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MP 1,1-5,1 Manually Configured OpenCore on the Mac Pro

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
Just to add to this discussion: If OpenCore is configured with RequestBootVarRouting, anything blessed within an OC-booted system will be rerouted to boot through OpenCore, so it actually becomes difficult to leave OC without taking drastic measures like pulling out the disk where OC is installed or deleting the OC files. In fact, even resetting the NVRAM doesn't guarantee that OC won't start. So to properly leave OC:

1) Use Startup Disk to select Mojave.
2) Turn off RequestBootVarRouting.
3) Reboot (so that the new setting can take effect).
4) Use Startup Disk to select Mojave again (this time the selection is not rerouted through OC).
5) Reboot. Mojave will start outside of OC.
6) Turn on RequestBootVarRouting. OC is now ready for its next blessing.
 
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cdf said:
Just to add to this discussion: If OpenCore is configured with RequestBootVarRouting, anything blessed within an OC-booted system will be rerouted to boot through OpenCore, so it actually becomes difficult to leave OC without taking drastic measures like pulling out the disk where OC is installed or deleting the OC files. In fact, even resetting the NVRAM doesn't guarantee that OC won't start. So to properly leave OC:

1) Use Startup Disk to select Mojave.
2) Turn off RequestBootVarRouting.
3) Reboot (so that the new setting can take effect).
4) Use Startup Disk to select Mojave again (this time the selection is not rerouted through OC).
5) Reboot. Mojave will start outside of OC.
6) Turn on RequestBootVarRouting. OC is now ready for its next blessing.
Click to expand...
OC becomes really sticky even after NVRAM reset. So I run RefindPlus(RP) and chainload OC while BOOTx64.efi is removed from OC and the default boot loader is set as OC from RP. I have to mention RP now can install and run Windows UEFI and CSM without any certificate writes, you can set SIP and the boot arguments from RP. You will have to compile RP from the master branch
 
startergo said:
RP now can install and run Windows UEFI without certificate writes, you can set SIP and boot arguments from RP. You will have to compile RP from the master branch
Click to expand...
Those features are actually included in the last release, 0.12.0.AN, btw ... no need to compile RP from the WIP code.

On stickiness, any fallback boot loader, such as BOOTx64.efi, that is found in the UEFI specified path, /EFI/BOOT, will be loaded by Mac firmware when a default boot loader is not defined in NVRAM.

The "cdf" process flow above will ensure a default boot loader is defined in NVRAM. Alternatively, disconnect the drive with OC, or to be technically accurate, with the fallback boot loader and reboot. In such cases, where a default boot loader is not defined in NVRAM and a fallback boot loader is not present, Mac firmware will boot the first Mac OS boot loader it finds ... this can be a spoofed one as done by rEFInd "OwnHFS" installation.

All said and done though, the "cdf" process flow is more elegant and better for most since they can choose exactly what they want to be the defined default boot loader/target in NVRAM.
 
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Dayo said:
Those features are actually included in the last release, 0.12.0.AN, btw ... no need to compile RP from the WIP code.

On stickiness, any fallback boot loader, such as BOOTx64.efi, that is found in the UEFI specified path, /EFI/BOOT, will be loaded by Mac firmware when a default boot loader is not defined in NVRAM.

The "cdf" process flow above will ensure a default boot loader is defined in NVRAM. Alternatively, disconnect the drive with OC, or to be technically accurate, with the fallback boot loader and reboot. In such cases, where a default boot loader is not defined in NVRAM and a fallback boot loader is not present, Mac firmware will boot the first Mac OS boot loader it finds ... this can be a spoofed one as done by rEFInd "OwnHFS" installation.

All said and done though, the "cdf" process flow is more elegant and better for most since they can choose exactly what they want to be the defined default boot loader/target in NVRAM.
Click to expand...
Whith my setup I always boot to RP after NVRAM reset with 10 seconds delay to pick anything outside OC and then it boots to OC. After that I can change the boot disk through startup disk, which first again boots to RP and after that to OC with a different blessed disk. I don't have to change anything in the config file.
 
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startergo said:
I don't have to change anything in the config file.
Click to expand...
Same for anyone using the MyBootMgr setup but the person that needed guidance most likely does not have such setups. So, what actually applies for them is either to disconnect the drive or follow the the process set out by cdf and the process is the better of the two options as they might have OC on the same disk as the Mac OS version they want to boot into.
 
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very interesting inputs, thanks to all...
as I can't boot at all right now (the machine just shuts down)
I see no other choice than to remove the Catalina disk with OC
I guess I can boot into mojave then again.
question is what happens when I re-attach the disk with OC
(as you can't hot-swap internal disks, i'd have to attach it via usb bay to edit it from mojave without reboot)
I really wonder what I did to cause this behaviour, I didn't tamper with the EFI partition contents.
 
zzzachi said:
very interesting inputs, thanks to all...
as I can't boot at all right now (the machine just shuts down)
I see no other choice than to remove the Catalina disk with OC
I guess I can boot into mojave then again.
question is what happens when I re-attach the disk with OC
(as you can't hot-swap internal disks, i'd have to attach it via usb bay to edit it from mojave without reboot)
I really wonder what I did to cause this behaviour, I didn't tamper with the EFI partition contents.
Click to expand...
If you can boot to Recovery check the nvram boot-args to see what is in the NVRAM. You need -no_compat_check as a minimum.
 
zzzachi said:
very interesting inputs, thanks to all...
as I can't boot at all right now (the machine just shuts down)
I see no other choice than to remove the Catalina disk with OC
I guess I can boot into mojave then again.
question is what happens when I re-attach the disk with OC
(as you can't hot-swap internal disks, i'd have to attach it via usb bay to edit it from mojave without reboot)
I really wonder what I did to cause this behaviour, I didn't tamper with the EFI partition contents.
Click to expand...
This happened once for me. I can not explain why. Here is what I did: Started up with cmd-R. Kept holding cmd-R for one minute. Saw nothing on the monitor. Went for a walk 30 minutes. Stil nothing on the monitor. Then hit shift and was in Recovery mode.
 
Try these steps:
  1. Disconnect the disk with OC
    • Also disconnect any disks with UEFI Windows (Important).
    • Probably best to also disconnect any disks with non-Mac OS installations
  2. Leave a disk with a natively supported Mac OS version connected.
    • Mojave or earlier on cMP5,1 and "flashed" cMP4,1
    • El Capitan or earlier on cMP4,1 and cMP3,1
    • Newer DosDude patched Mac OS versions can stand in
  3. Reboot and reset NVRAM.
    • You will be rebooted into Mac OS
    • Keep the disk(s) disconnected
  4. Log in and go into System Preferences
    • Select the supported Mac OS as your start up disk temporarily
    • Select "Restart" in System Preferences
    • Keep the disk(s) disconnected
  5. Log into Mac OS when it restarts
    • This is important.
    • After you log back in, that selected volume will be set as your designated start disk.
  6. Shutdown using the option under the Apple Icon
  7. Reconnect the OC disk and restart
    • Leave any UEFI Windows disks disconnected to be on the safe side
    • Your previously designated volume will be booted
    • OpenCore will NOT be used even though disk is reconnected
    • Make sure RequestVarRouting is set to "true" in your OpenCore Config File
  8. Bless OpenCore (Check Post 1 for code) and restart
    • OpenCore will be used
  9. Log into Mac OS and go into System Preferences
    • Select whatever Mac OS version you want to be the default in OpenCore
    • Select "Restart" in System Preferences
  10. OpenCore will be used and all should be back to normal
    • Reconnect any UEFI Windows or Linux etc disks (After you next shut down)
 
Last edited:
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sputnickita said:
Hi all,

has anyone else lost airplay support when updating to Big Sur? for me it works perfectly in catalina (I use Airplay audio), but not in Big Sur
on a Mac Pro 5,1 (native) with single cpu Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5690 @ 3.47GHz and opencore 0.63

thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
what's lost? are you able to select AirPlay devices as audio output in system preferences? does it work directly from a media player like Music.app? have you upgraded your broadcom bluetooth card since factory?

EDIT: also, how did you have AirPlay audio working in Catalina? i can't get my HomePods mini (stereo pair) to work as a system audio output, it only works from Music.app (which has been updated more recently than macOS Catalina). i was hoping the Big Sur update would fix this.
 
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startergo said:
Whith my setup I always boot to RP after NVRAM reset with 10 seconds delay to pick anything outside OC and then it boots to OC. After that I can change the boot disk through startup disk, which first again boots to RP and after that to OC with a different blessed disk. I don't have to change anything in the config file.
Click to expand...

One of the nice things about using RefindPlus is exactly this, if you need to boot to say Mojave without OC...so that you can fix OC...for example...you don't have to clear NVRAM, usually, don't have to change the bless stuff, etc.. you just use RefindPlus to choose the volume to boot that isn't OC...I'm very much a huge fan of using the chain loader approach...and this is one of several reasons why.
 
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Dayo said:
Try these steps:
  1. Disconnect the disk with OC
    • Also disconnect any disks with UEFI Windows (Important).
    • Probably best to disconnect any disks with non-Mac OS installations
  2. Leave a disk with a natively supported Mac OS version connected.
    • Mojave or earlier on cMP5,1 and "flashed" cMP 4,1
    • El Capitan or earlier on "unflashed" cMP 4,1 and cMP3,1
  3. Reboot and reset NVRAM.
    • You will be rebooted into Mac OS
      • Keep the disk(s) disconnected
    • Log in and go into System Preferences
    • Select the supported Mac OS as your start up disk temporarily
    • Select "Restart" in System Preferences
      • Keep the disk(s) disconnected
  4. Log into Mac OS when it restarts
    • This is important.
    • After you log back in, that selected volume will be set as your designated start disk.
  5. Shutdown using the option under the Apple Icon
  6. Reconnect the OC disk and restart
    • Leave any UEFI Windows disks disconnected to be on the safe side
    • Your previously designated volume will be booted
    • OpenCore will NOT be used even though disk is reconnected
  7. Make sure RequestVarRouting is set to "true" in your OpenCore Config File
  8. Bless OpenCore (Check Post 1 for code) and restart
    • OpenCore will be used
  9. Log into Mac OS and go into System Preferences
    • Select whatever Mac OS version you want to be the default in OpenCore
    • Select "Restart" in System Preferences
  10. OpenCore will be used and all should be back to normal
    • Reconnect any UEFI Windows or Linux etc disks (After you next shut down)
Click to expand...
I vote to add a troubleshooting chapter to wiki #1 with this.
 
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Hello,

I just have this small question: can the DeviceProperties function also mark multiple SSDs connected via a single PCI card as internal?

For example, I use the Sonnet Fusion 4x4 via the x16 slot and would like to make all four SSDs internal.

I picked the path of ONE of the SSDs to test, but I am shown this two line path?
(Are two lanes always combined with this PCI card?)

Code: 
07:00.0 c0a9:2263 /PCI0@0/IOU0@3/PXS1@0/pci-bridge@8/pcic0a9,2263@0 = PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)
08:00.0 c0a9:2263 /PCI0@0/IOU0@3/PXS1@0/pci-bridge@9/pcic0a9,2263@0 = PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x9,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)

In the example this is only shown with one PCIRoot line.

Unfortunately I have no idea about such commands and wonder if this works with this path or rather how this has to look like with two lines?
 
xy-maps said:
Hello,

I just have this small question: can the DeviceProperties function also mark multiple SSDs connected via a single PCI card as internal?

For example, I use the Sonnet Fusion 4x4 via the x16 slot and would like to make all four SSDs internal.

I picked the path of ONE of the SSDs to test, but I am shown this two line path?
(Are two lanes always combined with this PCI card?)

Code: 
07:00.0 c0a9:2263 /PCI0@0/IOU0@3/PXS1@0/pci-bridge@8/pcic0a9,2263@0 = PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)
08:00.0 c0a9:2263 /PCI0@0/IOU0@3/PXS1@0/pci-bridge@9/pcic0a9,2263@0 = PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x9,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)

In the example this is only shown with one PCIRoot line.

Unfortunately I have no idea about such commands and wonder if this works with this path or rather how this has to look like with two lines?
Click to expand...
I only have two disks. Look here for how I configured it.
 
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jackfennimore said:
what's lost? are you able to select AirPlay devices as audio output in system preferences? does it work directly from a media player like Music.app? have you upgraded your broadcom bluetooth card since factory?

EDIT: also, how did you have AirPlay audio working in Catalina? i can't get my HomePods mini (stereo pair) to work as a system audio output, it only works from Music.app (which has been updated more recently than macOS Catalina). i was hoping the Big Sur update would fix this.
Click to expand...
in big sur, there's simply no airplay option anywhere in the OS: not from the volume icon in the top bar, no screen mirroring option in the system prefs panel, not available from spotify/music.app, it's just gone. My bluetooth/wifi card has not been upgraded

In catalina, it works out of the box on my machine, using either dosdude or opencore. I can select an airplay audio output directly by clicking on the speaker audio in the top bar.
 
As a follow up to my yesterdays problems ...

Removing the disk allowed me to reboot into Mojave again
I re-attached the Catalina (OC'ed) disk and it still booted into Mojave (no bootpicker)
Both of these commands showed "Error getting variable ... " :
nvram 4D1FDA02-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B30102:eek:pencore-version
nvram boot-args

I was not sure but assumed, that OC was disabled and RequestBootVarRouting inactive.
So I just booted into recovery, blessed the Catalina disk and all seems to work fine again!
The disks now also show the correct names without using disklabel, the EFI partition is not visible.
thank you all for your help!

but if I may, two more questions :

1) my EFI/APPLE folder on the Catalina disk contains
EFI/APPLE/EXTENSIONS/Firmware.scap
EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE/EfiUpdaterApp2.efi
EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE/MP51.fd
does anybody know if that stuff is still active, or is it a just residue from a system update?

2) before that OC Catalina venture I used Sierra (not High Sierra!) on this Mac Pro 5,1
now if i select Sierra in the boot picker, the machine crashes in the middle of the boot process
I guess OC is incompatible with Sierra? or is there a way to OC boot into Sierra, too?

MacPro 5,1 (2012) with OC 0.65
 
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Okay, banging my head against the wall here guys. I have 10 Mac Pros (natural 5,1 and 4,1-5,1) active in my office right now - out of a hundred or so Macs I support. Many were migrated from existing Macs. There is a Mix of Mojave and Catalina (all updated to latest release).

Hardware Specs are:
Dual X5650
Biotech RX550 (binned 560 versions)
32GB DDR3 1333MHz - 2x 16GB Nemix
Adata SU760 512GB - OpenCore 0.6.2/OS Drive
Seagate Constellation 3TB - Time Machine drive

These are all having random hangs/crashes. No KP - and system logs don't show anything of note. They definitely don't like waking from sleep - a lot of users report issues with that - but this morning pulling them up with Remote Desktop I had several that just died once I pulled up the batch of them to observe.

I have set them all to not sleep and not display sleep. I have unloaded com.apple.mdworker.shared.plist from LaunchAgents as it was spamming the logs and I thought that might have been the culprit.

Machines that do not have OpenCore installed and are running just with the DosDude1 patcher are fine. I have one with 70 days uptime and another with 17 days that I know was restarted on purpose.

I have a CMP at home with identical setup, also running OpenCore and Mojave and it has 0 issues. The only difference I can think of is that the machines at the office have the internal Time Machine drive, while mine at home does not.

Help me Obi Wan...
 
I have started to lose devices during on my add-on USB 3 card like an audio device. I don't remember this being the case with earlier version of OpenCore.
--> Reverting to OpenCore 0.6.4 solved the issue.
 
zzzachi said:
1) my EFI/APPLE folder on the Catalina disk contains
EFI/APPLE/EXTENSIONS/Firmware.scap
EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE/EfiUpdaterApp2.efi
EFI/APPLE/FIRMWARE/MP51.fd
does anybody know if that stuff is still active, or is it a just residue from a system update?
Click to expand...
No use, you can remove them. If you have concern, you can move them to backup, just few small files anyway.

zzzachi said:
2) before that OC Catalina venture I used Sierra (not High Sierra!) on this Mac Pro 5,1
now if i select Sierra in the boot picker, the machine crashes in the middle of the boot process
I guess OC is incompatible with Sierra? or is there a way to OC boot into Sierra, too?
Click to expand...
Check your settings, disable unnecessary kexts injection in Sierra (e.g. via the min MinKernel)
 
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sputnickita said:
in big sur, there's simply no airplay option anywhere in the OS: not from the volume icon in the top bar, no screen mirroring option in the system prefs panel, not available from spotify/music.app, it's just gone. My bluetooth/wifi card has not been upgraded

In catalina, it works out of the box on my machine, using either dosdude or opencore. I can select an airplay audio output directly by clicking on the speaker audio in the top bar.
Click to expand...
hmmm. i wish i could test. user Dayo says OC method instructions should be updated for Big Sur in the next few weeks, so i'll wait for that before i check it out.
 
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Anyone an idea why i get 2x Mojave in the boot picker?
one shows the stop sign immediately, one boots fine.
 
Mark 4 SSDs on Sonnet Fusion 4x4 PCI card as internal

paalb said:
I only have two disks. Look here for how I configured it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the hint! Has worked! One SSD path is always split into two (so if you search for one SSD, the second one from the same "pair" is always shown).
If you have the paths of both pairs (2x 2 SSDs), you have to enter them all individually as usual.

Here as an example for those who face the same challenge:
Code: 
<key>DeviceProperties</key>
    <dict>
        <key>Add</key>
        <dict>
            <key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x8,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
            <dict>
                <key>built-in</key>
                <data>
                AA==
                </data>
            </dict>
            <key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x9,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
            <dict>
                <key>built-in</key>
                <data>
                AA==
                </data>
            </dict>
            <key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0xA,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
            <dict>
                <key>built-in</key>
                <data>
                AA==
                </data>
            </dict>
            <key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0xB,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
            <dict>
                <key>built-in</key>
                <data>
                AA==
                </data>
            </dict>
        </dict>
 
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Hi - I hope this question makes sense...

One thing I'm still very unclear about is whether there's such a thing as a 'null' OpenCore config, which would mean something like "boot this Mac with OC but don't change anything else".

I think this would (maybe?) make sense on a real Mac, if you are using the Mac bootloader to start OpenCore, rather than using OpenCore to start everything. I understand it wouldn't make sense on non-Apple hardware, and almost all of the OC documentation seems to be aimed at configuring it correctly for non-Apple hardware. (In which case I understand that nothing is going to start up at all until you get the config.plist right for the hardware.)

The reason I am asking is that I basically want to take a 'null' config and just change the board id, i.e. PlatformInfo/SystemProductName and PlatformInfo/SMBIOS/BoardProduct - but I'm not even sure if what I think I want to do really makes sense with how OpenCore works.
 
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