macOS 10.14 Mojave on Unsupported Macs Thread

[jackluke]

@jackluke sadly it does the double chime since the first install of Mojave, so there was no software. Is it possible that an EFI update is included in the installer ?
Moreover, when I boot my MacBook Pro (7,1) I've noticed during half of loading the back is gray (cold) and suddenly (when the progress bar is slightly past 50%) it flash and become warm grey, yellowish. Maybe It's because it try to boot with this color but as it isn't supported by our EFI it reboot with the default one of our EFI.
It's just a theory by I had similar issue when I tested black boot logo on unsupported Mac for El Capitan / Sierra back then...

I don't know about double chime sound maybe your original EFI has been altered, but luckily it still powers on.

While regarding the flash/warmgrey/yellowish boot logo is simply routine depending from both patched GPUs FB/OpenGL kext and the /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi required to boot from an unsupported Mac so nothing to worry about.
This "boot color tones morphing" is noticeable from stage2 Boot logo only from Macs with legacy grey screen and darker grey apple logo, while instead on Macs with black screen and white apple logo it happens anyway but can't be distinguished.

On any MacOS there two main EFI areas responsible of general power-on/booting:

- EFI hidden partition on disk needed for booting after the chime and the grey/black screen, it contains the boot loader and some preliminary kext's extensions, almost ever fixable from an external USB Installer/recovery through DiskUtility/Terminal;
- EFI Boot ROM on a microchip printed on the logic board, it contains the Mac firmware, responsible of machine power up and chime sound, fixable desoldering and soldering a new EFI CHIP, or using a SPI tool for reprogramming the bricked one

 

[pkouame]

@jackluke sadly it does the double chime since the first install of Mojave, so there was no software. Is it possible that an EFI update is included in the installer ?
Moreover, when I boot my MacBook Pro (7,1) I've noticed during half of loading the back is gray (cold) and suddenly (when the progress bar is slightly past 50%) it flash and become warm grey, yellowish. Maybe It's because it try to boot with this color but as it isn't supported by our EFI it reboot with the default one of our EFI.
It's just a theory by I had similar issue when I tested black boot logo on unsupported Mac for El Capitan / Sierra back then...

Have you tried tarting up in verbose mode to check out what's happening when you boot

from the terminal:
- sudo nvram boot-args="-v"
- sudo dmesg or cat /var/log/dmesg in a terminal after you are up (cause the messages fly by fast)
- sudo nvram boot-args="" or sudo nvram -d boot-args when you are done (removes the variable)

 

[vmshaneeb]

these should work

system preference, especially iCloud, Printers & Scanners, desktop & screen saver settings seems a bit slow too old, did get the spin ball a few times... did anyone face the same issue..

I'm on Public Beta 3

 

[Ultracyclist]

I don't think Thunderbolt 1 has enough bandwidth to drive the Mac's internal display. It's too bad as this might be a practical solution for 2011 iMacs / MBPs otherwise.

But enough for an external display. Hands down a good upgrade for a more then capable machine like a 2011 Mac.

 

[redheeler]

eGPU's can be used fine with iMac 2011, but because the internal screen are wired to the AMD GPU the screen is not working (totally black) when AMD drivers are not loaded (tested it with Mohave, but Metal and everything working fine on the eGPU with a display attached to it). I have a PCI-E Thunderbolt box, and multiple times used GPU's from my other PC's with my iMac.)

Neither of my 2011 Macs are set up to use an external display. For the 2011 iMac, that only leaves the possibility of an internal GPU upgrade.

 

[L Caputo]

system preference, especially iCloud, Printers & Scanners, desktop & screen saver settings seems a bit slow too old, did get the spin ball a few times... did anyone face the same issue..

I'm on Public Beta 3

Yes well it is on Beta so expect things to not be 100%, some of my System Preferences are slow too
in System Preferences> Displays> Options when pressed System Preferences crashes. So as we get nearer to release these things should be ironed out.
[doublepost=1532093200][/doublepost]I

Have you tried tarting up in verbose mode to check out what's happening when you boot

from the terminal:
- sudo nvram boot-args="-v"
- sudo dmesg or cat /var/log/dmesg in a terminal after you are up (cause the messages fly by fast)
- sudo nvram boot-args="" or sudo nvram -d boot-args when you are done (removes the variable)

I always tart up in verbose mode, it is the weekend after all.

 

[pkouame]

Yes well it is on Beta so expect things to not be 100%, some of my System Preferences are slow too
in System Preferences> Displays> Options when pressed System Preferences crashes. So as we get nearer to release these things should be ironed out.
[doublepost=1532093200][/doublepost]I

I always tart up in verbose mode, it is the weekend after all.

 

[macspk]

When I try to install (on my mid-2011 Air), I'm told there isn enough free space, even though I have 230GB free - has anyone else had this problem or a tip on how to proceed?

Thanks!

~ EDIT ~

I imagine this is because the disk is encrypted - is there anyway to unlock the internal drive from the USB bootup in order to install on it?

 

[vmshaneeb]

When I try to install (on my mid-2011 Air), I'm told there isn enough free space, even though I have 230GB free - has anyone else had this problem or a tip on how to proceed?

Thanks!

is FileVault turned on..?? check if the disk utility shows ur volume as not mounted..

if so, just turn off the FileVault and try again.. this happened on my MBP 2010 13"

 

[macspk]

is FileVault turned on..?? check if the disk utility shows ur volume as not mounted..

if so, just turn off the FileVault and try again.. this happened on my MBP 2010 13"

Aha, yes FileVault is on.

Thank you, vmshaneeb, I'll try again once it finishes decrypting

 

[dosdude1]

Running macOS with the dedicated GPU disabled will impact performance and is a massive trade off just to run Mojave.

Not when those AMD GPUs are complete garbage and fail in 90% of these machines. Even the "new" GPUs I've gotten and soldered onto these boards end up failing very soon after, or are DOA. Don't know why AMD has never made a revised version of these crappy chipsets.

 

[ASentientBot]

I don't know about double chime sound maybe your original EFI has been altered, but luckily it still powers on.

While regarding the flash/warmgrey/yellowish boot logo is simply routine depending from both patched GPUs FB/OpenGL kext and the /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi required to boot from an unsupported Mac so nothing to worry about.
This "boot color tones morphing" is noticeable from stage2 Boot logo only from Macs with legacy grey screen and darker grey apple logo, while instead on Macs with black screen and white apple logo it happens anyway but can't be distinguished.

On any MacOS there two main EFI areas responsible of general power-on/booting:

- EFI hidden partition on disk needed for booting after the chime and the grey/black screen, it contains the boot loader and some preliminary kext's extensions, almost ever fixable from an external USB Installer/recovery through DiskUtility/Terminal;
- EFI Boot ROM on a microchip printed on the logic board, it contains the Mac firmware, responsible of machine power up and chime sound, fixable desoldering and soldering a new EFI CHIP, or using a SPI tool for reprogramming the bricked one

I'm not at all knowledgeable with low level software like this. When you say that macOS installs a firmware update, does that mean it's updating the EFI partition, or the boot ROM? Is this a dumb question?

Edit: So I'm pretty sure that it's not the boot ROM that has been updated. I checked System Information on my sister's MacBook7,1 (that has never been updated past Sierra) and the Boot ROM Version is the exact same as my MacBook7,1 with Mojave. (MB71.003F.B00) So it must be that the EFI partition on the hard drive has been updated. I'm going to investigate that.

Edit 2: I... can't mount my EFI partition. What the heck? Not sure what's going on, but having a maybe-corrupt EFI partition could easily explain this.

 

[jackluke]

I'm not at all knowledgeable with low level software like this. When you say that macOS installs a firmware update, does that mean it's updating the EFI partition, or the boot ROM? Is this a dumb question?

To me both, but the most dangerous is without doubt the EFI Boot ROM.

I take this opportunity to say that I have disassembled my bricked MacbookAir2,1
And connected the LIF internal SSD to an USB adapter and the drive is perfectly working.
I have done to save from /Users/ the original binary firmware backup to another safe location.

Also I have found inside the disk exactly in /tmp/ root folder some logs of the APFS ROM Patcher, the main part of them dump/patch/write says only "done"
while inside the chiptype.log there is the EFI MX Chip ID: MX25L3206E

Looking back to my bricked logic board I've seen that physically my EFI MX Chip had instead printed on it this other ID: MX25L3205DZNI

Wanted ask to dosdude1 if this could be the reason cause ROM patching failed

And maybe if I find a way to reflash the EFI CHIP with the MacBookAir2,1_backup.bin taken from the APFS ROM Patcher, the machine will work again?

Because some selling pre-programmed Macronix EFI CHIP for A1304 logic board 820-2375-A, but I think it could not work cause my logic board maybe requires his original serial numbers.

I have already inspected with an Hex Editor the bin backup and the logic board serial numbers inside the bin appear correct.



EDIT:

ASentientBot I confirm I have never used Mojave Patcher and I do have your same BOOT Rom
MB71.003F.B00 on Macbook7,1 with High Sierra 10.13.6, so your issue should be the EFI partition or other.

 

[Luckygreek]

I'm not at all knowledgeable with low level software like this. When you say that macOS installs a firmware update, does that mean it's updating the EFI partition, or the boot ROM? Is this a dumb question?

Edit: So I'm pretty sure that it's not the boot ROM that has been updated. I checked System Information on my sister's MacBook7,1 (that has never been updated past Sierra) and the Boot ROM Version is the exact same as my MacBook7,1 with Mojave. (MB71.003F.B00) So it must be that the EFI partition on the hard drive has been updated. I'm going to investigate that.

Edit 2: I... can't mount my EFI partition. What the heck? Not sure what's going on, but having a maybe-corrupt EFI partition could easily explain this.

It would appear that Boot ROM & Revision is the same for High Sierra & Mojave, on the same Mac, to this point, as far as I can tell.
2010 iMac
HS X231600
Mojave X231600
Boot ROM is the same,
IM112.005D.BOO >HS & Mojave

 

[dosdude1]

To me both, but the most dangerous is without doubt the EFI Boot ROM.

I take this opportunity to say that I have disassembled my bricked MacbookAir2,1
And connected the LIF internal SSD to an USB adapter and the drive is perfectly working.
I have done to save from /Users/ the original binary firmware backup to another safe location.

Also I have found inside the disk exactly in /tmp/ root folder some logs of the APFS ROM Patcher, the main part of them dump/patch/write says only "done"
while inside the chiptype.log there is the EFI MX Chip ID: MX25L3206E

Looking back to my bricked logic board I've seen that physically my EFI MX Chip had instead printed on it this other ID: MX25L3205DZNI

Wanted ask to dosdude1 if this could be the reason cause ROM patching failed

And maybe if I find a way to reflash the EFI CHIP with the MacBookAir2,1_backup.bin taken from the APFS ROM Patcher, the machine will work again?

Because some selling pre-programmed Macronix EFI CHIP for A1304 logic board 820-2375-A, but I think it could not work cause my logic board maybe requires his original serial numbers.

I have already inspected with an Hex Editor the bin backup and the logic board serial numbers inside the bin appear correct.



EDIT:

ASentientBot I confirm I have never used Mojave Patcher and I do have your same BOOT Rom
MB71.003F.B00 on Macbook7,1 with High Sierra 10.13.6, so your issue should be the EFI partition or other.

Ah, THAT'S what the issue is! It's not detecting the EEPROM correctly in same cases. I'll fix this, and then the tool should work 100% of the time.

 

[jackluke]

Ah, THAT'S what the issue is! It's not detecting the EEPROM correctly in same cases. I'll fix this, and then the tool should work 100% of the time.

Do you think that the dumping backup of MacBookAir2,1_backup.bin has been done properly or altered by the different CHIP ID type?

And using a pre-programmed desoldering/soldering EFI CHIP ROM of another same machine with different serial could work?

EDIT:

I missed a part the full EFI Macronix CHIP ID IS: MX25L3205DZNI-12G
The -12G is wrapped down onto the next line on printed chip.

 

[dosdude1]

Do you think that the dumping backup of MacBookAir2,1_backup.bin has been done properly or altered by the different CHIP ID type?

And using a pre-programmed desoldering/soldering EFI CHIP ROM of another same machine with different serial could work?

EDIT:

I missed a part the full EFI Macronix CHIP ID IS: MX25L3205DZNI-12G
The -12G is wrapped down onto the next line on printed chip.

That's OK, the -12G is not part of the model name. And no, the wrong chip type being detected doesn't affect the dump, it only causes an issue when writing back to the chip.

 

[jackluke]

That's OK, the -12G is not part of the model name. And no, the wrong chip type being detected doesn't affect the dump, it only causes an issue when writing back to the chip.

Clear, another thing, comparing with hex editor the original firmware backup with the MacBookAir2,1_APFS.bin even in this patched ROM my original serial numbers are there.

The other question is, if I buy a pre-programmed EFI CHIP ROM from an identical machine but with different serial numbers embedded into the CHIP, will work on my MBA ?

I really need no more that MBA2,1 but fixing it's just a summer challenge.

 

[dosdude1]

Clear, another thing, comparing with hex editor the original firmware backup with the MacBookAir2,1_APFS.bin even in this patched ROM my original serial numbers are there.

The other question is, if I buy a pre-programmed EFI CHIP ROM from an identical machine but with different serial numbers embedded into the CHIP, will work on my MBA ?

I really need no more that MBA2,1 but fixing it's just a summer challenge.

Yes, it will work fine with your MBA. It'll just have a different serial number, though, obviously. If you want to get an external EEPROM programmer, you can use that to write the original ROM dump (or the APFS patched version) onto the chip externally, and it should work.

 

[jackluke]

Yes, it will work fine with your MBA. It'll just have a different serial number, though, obviously. If you want to get an external EEPROM programmer, you can use that to write the original ROM dump (or the APFS patched version) onto the chip externally, and it should work.

No, it's already too much for me having recognized that faded EFI chip on a 2008 logic board, maybe I will try just replacing. Anyway to avoid other off-topic, will discuss again only if I'll fix.

edit:
Changed my mind, will try external EEPROM reprogramming.

 

[nekton1]

No, it's already too much for me having recognized that faded EFI chip on a 2008 logic board, maybe I will try just replacing. Anyway to avoid other off-topic, will discuss again only if I'll fix.

If you have access to a raspberry pi you can reprogram the boot rom using a clip onto the rom costing about $15

https://ghostlyhaks.com/blog/blog/hacking/18-apple-efi-bypass

has the how to

Amazon has the clip

https://www.amazon.com/Signstek-SOI...D=41GWFV2ywiL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

 

[Luckygreek]

Not when those AMD GPUs are complete garbage and fail in 90% of these machines. Even the "new" GPUs I've gotten and soldered onto these boards end up failing very soon after, or are DOA. Don't know why AMD has never made a revised version of these crappy chipsets.

If you're interested in disabling GPU on Unsupported video cards here are the commands: for iMac
Boot into single user mode & type;

/sbin/fsck /fy

/sbin/mount -uw /

mkdir /DisabledSys/ >>>>>>creates a folder in the root directory of Drive

cd /System/Library/Extensions/

mv ATI* /DisabledSys/

touch /System/Library/Extensions/

reboot

Caps & spaces are essential in above Commands

AMD/ATI Users; you can move both
mv AMD* /DisabledSys
mv ATI* /DisabledSys
Note: you can always move them back from Root Directory to >System>Library>Extensions

 

[SunMac]

@TimothyR734 Do your brightness controls work on your iMac8,1?

 

[Ultracyclist]

If you're interested in disabling GPU on Unsupported video cards here are the commands:
Boot into single user mode & type;

/sbin/fsck /fy

/sbin/mount -uw /

mkdir /DisabledSys/ >>>>>>creates a folder in the root directory of Drive

cd /System/Library/Extensions/

mv ATI* /DisabledSys/

touch /System/Library/Extensions/

reboot

Caps & spaces are essential in above Commands

AMD/ATI Users; you can move both
mv AMD* /DisabledSys
mv ATI* /DisabledSys
Note: you can always move them back from Root Directory to >System>Library>Extensions

http://dosdude1.com/apps/

 

[Luckygreek]

http://dosdude1.com/apps/

Got it, it's for iMac's (us lonely iMac Users).