OS X El Capitan on Unsupported Macs

[skyfly555]

Please include the MB 4.1.
Thanks.
Ed

Hello, Riwam.

I haven't included MB 4,1 because I haven't tested it.
It has a GMA X3100 as MB3,1, but boot.efi is 64-bit. So, in step 7b you must install GMA X3100 kexts.

It's supposed it might work if you follow the method skipping steps 5, 6 and 12, that are the steps related to EFI32.

I want to say that the original El Capitan boot.efi might work.
If this boot.efi doesn't work, the EFI64 included in OS X Hackers' Yosemite should work. I don't know if you have Yosemite installed with MacPostFactor. If this is the case, you can follow all the steps of the tutorial (especially steps 5, 6 and 12) but, instead of using the EFI32 boot.efi I attach, you should use the MacPostFactor Yosemite's EFI64 boot.efi.

If you try the method with your MB4,1 and it works, please, tell us and attach the boot.efi you have used and has worked to you: I will add it to Post #1.

Thank you,

 

[Chili36]

Am having some issues while trying to install El Capitan on a 4.1 MacBook with MacPostFactors. I managed to get the USB installer done but when I boot on it (which I tried about ten times) i either get stuck on the grey screen with the apple logo (more than 50% of the time) or i get through to the install El Capitan screen, can choose the drive to install on but the install fails after 2-3minutes and it then reboots automatically.
Anyone can help? Thx ahead!

 

[kidjake28]

Has anyone ran into this problem:

I have a MacPro 2,1 with 8gb ram. ATI Radeon 5770 Flashed. A 480GB CorseAir SSD.

On another mac running El Capitan, I ran MacPostFactor and created an installer onto a spare hard drive connected via usb connector that I had lying around. It installed fine no issues.

I take that drive over to the MacPro and install it has a second drive in the MacPro (using sata). I then boot to the drive and run the install choosing the SSD drive. The install completes to about 90% and then just sticks.

Not sure what the problem is. Any help really appreciated.

Any one run into this problem? I still haven't found a solution. I've tried this a few times same result. Just hangs 90% of the way. Does anyone suggest using the extractor method? Would it be any different?

 

[skyfly555]

Am having some issues while trying to install El Capitan on a 4.1 MacBook with MacPostFactors. I managed to get the USB installer done but when I boot on it (which I tried about ten times) i either get stuck on the grey screen with the apple logo (more than 50% of the time) or i get through to the install El Capitan screen, can choose the drive to install on but the install fails after 2-3minutes and it then reboots automatically.
Anyone can help? Thx ahead!

You can check post #1, method 3, it could work.
[doublepost=1480543901][/doublepost]

Any one run into this problem? I still haven't found a solution. I've tried this a few times same result. Just hangs 90% of the way. Does anyone suggest using the extractor method? Would it be any different?

There's a way, cloning the HDD from another Mac, not the installer, but an HDD with El Capitan fully working. Post #1, method 3, is based on that, although you will need some kexts and Pike's El Capitan boot.efi to get it working onto your MacPro. There's a thread in MacRumors that specifically covers MacPros.

 

[kidjake28]

You can check post #1, method 3, it could work.
[doublepost=1480543901][/doublepost]
There's a way, cloning the HDD from another Mac, not the installer, but an HDD with El Capitan fully working. Post #1, method 3, is based on that, although you will need some kexts and Pike's El Capitan boot.efi to get it working onto your MacPro. There's a thread in MacRumors that specifically covers MacPros.

So I guess MPF doesn't work? Has anyone got it to work?

 

[atvusr]

Has anyone got it to work?

Better use this Thread, even if it's too long to read it:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2006-2007-mac-pro-1-1-2-1-and-os-x-el-capitan.1890435/

 

[vsbalint70]

Hello forum readers
I found something interesting at


https://apple.lib.utah.edu/?p=1444

THey describe an idea to automatically launch a shell script to disable SIP when Recovery OS is started. It would be also nice to avoid the problem when the USB mouse doesn't work on older Macs like my Mac Mini.

Unfortunately I was not successfull to reproduce these steps. Maybe somebody could try?

Has anybody tried to idea described at apple.lib.utah.edu website?
As I understand they add an automatically executed shortcut to launch the terminal script to with off SIP.
This way wouldn't matter that there is no access to USB keyboard and mouse because the script would simply run without any need for user interactions.
Unfortunately i did not success but maybe some of you has better luck - or more knowledge
I would appreciate if anybody checked it

 

[atvusr]

I would appreciate if anybody checked it

It's basically an automatically executed Shell-script wich does nothing others than: 'csrutil disable'.

The SIP status is stored in the Mac's PRAM/NVRAM and therefore you cannot transfer it from another Mac.

To get the Input-devices working it's not sufficient enough to disable SIP only - you'll need appropriate USB-Kexts (by TMRJIJ - OS X Hackers) or a port injector like USB-Inject-All (by RehabMan). Alternatively you could try to run VNC or attach USB via additional Hardware (e.g. miniPCIe-to-USB3 adapter, WiFi-Card replaced).

 

[vsbalint70]

It's basically an automatically executed Shell-script wich does nothing others than: 'csrutil disable'.

The SIP status is stored in the Mac's PRAM/NVRAM and therefore you cannot transfer it from another Mac.

To get the Input-devices working it's not sufficient enough to disable SIP only - you'll need appropriate USB-Kexts (by TMRJIJ - OS X Hackers) or a port injector like USB-Inject-All (by RehabMan). Alternatively you could try to run VNC or attach USB via additional Hardware (e.g. miniPCIe-to-USB3 adapter, WiFi-Card replaced).

Yes, exactly
My problem is that when boot in recovery mode cannot type in these instructions. If they script was typing it instead of me, after next normal boot OS X would already accept the USB kexts which I have already added to S/L/E folder.

 

[atvusr]

My problem is that when boot in recovery mode cannot type in these instructions.

If your Mac has EFI32, try the SIP-off Boot.efi (Build 2) from Post #351.

 

[vsbalint70]

If your Mac has EFI32, try the SIP-off Boot.efi (Build 2) from Post #351.

Hi
Almost perfect. With the indicated boot.efi from post 351 I can really boot, and SIP status will be disabled. But system will not be stable, will crash very quickly. Up to now I used the boot.efi from post 502, as you indicated earlier.
I updated to 10.11.5 with combo updates. I can still boot after update with the boot.efi from 351 but system continues to be unstable. What is strange, when I try to test with boot.efi from post 502, I cannot do it anymore, progress bar will not start and after some seconds I will have a kernel panic :-(
Do you have any idea what can I do?
This is a MacMini 1,1 updated to 2,1 EFI32bit

THank you

 

[pryca]

Goodnight
I need help for a macbook 4.1 with el capitan who does not work the audio and magic trackpad bluetooh.
Someone could exchange the KEXTS that work for my case.
Thank you.

 

[winipcfg]

Hi everyone,

I got a Macbook2,1 and I successfully installed el capitan according to sklyfly555's clone method
I use a firewire without cloning the disk as I described in #618

However I still failed to solve the usb detect problem after boot
which are the usb input devices/drive can be detected and mounted at first after boot
but after around 3-4mins, el capitan can't recognize those usb device after all...

I tried to install the OS X extractor's usb kext & the usb-inject-all kexts, but none of them helps
Does that means the usb won't be supported for those older macs?

Thanks you

 

[vsbalint70]

OS X El Capitan (10.11) on Unsupported Macs​

​

Hi TMRJIJ
Can you please send me the source code of the 32-bit boot.efi included in the folder of MacPostFactor 2.1 separetely for Yosemite and El Capitan?
The reason I ask it that my El Capitan works well with the Yosemite boot.efi but keeps restrarting when I use the El Capitan efi.
I would like to compare and see the differences or at least add SIP handling into the Yosemite efi, because without it I cannot disable SIP
Thank you very much

 

[TMRJIJ]

Hi TMRJIJ
Can you please send me the source code of the 32-bit boot.efi included in the folder of MacPostFactor 2.1 separetely for Yosemite and El Capitan?
The reason I ask it that my El Capitan works well with the Yosemite boot.efi but keeps restrarting when I use the El Capitan efi.
I would like to compare and see the differences or at least add SIP handling into the Yosemite efi, because without it I cannot disable SIP
Thank you very much

I don't have my source code but you can download Pike R. Alpha's fork from github. You'll need The Netwide Assembler in the VB.net bin folder but I don't think it's possible to just copy over the SIP variable.

 

[atvusr]

With the indicated boot.efi from post 351 I can really boot, and SIP status will be disabled. But system will not be stable, will crash very quickly.

The Kernel Panics / sudden restarts are a issue of Pike R. Alpha's Boot.efi for OSX 10.11 El Capitan.
They occur also on the MBP2,x -- while it runs on the MacPro 1,1/2,1 (very) stable.

The Source Code for Pike R. Alpha's Boot.efi can be found here:
https://github.com/Piker-Alpha/macosxbootloader

The Source Code of the original Boot.efi for OSX 10.8 / 10.9 by Tiamo can be found here: https://code.google.com/archive/p/macosxbootloader/source/default/source

Both Boot.efi are compiled with MS Visual Studio and Netwide Assembler (NASM).

The Boot.efi Development Thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/boot-efi-developers-thread.1924434/

Pike R. Alpha's Blog:
https://pikeralpha.wordpress.com

 

[vsbalint70]

I don't have my source code but you can download Pike R. Alpha's fork from github. You'll need The Netwide Assembler in the VB.net bin folder but I don't think it's possible to just copy over the SIP variable.

On Github there are several threads. The one which seems to belong to Yosemite has some errors, cannot be compiled without fixing them. After fixing the errors my mac can boot off it but after several minutes crashes exactly the same way as with the boot.efi files compiled for El Capitan. Usually I had the same crash with every other version of boot.efi except the one MacPostFactor includes to be used with Yosemite.. That's why would be good to find that very source code... Do you have any idea how to get it?
Thank you

 

[atvusr]

Do you have any idea how to get it?

Have you tried the Master Branch from GitHub? That's the Yosemite version.

 

[vsbalint70]

Have you tried the Master Branch from GitHub? That's the Yosemite version.

Have you tried the Master Branch from GitHub? That's the Yosemite version.

Yes. And this one doesn't compile unless i correct some mistakes.. And booting off will results a crash after some minutes of operations

 

[atvusr]

Does it run at a usable speed or would I be better off sticking on mavericks or mountain lion?

You could also use OSX 10.10 Yosemite.

OSX 10.11 El Capitan is due to the USB-issue and the System Integrity Protection quite complicated on unsupported older Macs (except the MacPro 1,1/2,1).

 

[Daniel Reed]

I only can hope, that the MP 5.1 (2012) will not suddenly appear on the "unsupported Macs list"!

MP 5,1 is scheduled to be no longer supported and classified by Apple as "obsolete" next year on Dec 31st 2017

 

[junkyjunk]

What is considered an "upgraded graphics card?"

 

[fanfzero]

What is considered an "upgraded graphics card?"

If you have a mac pro, it means buying a better graphics card than the one that comes with the mac pro, that way your graphics card wil have full support on el capitan and it will run smooth.

If you have a macbook, you can't upgrade because the graphics card is soldered to the motherboard

 

[skyfly555]

Hi everyone,

I got a Macbook2,1 and I successfully installed el capitan according to sklyfly555's clone method
I use a firewire without cloning the disk as I described in #618

However I still failed to solve the usb detect problem after boot
which are the usb input devices/drive can be detected and mounted at first after boot
but after around 3-4mins, el capitan can't recognize those usb device after all...

I tried to install the OS X extractor's usb kext & the usb-inject-all kexts, but none of them helps
Does that means the usb won't be supported for those older macs?

Thanks you

Hello, finally I had some time to come here.

The trouble you describe is well-known.
The solution: Take a USB drive, for example, one of those drives that are like pencils. Leave it there when booting.
So you will have all USBs working all the time.
If you boot withouth an USB connected you will not have USBs detected.

What I'm using is a small USB stick with a microSD card on it (1 dollar) like this: http://www.ebay.es/itm/Adaptador-Le...469494?hash=item51a53b2bf6:g:mEUAAOSwv0tVXbHD

Maybe this is not the best solution, but it works.

Note: I have just updated Post #1 to avoid having more people confused with this issue, so we all know the solution I'm sorry I didn't do that before.

 

[winipcfg]

Hello, finally I had some time to come here.

The trouble you describe is well-known.
The solution: Take a USB drive, for example, one of those drives that are like pencils. Leave it there when booting.
So you will have all USBs working all the time.
If you boot withouth an USB connected you will not have USBs detected.

What I'm using is a small USB stick with a microSD card on it (1 dollar) like this: http://www.ebay.es/itm/Adaptador-Le...469494?hash=item51a53b2bf6:g:mEUAAOSwv0tVXbHD

Maybe this is not the best solution, but it works.

Note: I have just updated Post #1 to avoid having more people confused with this issue, so we all know the solution I'm sorry I didn't do that before.

Thanks for your help! It really works no matter what type of usb drive I use
Things would be better if using a usb hub as well, since it would always take up one usb plot.

May I ask another question about security update and SIP?

I understand that SIP can't be disabled for mb2,1's clone method
so every time when system installation changes happen, sound and graphic kexts won't work and i need to rebuild the kext cache again from another mac, in order to allow them running again.

But for taking the security update from Appstore, touchpad/mouse and keyboard won't function even if I rebuild the cache, which means I have to re-clone the entire system...

Would there be any other solution beside starting from zero, it's really time consuming for cloning HDDs

Thank you so much!