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cdf

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Jul 27, 2012
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Well i hard reset my iPad mini and Universal Control works with my cMP5,1 - really nice feature though a bit strange between a 27" Apple Cinema Display and a 8" iPad mini.

Interested to see if it will work with my work MacBook Pro when it gets updated to Monterey (and I am using a VPN). That would really be nice - one mouse and keyboard for both when working at home.
Nice! I suppose then that board ID spoofing is actually sufficient for the iPad side of the check.
 
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ZNDK

macrumors regular
Mar 13, 2017
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I have been trying to figure out the cause of the problem and have come to understand. As a result I started to experience anomalies when I use RX580. First of all, with a GTX680 (Mac ROM), there is no problem at all. It's just bad graphics performance. It's not slow to boot up either. The problem seems to be when the RX580 is attached.

When I start up my Mac with RX580 installed, at the apple mark, the progress bar appears twice, the first time it appears, but when it switches to the second level, nothing appears. The system itself boots successfully, just nothing is displayed. What OpenCore item is this related to?

macOS 12.3 / OpenCore 0.7.8
 
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tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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I have been trying to figure out the cause of the problem and have come to understand. As a result I started to experience anomalies when I use RX580. First of all, with a GTX680 (Mac ROM), there is no problem at all. It's just bad graphics performance. It's not slow to boot up either. The problem seems to be when the RX580 is attached.

When I start up my Mac with RX580 installed, at the apple mark, the progress bar appears twice, the first time it appears, but when it switches to the second level, nothing appears. The system itself boots successfully, just nothing is displayed. What OpenCore item is this related to?

macOS 12.3 / OpenCore 0.7.8
Your problem could be BootROM related, more specifically old NVIDIA web drivers saved a binary blob inside the NVRAM that now make modern AMD GPUs to go crazy.

Also, this binary blob takes considerable space inside the NVRAM, a real problem nowadays and even more with a cross-flashed early-2009 Mac Pro.


You could flash 144.0.0.0.0 MP51.fd and confirm if it's the BootROM or not, obviously you need to dump your current BootROM image and save it securely before.

 
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tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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@cdf

Several people are having problems with the NVRAM volume after trying the 12.3 upgrade, mainly because of insane number of entries added to the NVRAM for the MP7,1 firmware upgrade that shouldn't even be happening - see the discussion on the BootROM thread.

Maybe we should change the recommendation and go back to VMM spoofing while doing software upgrades (no firmware upgrades with VMs) like on Catalina, at least until we find a safe and sure way to overcome it.

Edited to add no firmware upgrades with VMs.
 
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mangombia

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Jun 12, 2019
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@cdf

Several people are having problems with the NVRAM volume after trying the 12.3 upgrade, mainly because of insane number of entries added to the NVRAM for the MP7,1 firmware upgrade that shouldn't even be happening - see the discussion on the BootROM thread.

Maybe we should change the recommendation and go back to VMM spoofing while doing software upgrades, like on Catalina, at least until we find a safe and sure way to overcome it.
@tsialex

For those of us who have clean rebuilt BootROMs from you, would you recommend reloading that image post-12.3?
 
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tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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@tsialex

For those of us who have clean rebuilt BootROMs from you, would you recommend reloading that image post-12.3?
My recommendation is to temporarily enable VMM spoofing (no firmware upgrades with VMs) and at least re-flash after the upgrade is concluded.

People with dual CPU Mac Pros that want to be on the safe side, need to temporarily enable VMM spoofing, flash before starting the 12.3 software upgrade and after the update is concluded.

See the discussion ongoing discussion on the last two pages of the BootROM thread:


Edited to add no firmware upgrades with VMs.
 
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ZNDK

macrumors regular
Mar 13, 2017
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I managed to restore it to bootable on my RX580. I could no longer identify what exactly was causing the problem. I could not boot even in an OpenCore configuration, which had not been a problem before. I intentionally used different OC versions of config.plist and so on. By trying to switch the use of config.plist in the past, the startup was successful. I don't know why, but since switching to OC 0.7.5 config.plist, it is now possible to start it. The result is now a pure OC 0.7.8 configuration. (The startup time issue has not been resolved.)

Of course I'm not learning enough, but does OC make the hardware and OS record any changes? I'm unable to reset PRAM by keyboard. I reset the PRAM with a switch on the logic board. However, it is possible to start the Mac with the option key. I did frequent PRAM resets this time, but I don't think that helped. It felt like OC was writing something to the OS.

@tsialex Thank you. I would like to check BootROM later.
 
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NC12

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Nov 12, 2020
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@cdf

Several people are having problems with the NVRAM volume after trying the 12.3 upgrade, mainly because of insane number of entries added to the NVRAM for the MP7,1 firmware upgrade that shouldn't even be happening - see the discussion on the BootROM thread.

Maybe we should change the recommendation and go back to VMM spoofing while doing software upgrades (no firmware upgrades with VMs) like on Catalina, at least until we find a safe and sure way to overcome it.

Edited to add no firmware upgrades with VMs.
Wouldn’t updating firmware features thus stopping the firmware update in the first place prevent this problem?

Also how quickly can you run out of free space? My Mac Pro (single cpu, 2 DIMMS) has been stayed around 40000 since I first checked ages ago and it’s currently at 39500 because I messed up my opencore config and it tried to do a firmware update.
 

NC12

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Nov 12, 2020
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Well i hard reset my iPad mini and Universal Control works with my cMP5,1 - really nice feature though a bit strange between a 27" Apple Cinema Display and a 8" iPad mini.

Interested to see if it will work with my work MacBook Pro when it gets updated to Monterey (and I am using a VPN). That would really be nice - one mouse and keyboard for both when working at home.
Does your mac have an upgraded Wifi AC /Bluetooth 4.0 card? I’ve been holding off on getting one due to the price but if it can allow for Universal Control then I’ll probably start looking for one
 

tsialex

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Wouldn’t updating firmware features
Seems you are misunderstanding, it's the EFI firmware upgrade of MacPro7,1 that is being setup inside the NVRAM. Not related to the installer asking for a firmware upgrade because of the MacPro5,1 missing NVRAM/SMBIOS FirmwareFeatures.
thus stopping the firmware update in the first place prevent this problem?
Like I wrote, the only working workaround found until now is temporarily enabling VMM spoofing.
 
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NC12

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Nov 12, 2020
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Seems you are misunderstanding, it's the EFI firmware upgrade of MacPro7,1 that is being setup inside the NVRAM. Not related to the installer asking for a firmware upgrade because of the MacPro5,1 missing NVRAM/SMBIOS FirmwareFeatures.

Like I wrote, the only working workaround found until now is temporarily enabling VMM spoofing.
Ah ok that makes more sense. Thanks!
 

tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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Also how quickly can you run out of free space? My Mac Pro (single cpu, 2 DIMMS) has been stayed around 40000 since I first checked ages ago and it’s currently at 39500 because I messed up my opencore config and it tried to do a firmware update.
The post on the BootROM thread linked below is exactly about that, one badly crafted macOS software update, like 12.2.1 and 12.3, is enough to fill the main VSS store of a Mac Pro flashed with a never booted image two days earlier.

 
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cdf

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Jul 27, 2012
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@cdf

Several people are having problems with the NVRAM volume after trying the 12.3 upgrade, mainly because of insane number of entries added to the NVRAM for the MP7,1 firmware upgrade that shouldn't even be happening - see the discussion on the BootROM thread.

Maybe we should change the recommendation and go back to VMM spoofing while doing software upgrades (no firmware upgrades with VMs) like on Catalina, at least until we find a safe and sure way to overcome it.

Edited to add no firmware upgrades with VMs.
Seems like a very sensible recommendation. But has it been confirmed that VMM prevents the staging of firmware updates? It would seem like it should. However, it also makes sense that the staging would not take place when spoofing a sufficiently high firmware version, but a while ago I confirmed that this wasn't actually the case (though, fortunately, BlacklistAppleUpdate still blocks the actual update)!
 
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tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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Seems like a very sensible recommendation. But has it been confirmed that VMM prevents the staging of firmware updates? It would seem like it should. However, it also makes sense that the staging would not take place when spoofing a sufficiently high firmware version, but a while ago I confirm that this wasn't actually the case (though, fortunately, BlacklistAppleUpdate still blocks the actual update)!
Something else is going on, I've asked two people for the config.plist to make sure that if BlacklistAppleUpdate was enabled and both were. I'll have more time to investigate it on the weekend.
 

cdf

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Jul 27, 2012
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Something else is going on, I've asked two people for the config.plist to make sure that if BlacklistAppleUpdate was enabled and both were. I'll have more time to investigate it on the weekend.
BlacklistAppleUpdate should still be doing its job. If I've understood the recent events correctly, it's just the large amounts of data written to the NVRAM before the update that's problematic. Perhaps we could look into preventing the staging in the first place (maybe a new OC setting like ProtectSecureBoot).
 

tsialex

Contributor
Jun 13, 2016
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BlacklistAppleUpdate should still be doing its job. If I've understood the recent events correctly, it's just the large amounts of data written to the NVRAM before the update that's problematic. Perhaps we could look into preventing the staging in the first place (maybe a new OC setting like ProtectSecureBoot).
Yes, I misunderstood what you wrote and was just about to edit my post. The staging process for the update is not related itself with BlacklistAppleUpdate, that (AFAIK) does the deletion of efi-boot-next-data, efi-boot-next and BootNext.
 
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PeterHolbrook

macrumors 68000
Sep 23, 2009
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I don't think I've ever spoofed a Mac Pro 7,1. My spoofing of choice still is the iMac Pro 1,1. I haven't noticed any ill effects. Am I missing anything?
 

sfalatko

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2016
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Does your mac have an upgraded Wifi AC /Bluetooth 4.0 card? I’ve been holding off on getting one due to the price but if it can allow for Universal Control then I’ll probably start looking for one
Updated to correctly reflect @tsialex 's recommendation

I do have an updated bluetooth card - a BCM43602CDP though @tsialex recommends a BCM94360CD. Look at this post for all the pieces/parts - you might feel comfortable building your own "kit" for less than you might buy it all in one piece - Post #740
 
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cdf

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Jul 27, 2012
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I don't think I've ever spoofed a Mac Pro 7,1. My spoofing of choice still is the iMac Pro 1,1. I haven't noticed any ill effects. Am I missing anything?
As I’ve mentioned in another thread, choice of board ID model is not the issue. Perhaps different models stress the NVRAM less in the 12.3 update, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case in the next update. In fact, we still need to confirm that even VMM prevents the staging of firmware updates.

Also, those with a healthy NVRAM will likely not notice any effects, but until we know more about the situation, the best practice is to err on the side of safety and use VMM during the update. If you’ve already done the update it’s probably a good idea to reflash a fresh BootROM, or at least inspect your chip’s state of health.
 
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tsialex

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Jun 13, 2016
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I do have an updated bluetooth card - a BCM43602CDP though @tsialex recommends a BCM43602CD. Look at this post for all the pieces/parts - you might feel comfortable building your own "kit" for less than you might buy it all in one piece - Post #740
The iMac AirPort Extreme that works best with a MacPro5,1 is BCM94360CD.

The one that is prone to make a mess with the NVRAM (constantly recreating bluetoothActiveControllerInfo and bluetoothInternalControllerInfo variables) when you boot earlier than Catalina is the updated one with BT4.2, BCM943602CDP.

I don't recommend BCM943602CDP for anyone that have to boot earlier macOS releases and should be avoided in general.
 

macguru9999

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Aug 9, 2006
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I went back to my dosdude Catalina install , I was experiencing minor problems with my open core bigsur such as the mouse or keyboard stopping... felt a bit like i had a hackintosh
 

NC12

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2020
110
280
I don't think I've ever spoofed a Mac Pro 7,1. My spoofing of choice still is the iMac Pro 1,1. I haven't noticed any ill effects. Am I missing anything?
The built in USB 2 ports weren’t working when I was spoofing the iMac Pro and running Monterey but they started working again after switching to the Mac Pro 7,1. Might just be me though
 
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