[Guide] Success! Install 10.8 on old unsupported Mac

[MAC MAN JW]

I think all of us who own a 2006-2009 mac that are unsupported by mountain lion shell email apple and tell then what we think of not supporting our 4 year old mac that was $1000+ New when a 2006 $350 windows laptop will work with the newest version of windows coming out this year. i know apple is a hardware company but only 4 years for $1000+ i think that is just to little. But i will always use products as i hate Windows. Someone needs to make a Mountain Lion assist like they did with Leopard (I know that was only to fake the CPU speed on PPC Macs) and Mountain Lion assist would have to ad .kext files but it can not be that hard right

 

[416049]

Your thread should be stickied, I have an early 2008 macbook and will definitily try it out.

Thanx for the info

 

[hackerwayne]

Your thread should be stickied, I have an early 2008 macbook and will definitily try it out.

Thanx for the info

Yes, please try and report back results.. Please note that 2008 Macbook has a different identifier as well as a different graphics card - It uses the X3100 and has the identifier MacBook3,1 this guide might not work for you. Ill try it with my 2008 MacBook later and write a different guide for it , anyway, how to get this thread stickied? =)

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I think all of us who own a 2006-2009 mac that are unsupported by mountain lion shell email apple and tell then what we think of not supporting our 4 year old mac that was $1000+ New when a 2006 $350 windows laptop will work with the newest version of windows coming out this year. i know apple is a hardware company but only 4 years for $1000+ i think that is just to little. But i will always use products as i hate Windows. Someone needs to make a Mountain Lion assist like they did with Leopard (I know that was only to fake the CPU speed on PPC Macs) and Mountain Lion assist would have to ad .kext files but it can not be that hard right

I agree with you, if apple change the way they check the requirements in the GM version when we're out of luck. Thats the end for my Mac Pro 2006. As for Mac Pro, no kext is required if you have upgraded your original graphics card to atleast GT210 and above (7300GT isnt supported) I only tested this on my Mid 2007 MacBook2,1 i will try with the MacBook3,1 that uses the X3100 later.

 

[hackerwayne]

I assume you need a modified OSInstall.mpkg to get the installer running. That's what people have needed in the past to get OSX on unsupported hardware anyway.

edit -- Check out the guide here: http://osx.mechdrew.com/guides/advanced3.shtml

You might also just try using the Lion OSInstall.mpkg, although if that Macbook has only 1gb of ram you'd need to modify it for that anyway.

Do that, add the Lion kexts and set their permissions, and cross your fingers.

The installer kernel panicked on both supported and not supported system when i try to use Lions OSInstall.mpkg =(

 

[stewacide]

You could try unpacking the ML OSInstall.mpkg and editing the pertinent lines (adding your system identifier, lowering the ram reqs, allowing i386). Unless it's being checksummed, which doesn't seem like Apple's style, it should work.

 

[karsten]

You could try unpacking the ML OSInstall.mpkg and editing the pertinent lines (adding your system identifier, lowering the ram reqs, allowing i386). Unless it's being checksummed, which doesn't seem like Apple's style, it should work.

i'm trying that but i dont see what to change in there.

 

[karsten]

added the MP 1,1 board identifier in the plists on the InstallESD.dmg but still get the message can't be installed on this machine :/

UPDATE: I got past the machine check- had to edit those plists in the InstallESD.dmg and also the distribution file in the OSInstall.mpkg. Will try to install and will report!

UPDATE 2: After hitting accept it just hangs on a dialog box saying 'checking(null)...'

 

[hackerwayne]

added the MP 1,1 board identifier in the plists on the InstallESD.dmg but still get the message can't be installed on this machine :/

UPDATE: I got past the machine check- had to edit those plists in the InstallESD.dmg and also the distribution file in the OSInstall.mpkg. Will try to install and will report!

UPDATE 2: After hitting accept it just hangs on a dialog box saying 'checking(null)...'

You should use a compatible system to install first, then edit the files.

 

[416049]

Yes, please try and report back results.. Please note that 2008 Macbook has a different identifier as well as a different graphics card - It uses the X3100 and has the identifier MacBook3,1 this guide might not work for you. Ill try it with my 2008 MacBook later and write a different guide for it , anyway, how to get this thread stickied? =)

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I agree with you, if apple change the way they check the requirements in the GM version when we're out of luck. Thats the end for my Mac Pro 2006. As for Mac Pro, no kext is required if you have upgraded your original graphics card to atleast GT210 and above (7300GT isnt supported) I only tested this on my Mid 2007 MacBook2,1 i will try with the MacBook3,1 that uses the X3100 later.

Just noticed that I may have difficulties doing this as a dev account is needed but i will try to get access to mountain lion, hopefully soon :/

 

[hackerwayne]

Just noticed that I may have difficulties doing this as a dev account is needed but i will try to get access to mountain lion, hopefully soon :/

As i said on previous post, you might be able to get it from "the bay full of pirates" i hope you know what i mean

feel free to delete this post if it violates the forums T&C

 

[hackerwayne]

Lol.. Forumer ayilm1 copied the method used in this thread and repost it as another thread.

 

[416049]

As i said on previous post, you might be able to get it from "the bay full of pirates" i hope you know what i mean

feel free to delete this post if it violates the forums T&C

I will try and yes i do know what you mean

Lol.. Forumer ayilm1 copied the method used in this thread and repost it as another thread.

Report his first post (by clicking the red triangle below the username and give alink to this one so his is deleted.

 

[ayilm1]

Lol.. Forumer ayilm1 copied the method used in this thread and repost it as another thread.

You can't claim that I copied something unless you already had a guide on it. How do you know someone didn't use a similar method of installation before you did? My post is nothing more than procedure of how I did it. Aside from that, from where I see it, you installed using one machine and booting a modified install disk. I installed by running the installation on a supported machine beforehand. To be honest, you'd have to be fairly petty and needy if you feel the need to make such a big deal out of a tiny dilemma.

 

[hackerwayne]

You can't claim that I copied something unless you already had a guide on it. How do you know someone didn't use a similar method of installation before you did? My post is nothing more than procedure of how I did it. Aside from that, from where I see it, you installed using one machine and booting a modified install disk. I installed by running the installation on a supported machine beforehand. To be honest, you'd have to be fairly petty and needy if you feel the need to make such a big deal out of a tiny dilemma.

Dude, please read the posts, i have already have a full guide on this.

 

[ayilm1]

Dude, please read the posts, i have already have a full guide on this.

The guide that you added was edited after my post. Seriously, take my word for it, we're not going to find a reasonable agreement to this. It's Newton and Leibniz all over again. Just let it pass and take comfort in the fact that you were able to install OS X onto unsupported hardware. This isn't high school. No one is going to snigger at you in doubt of whether you implemented this first. Even though statistically many more people have probably done exactly what you and I have done before us. What about these people? Aren't we technically taking their credit?

 

[hackerwayne]

The guide that you added was edited after my post. Seriously, take my word for it, we're not going to find a reasonable agreement to this. It's Newton and Leibniz all over again. Just let it pass and take comfort in the fact that you were able to install OS X onto unsupported hardware. This isn't high school. No one is going to snigger at you in doubt of whether you implemented this first. Even though statistically many more people have probably done exactly what you and I have done before us. What about these people? Aren't we technically taking their credit?

It was edited to add a few model identifier as well as a the kext install method.

 

[ayilm1]

It was edited to add a few model identifier as well as a the kext install method.

Ok great, but what's your point?

 

[hackerwayne]

Ok great, but what's your point?

Anyway thats offtopic and i do not wanna argue any futher. Lets just merge the thread k? Any idea on how modify the installer to make install possible without a compatible mac?

 

[ayilm1]

Anyway thats fftopic: Lets just merge the thread k? Any idea on how modify the installer to make install possible without a compatible mac?

Glad to see you handling this like a gentlemen . Hard to find people who aren't arrogant and self promotive. The base installation package loaded in Lion was OSInstall.mpkg. Hackintoshers (not sure if that's a forbidden word) originally created patched disks for the Lion Beta by using the OSInstall from Snow leopard. Perhaps editing PlatformSupport in the install ESD as well as replacing the OSInstall.mpk with the one from Lion, we might be able to get it running.

 

[hackerwayne]

Glad to see you handling this like a gentlemen . Hard to find people who aren't arrogant and self promotive. The base installation package loaded in Lion was OSInstall.mpkg. Hackintoshers (not sure if that's a forbidden word) originally created patched disks for the Lion Beta by using the OSInstall from Snow leopard. Perhaps editing PlatformSupport in the install ESD as well as replacing the OSInstall.mpk with the one from Lion, we might be able to get it running.

I tried the OSInstall.mpkg from 10.7.0 original Lion InstallESD, the ML Kernal Panicked as soon as it boots up.. I tried using a more unlikely way, but it works.. I used the h@ck!nt0sh way by loading a Chameleon into the original untouched installer, and under com.apple.chameleon.plist, i added model identifier MacBook6,1. It boots up fine and installs fine, but 10 mins later the installer itself hang and i have to force reboot it.

EDIT: The Mac booted into the chameleon boot screen instead of the original apple boot screen, and i started the installer by typing in GraphicsEnabler=yes -v

 

[ayilm1]

I tried the OSInstall.mpkg from 10.7.0 original Lion InstallESD, the ML Kernal Panicked as soon as it boots up.. I tried using a more unlikely way, but it works.. I used the h@ck!nt0sh way by loading a Chameleon into the original untouched installer, and under com.apple.chameleon.plist, i added model identifier MacBook6,1. It boots up fine and installs fine, but 10 mins later the installer itself hang and i have to force reboot it.

EDIT: The Mac booted into the chameleon boot screen instead of the original apple boot screen, and i started the installer by typing in GraphicsEnabler=yes -v

Did you check the log to see where it stopped?

 

[hackerwayne]

Did you check the log to see where it stopped?

Will check and report back.. Im adding a few pics to the guide to make it easier to understand

 

[ayilm1]

Will check and report back.. Im adding a few pics to the guide to make it easier to understand

Alright well I'm currently restoring another copy of the installer to do testing on.

 

[hackerwayne]

Alright well I'm currently restoring another copy of the installer to do testing on.

OK, bad news.. Using the chameleon method, CLKernal plugin failed.. which means, Finder will not work. have to get this sort out. pics explaining the problem will be up soon

 

[ayilm1]

OK, bad news.. Using the chameleon method, CLKernal plugin failed.. which means, Finder will not work. have to get this sort out. pics explaining the problem will be up soon

I think the key problem with trying to get the installer booting properly is that after installation, we'll still need to add the ID of the machine to the PlatformSupport list. That is, unless basesystem.pkg is unpacked and the plist is changed from there.