My experience with Hackintosh

[iampliny]

OK, a few lessons I learned so far, in random order:

1. If you want to dual-boot with windows, two hard drives are much, much, much better than one. Yeah it's possible to get it all up with a proper boot loader on two partitions but even as a geeked-out DIYer who still refuses to code HTML tables any other way but with a text edit I have to say that the 58 separate steps involved in putting Vista/XP and OSX on a single physical drive just ain't worth it. Word.

2. If you want to go TV out, you're probably stuck with VGA instead of DVI. Since I absolutely, positively want to go TV out, it's a compromise I can work with.

3. The nVidia driver hacking community is there, but nowhere near as sophisticated as the communities putting out OSX distros or HDA patchers. No disrespect to any of the people out there doing great work. Just a statement of fact. Far as I can tell Titan led to Natit, both of which have not been under active development for over a year. NVinject is the current game in town.

4. The LANParty positively rocks.

5. My Hac Pro is looking at me sheepishly and asking when we can start OC'ing. Soon, my lamb, soon ...

 

[bigmacattack]

@iampliny:

hope to have my DFI up and running tomorrow. As for the kalyway install, any tidbits? CMOS settings?

 

[theTITUS]

Thanks guys. Just got home so I'm going to give it another go.

@iampliny: If I still run into difficulties, I'll definitely take you up on your offer and PM you.

Thanks again everyone for your help. I'll keep you posted!

 

[theTITUS]

UPDATE: Finally got Kalyway to install successfully using GUID Vanilla Kernel + ACPI Fix and the GUID EFI bootloader thanks to everyone's help. But now I've run into another snag.

Now when the bootloader loads OS X, about 1 second or so into the load it reboots. The messages flash too quickly for me to read them.

After reading through the InsanelyMac forums, I found tohkernel. I can boot using tohkernel perfectly fine but it reads my processor (Q6600) as a 1.6 GHz unknown.

I'm under the impression that everyone here with the DFI mobos are using Vanilla kernel, correct?

If anyone has any insight to my problem, it would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, I think I'll call it a night and pick this up again tomorrow...

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: theTITUS
UPDATE: Finally got Kalyway to install successfully using GUID Vanilla Kernel + ACPI Fix and the GUID EFI bootloader thanks to everyone's help. But now I've run into another snag.

Now when the bootloader loads OS X, about 1 second or so into the load it reboots. The messages flash too quickly for me to read them.

After reading through the InsanelyMac forums, I found tohkernel. I can boot using tohkernel perfectly fine but it reads my processor (Q6600) as a 1.6 GHz unknown.

I'm under the impression that everyone here with the DFI mobos are using Vanilla kernel, correct?

If anyone has any insight to my problem, it would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, I think I'll call it a night and pick this up again tomorrow...

Have you tried updating the motherboard's BIOS?

Also, try running Geekbench and Xbench and see if it reads the processor name and speed correctly. If it does, then it's just a System Profiler issue. I can send you a fix for that if that's the case.

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: theTITUS
UPDATE: Finally got Kalyway to install successfully using GUID Vanilla Kernel + ACPI Fix and the GUID EFI bootloader thanks to everyone's help. But now I've run into another snag.

Now when the bootloader loads OS X, about 1 second or so into the load it reboots. The messages flash too quickly for me to read them.

After reading through the InsanelyMac forums, I found tohkernel. I can boot using tohkernel perfectly fine but it reads my processor (Q6600) as a 1.6 GHz unknown.

I'm under the impression that everyone here with the DFI mobos are using Vanilla kernel, correct?

If anyone has any insight to my problem, it would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, I think I'll call it a night and pick this up again tomorrow...

in your bios make sure no execute is enabled, mine would be in a constant reboot loop with that disabled

 

[roastin nugs]

saw the DFI LP DK P35-T2RS on the egg again this morning and ordered it!

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: roastin nugs
saw the DFI LP DK P35-T2RS on the egg again this morning and ordered it!

NICE, thanks for the heads up! Snagged one for my wife's system! $139.99 plus $6.61 shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136043

So far the only issue I've heard of with this board is that sometimes the audio won't come back on after waking it from sleep. That's it...everything else works like a charm! Oh and afaik onboard RAID is NOT supported (it never is).

 

[bigmacattack]

sigh...finally got kalyway to load, kinda. Still unclear on CMOS settings. So, I set them back to default, except for the basic stuff. Selected vanilla at the boot: and let it run. clicking through the selections. I did not select video, audio, and one other. My 8600GT was not supported, supposedly. Will try this out to see what will happen.

 

[theTITUS]

Hey guys. Just got back home and started working on the Hackintosh again.

@kalster: Thanks so much. Changing that allowed me to boot from Vanilla kernel. What a relief!

@Kaido: Geekbench reports the correct proc speed, but OS X is still reporting 1.6 GHz unknown. When searching the IM forums, I saw something about changing the Kernel Flag fsb=266. I tried adding that string, but that did not change anything. Any ideas?

I feel like I'm repeating myself countless times, but sincere thanks to everyone!

 

[kalster]

hey there, system profiler sometimes reports wrong values, think there is a way to change that (some file, lemme look it up), just to be sure os x is booting with the correct speed, try this, from terminal run

sudo sysctl -a | grep cpufreq

should list the cpu speed the kernel is booting with

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: bigmacattack
sigh...finally got kalyway to load, kinda. Still unclear on CMOS settings. So, I set them back to default, except for the basic stuff. Selected vanilla at the boot: and let it run. clicking through the selections. I did not select video, audio, and one other. My 8600GT was not supported, supposedly. Will try this out to see what will happen.

8600gt is supported, get the latest version of nvinject

 

[theTITUS]

Originally posted by: kalster
hey there, system profiler sometimes reports wrong values, think there is a way to change that (some file, lemme look it up), just to be sure os x is booting with the correct speed, try this, from terminal run

sudo sysctl -a | grep cpufreq

should list the cpu speed the kernel is booting with

That is reporting:
kern.exec: unknown type returned
hw.cpufrequency = 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency_max: 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency_min: 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency: 1596000000

I am booting with the default options (Vanilla)

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: theTITUS

Originally posted by: kalster
hey there, system profiler sometimes reports wrong values, think there is a way to change that (some file, lemme look it up), just to be sure os x is booting with the correct speed, try this, from terminal run

sudo sysctl -a | grep cpufreq

should list the cpu speed the kernel is booting with

That is reporting:
kern.exec: unknown type returned
hw.cpufrequency = 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency_max: 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency_min: 1596000000
hw.cpufrequency: 1596000000

I am booting with the default options (Vanilla)

hmm i guess the cpu in sysctl doesnt have to match the real speed, my desktop is an e6600 overclocked to 2.82 ghz and sysctl reports 2.99 ghz, do you have speed step enabled by any chance

 

[theTITUS]

Hey kalster. I figured it out. Turns out it is user error (big surprise). Turns out my clock multiplier was set at 6 rather than 9.
266 * 6 = 1,596

Changed the multiplier to 9 to give me the 2.4GHz. While I was at it I went ahead and bumped the bus speed to 300 ;P

Hopefully it will hold.

About this Mac now reports a 2.7 GHz Unknown. The 2.7 GHz is correct as I bumped up the bus speed, but should it display Core 2 Quad?

 

[kalster]

yeh, does profiles say 4 cores, sysctl -a | grep cpu.core should say 4 as well

 

[bigmacattack]

as I sit here, the unit finished loading successfully. I will chalk it up to a polluted hdd.
Currently downloading the latest kalyway 10.5.2 update

 

[bigmacattack]

when applying the .2 update, i reboot. now, the unit is constantly rebooting.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: theTITUS
Hey kalster. I figured it out. Turns out it is user error (big surprise). Turns out my clock multiplier was set at 6 rather than 9.
266 * 6 = 1,596

Changed the multiplier to 9 to give me the 2.4GHz. While I was at it I went ahead and bumped the bus speed to 300 ;P

Hopefully it will hold.

About this Mac now reports a 2.7 GHz Unknown. The 2.7 GHz is correct as I bumped up the bus speed, but should it display Core 2 Quad?

Use the weaksauce kit here:

http://forum.insanelymac.com/i...&p=576689&#entry576689

You can change the Ghz value and processor name to anything you want, i.e "2.4 Ghz Core 2 Quad". Real simple.

 

[bigmacattack]

will reload now and kick off zero hdd write. I don't know what I did wrong. everything was working. Will try again tomorrow. did anyone do anything special before updating to 10.5.2?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: bigmacattack
will reload now and kick off zero hdd write. I don't know what I did wrong. everything was working. Will try again tomorrow. did anyone do anything special before updating to 10.5.2?

I didn't.

You may want to try using Kalyway 10.5.2 (pre-patched disc instead of 10.5.1 plus .2 update). I really only have experience with custom patching, I never could get Kaly to work for me as a standalone installer.

 

[theTITUS]

@Kaido: Thanks, works great.
@kalster: It reports 4 cores.

Everything is running smoothly @ 2.7GHz! This is a great feeling.

@bigmacattack: I just updated to 10.5.2 using the Kalyway updater. Didn't have to do anything beforehand, and I used the Kalyway 10.5.1 installer originally to install.

 

[theTITUS]

@bigmacattack: Just note that my install rebooted twice and seemed to hang the second time (the little spinny thing stopped spinning) but you could still hear disk activity so don't freak out.

EDIT: This is for the 10.5.2 Kalyway update

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: bigmacattack
will reload now and kick off zero hdd write. I don't know what I did wrong. everything was working. Will try again tomorrow. did anyone do anything special before updating to 10.5.2?

boot with -u -s and try to open /var/log/system.log, the last part in that file should point to where it was last before it rebooted
also verify the execute disable bit is enabled (although if it was working before 10.5.2 it was probably set but double check)

 

[bigmacattack]

Thanks everyone for your support! I was so stoked to get it running, then 10.5.2 happened.

Once I figure out where it was at when it stopped, is there a way to salvage it?

I am just dying to overclock my new baby!

michael