jabbawok OS X10.8 method perfectly yet just will not play nicely with OS X 10.9.

After opening up Chameleon Wizard, make sure the "Download" tab is selected. click on the drop down box next to "revision" and select "2246", hit update (If you have an older version of chameleon installed), select the drive chameleon is on, then hit install.

The version of chameleon I used is "revision 2246".

as for your SMBIOS I can post it here but I'm no sure if it's against forum rules...

----------

Might you recall what version of Chameleon and/or the boot loader you used ? I can NOT get either my installer nor the Mavericks OS boot drive to boot with the same Chameleon version that is used in jabbawok's 10.8 method (Chameleon-2.1svn-r1921) which also happens to be the version that boots my current OS X 10.8.4 "jabbawok" method Mountain Lion system drive.

Also, ANY deviation from my actual Mac Pro system information that I attempt to change or alter to reflect a supported Mac Pro model in the smbios.plist result in a kernel panic when booting to OS X 10.9 OS system.

I am using the information generated from using "Chameleon Wizard"

Maybe it is my lot if life to own the only Mac Pro in existence that runs the jabbawok OS X10.8 method perfectly yet just will not play nicely with OS X 10.9.

I also have a "mach_kernel" file and "boot" file I placed in the root of my Install drive, not sure if they are different from yours but it helped me get the installer booting without a KP.

 

[gpatpandp]

After opening up Chameleon Wizard, make sure the "Download" tab is selected. click on the drop down box next to "revision" and select "2246", hit update (If you have an older version of chameleon installed), select the drive chameleon is on, then hit install.

The version of chameleon I used is "revision 2246".

as for your SMBIOS I can post it here but I'm no sure if it's against forum rules...

Image

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I also have a "mach_kernel" file and "boot" file I placed in the root of my Install drive, not sure if they are different from yours but it helped me get the installer booting without a KP.

Got it I am in Chameleon Wizard now....

just to clarify...you used a both a "mach_kernel" as well as a "boot.efi" file that are different/modified and/or hacked alternatively to the "stock" files present/found in the OS X 10.9 Mavericks .dmg ?

 

[batmanofzurenar]

Got it I am in Chameleon Wizard now....

just to clarify...you used a both a "mach_kernel" as well as a "boot.efi" file that are different/modified and/or hacked alternatively to the "stock" files present/found in the OS X 10.9 Mavericks .dmg ?

Yup

 

[james1758]

well this looks promising!

 

[gpatpandp]

Yup

Well that has to be it. I am using the same version of Chameleon as you. Performing the "update" with Chameleon Wizard to my Chameleon BOOT partition did nothing. The same remains for me in that I can boot my OS X 10.9 Mavericks system drive ALL DAY LONG with my same actual system information smbios.plist file as my OS X 10.8.4 Mountain Lion BOOT drive though the minute I alter it I get the kernel panic. There has to be something about the mach_kernel and/or boot.efi files you are using that both allow for an adjusted smbios.plist and will properly boot with it while giving you a fully functioning system. I think it is safe to conclude that these files (mach_kernel and boot.efi) need replaced in the installer as you indicated or otherwise the situation as I have related (i.e. a highly flawed OS X 10.9 OS system with no audio, no recognition of Blu ray optical drive connected to motherboard SATA port etc.) will be the result.

...sorry this should read:

Can I ask where you downloaded/acquired both the mach_kernel and boot.efi files you are using ?

Also I misinterpreted your description of "vanilla" to mean that your installation was one of a "Vanilla Method" which usually refers to using only original stock/supplied components and programs within a given process in order to achieve a successful result.

I now understand that the "vanilla" portion of your description more refers to the fact that you are running a fully functioning "vanilla" OS X 10.9 Mavericks OS system on your otherwise unsupported Mac Pro. At least I think that is what you meant

 

[batmanofzurenar]

Well that has to be it. I am using the same version of Chameleon as you. Performing the "update" with Chameleon Wizard to my Chameleon BOOT partition did nothing. The same remains for me in that I can boot my OS X 10.9 Mavericks system drive ALL DAY LONG with my same actual system information smbios.plist file as my OS X 10.8.4 Mountain Lion BOOT drive though the minute I alter it I get the kernel panic. There has to be something about the mach_kernel and/or boot.efi files you are using that both allow for an adjusted smbios.plist and will properly boot with it while giving you a fully functioning system. I think it is safe to conclude that these files (mach_kernel and boot.efi) need replaced in the installer as you indicated or otherwise the situation as I have related (i.e. a highly flawed OS X 10.9 OS system with no audio, no recognition of Blu ray optical drive connected to motherboard SATA port etc.) will be the result.

Can I ask you downloaded/acquired both the mach_kernel and boot.efi files you are using ?

lol that's what I've been trying to figure out all day. I've been searching through my history and scouring the internet but can't find a single trace of where these two files originated from.

EDIT: I got the two files from a "Create a Mavericks Install Drive" tutorial for PC's... although I can't seem to find the exact website.

EDIT 2: YES!!!!!!!! I FOUND IT! here's the link: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/289062-109-mavericks-simple-vanilla-hackintosh-install-guide/

 

[gpatpandp]

lol that's what I've been trying to figure out all day. I've been searching through my history and scouring the internet but can't find a single trace of where these two files originated from.

EDIT: I got the two files from a "Create a Mavericks Install Drive" tutorial for PC's... although I can't seem to find the exact website.

EDIT 2: YES!!!!!!!! I FOUND IT! here's the link: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/289062-109-mavericks-simple-vanilla-hackintosh-install-guide/

got it. By the way thank you for exchanging and the mutual dialogue with me. In this zip file there appears to be only the "mach_kernel" file. A short while ago you mentioned an alternative boot.efi file you used. Is that no longer the case or do you happen to perhaps recall where you acquired that ?

 

[batmanofzurenar]

got it. By the way thank you for exchanging and the mutual dialogue with me. In this zip file there appears to be only the "mach_kernel" file. A short while ago you mentioned an alternative boot.efi file you used. Is that no longer the case or do you happen to perhaps recall where you acquired that ?

You're welcome . It should be in there with the "mach_kernel" file, plus with 2 kext files and a chameleon installer (The kext files and chameleon installer aren't needed)

EDIT: ***** it - both files, if it's against the rules I'll be happy take it down. http://sdrv.ms/19GLlAc

 

[gpatpandp]

You're welcome . It should be in there with the "mach_kernel" file, plus with 2 kext files and a chameleon installer (The kext files and chameleon installer aren't needed)

When I unzip it, the folder only contains four (4) files. The chameleon installer, the two (2) "hack-type" kext files as well as the mach_kernel. Am I missing something or is it possible that is has been removed ? Might you or someone else trying unzipping the file and report what the are getting ?

----------

You're welcome . It should be in there with the "mach_kernel" file, plus with 2 kext files and a chameleon installer (The kext files and chameleon installer aren't needed)

EDIT: ***** it - both files, if it's against the rules I'll be happy take it down. http://sdrv.ms/19GLlAc

Got it. Do you recall regarding the "boot" file if you also dropped it into the root of the OS X 10.9 Mavericks install.dmg along with the mach_kernel or did you place it in a different location ?

 

[batmanofzurenar]

When I unzip it, the folder only contains four (4) files. The chameleon installer, the two (2) "hack-type" kext files as well as the mach_kernel. Am I missing something or is it possible that is has been removed ? Might you or someone else trying unzipping the file and report what the are getting ?

----------



Got it. Do you recall regarding the "boot" file if you also dropped it into the root of the OS X 10.9 Mavericks install.dmg along with the mach_kernel or did you place it in a different location ?

I dropped it in the root of the Installer Disk. I also dropped "mach_kernel" into "Macintosh HD" after finishing the install. You may not need to, but I got KP a few times during boot without it.