Tutorial: Install Retail Leopard on VMware Workstation

[Donk]

I have spent the last 2 weeks testing many different combinations to build a minimal BOOT-132 CD to allow retail Leopard to be installed on VMware Workstation 6.5 beta 2 build 99530. This works very reliably for me on a Dell latitude D620. The work was prompted by all the other great work on these forums and by David Elliot for the original modifications. See this post for more information http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=113288.

 

David's work was commissioned by VMware and is well documented at his website Darwin/X86 http://www.tgwbd.org/darwin/. After all the testing I did it was great timing that I finished it the night before VMware released Fusion 2 beta, which actually proved my minimal set of extensions would work. Fusion 2 beta 2 makes use of boot-132 by having a helper cd image darwin.iso which loads extensions to boot the retail system. Unfortunately there are hard coded restrictions in it that mean it can't be used to boot on Windows or Linux Workstation systems or with anything other than Leopard Server. That may change but for now the most useful thing is the inclusion of tools for Leopard on VMware.

 

Some things to remember:

 

1. You will need a processor supported natively by Mac OSX as VMware virtualizes the CPU not emulating a specific version . So this won't work for anything other than supported Intel processors - no AMD or other processor.

 

2. The VMX settings here are crucial unlike for Hackintoshes where frequently you could alter things such as guest os being set to Solaris or FreeBSD.

 

3. The CD will have to remain mounted during boot, as none of the ways of copying the boot-132 code to the hard disk works. Trust me I have spent 2 weeks trying!!!

 

4. You must copy the vmware-vmx.exe to vmware-vmx-debug.exe (back up the original) or you will get a triple boot fault. this is because debug code is always enabled in beta version from VMware. This shouldn't be a problem after release of 6.5. This should probably work on Server 2 and Fusion 2 betas.

 

To install download the template for the guest and a cd image from http://www.mediafire.com/?1zyfhhmlckc. Extract to a folder. To install:

 

1. Boot the system with the vmdonk.iso attached. You will see a VMware error pop-up which you can ignore safely whenever you are booting the system. You should see the first screen below.

 

2. Change the loaded cd image to the retail Leopard image by using the VM-->Removable Devices menu item.

 

3. Enter 9f at the next screen and you should now be taken to the leopard boot line. Enter any parameters you want here, but for me it loaded with no additional boot parameters. See the second screen.

 

4. Install leopard using the usual installation method of partition the virtual disk using Disk Utility. Stick with GUID Partition and all should be OK.

 

5. When the system restarts you must reset the cd image to vmdonk.iso for it to boot. When prompted for the device to use specify 80 as in screenshot 3.

 

One thing I have found is to ensure the guest does not go to sleep. Use the Energy settings to switch off any sleep settings, and switch the Screensaver off as well. I have found that Leopard locks up if it enters any sleep or screen saver states.

 

If you download Fusion 2 beta 2 you can install the tools from the extracted darwin.iso, but in my experience there are errors showing up in the console logs that lead me to believe they are not functioning. Also I can't get sound to function, but other than that the performance is great. One last tip if you update then the first reboot is best done with -v -f -x boot flags.

 

Enjoy!

 

Donk

 

Update 1 2008-08-01 - Boot physical Leopard image

 

I have successfully run a Carbon Copy Cloner image from an external USB drive. To do this take the basic template I uploaded and remove the virtual hard drive. I also deleted the VMDK files from the folder. Then add a new virtual disk and select physical drive. You must select the whole drive. This is advanced usage of VMware so you really need to know what you are doing. For example if on Windows ensure that the USB drive does not have a drive letter associated with it, which happens if you are running MacDrive.

Update 2 2008-08-05 - Guest memory settings

 

If you have slow performance and/or in installation (mine took about 30 minutes) you may need to change your guest's memory settings. I have 4GB in my Dell D620 and set the virtual machine to 2GB. Your system may be paging as the virtual machine memory is equal to the physical RAM on the host. Try reducing it to say 1GB in virtual machine options.

 

Update 3 2008-08-11 - VMware Fusion 2 beta 2

 

If you are running Fusion you can use this procedure for all versions of Leopard. Rename the /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/isoimages/darwin.iso to something else. Then when you start it up there is an error message about the tools CD but just ignore it and off you go!

Update 4 2008-08-11 - Stop the popup error message

 

Search for darwin.iso and darwin.iso.sig. Copy or rename them, then create 2 zero byte files with the same name. You will find the popup error message disappears. There is an error message in the vmware.log file but that can be safely ignored. Note that Fusion 2 beta 2 and Workstation 6.5 beta 2 for Linux actually ship with these files, whereas currently Workstation 6.5 beta for Windows does not.

[meisterk]

Thanks a million for your hard work, I'm gonna try this on Fusion beta 2 to install Leo Server

 

Works like a charm!

[cyberbuddhah]

Hallelujah!

 

Upgradable to 10.5.4 ?

[Donk]

Hallelujah!

 

Upgradable to 10.5.4 ?

 

Yes it is but use the -v -x -f boot flags at the restart. Only need to it once.

[jk21]

Hello Donk thanks a million for this, I got a error dont know what Im doing wrong, I used your template opened it up and run the iso all good. I took iso out and put leopard in. Then were it says boot: typed 9f then it gave me option like in screenshot 2, i typed 9f again and got some errors then it just went back to boot. Any ideas?

 

Im booting a dmg file, must it be iso?

[Donk]

Hello Donk thanks a million for this, I got a error dont know what Im doing wrong, I used your template opened it up and run the iso all good. I took iso out and put leopard in. Then were it says boot: typed 9f then it gave me option like in screenshot 2, i typed 9f again and got some errors then it just went back to boot. Any ideas?

 

Im booting a dmg file, must it be iso?

 

I used an ISO as don't think VMware knows how to use DMG as image for this.

[NSCXP2005]

Donk,

 

Would you be able to mirror the ISO file somewhere else aswell, as MediaFire are doing maintainace.

 

Can your ISO file be used of real systems?

 

Cheers

 

NSCXP2005

[Donk]

Donk,

 

Would you be able to mirror the ISO file somewhere else aswell, as MediaFire are doing maintainace.

 

Can your ISO file be used of real systems?

 

Cheers

 

NSCXP2005

 

It is here as well http://rapidshare.com/files/134034323/DarwinIDE.zip.html. I am now trying SCSI virtual disk as VMware say this is faster than IDE. If so I will upload another template for SCSI.

 

The CD image will probably only work with VMware as it only has:

 

AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext

dsmos.ket

NullCPUPowerManagement.kext

[coolio2004]

Hi- i have no luck with your iso tu use in Fusion. I got the blue starting desktop and than only spinnig wheel. We need a special iso for Fusion.Donk-is there any possibility to use 132 bootloader to load 80,81,82 for an external usb drive instead of h,c,e? Thanx so lot for your efforts!!

Coolio

[Donk]

Hi- i have no luck with your iso tu use in Fusion. I got the blue starting desktop and than only spinnig wheel. We need a special iso for Fusion.Donk-is there any possibility to use 132 bootloader to load 80,81,82 for an external usb drive instead of h,c,e? Thanx so lot for your efforts!!

Coolio

 

I need to test this on Fusion but would need Fusion 2 beta for it to work. I am about to test a Carbon Copy Cloner image of my real iMac on a USB drive. I'll post the results later today.

 

Update:

Just successfully booted Leopard from USB drive. Updated the main post with some details.

[jk21]

Worked perfect, The boot took ages, anyway to make it faster.

 

Whats the progress of SCSI, you rekon scsi make booting faster?

Also does the size of drive got be so big?

 

Sorry for the newbie questions I have just got into mac have not been on the scene for ages

More of a VMware user..

 

Thanks..

[Donk]

Worked perfect, The boot took ages, anyway to make it faster.

 

Whats the progress of SCSI, you rekon scsi make booting faster?

Also does the size of drive got be so big?

 

Sorry for the newbie questions I have just got into mac have not been on the scene for ages

More of a VMware user..

 

Thanks..

 

I've finished the SCSI tests and I do believe it is better and VMware themselves now recommend it on their forums. Just a quick thought I have set the virtual memory to 2Gb as I have 4Gb RAM. Maybe it is paging during the boot, as mine is up and running within a minute.

 

Well I made the drive that big for my use as I will be installing quite a bit of software for development purposes. It is a sparse disk so won't actually take up that space.

[netrat]

Hey Donk, thanks for posting up these instruction. I just gave it a try. With a bit of time it installed OSX decently. I to am just using OSX for development, so this'll be great. Thanks for the guide.

[firewire_666]

Have you found a way to use OSX in VMWare ESX(i) ?

I'm running Xeon 5405 with Intel Chipset, which should be relatively "vanilla" ...

[Donk]

Have you found a way to use OSX in VMWare ESX(i) ?

I'm running Xeon 5405 with Intel Chipset, which should be relatively "vanilla" ...

 

I'm 99.99% certain that retail won't run on ESXi due to the level of virtual hardware it supports. Really need Server 2, Workstation 6.5 or Fusion 2 for this. May be one of the Hackintosh version will work.

[jk21]

Can confirm the updates work.

 

Keyboard problem: Both keyboard and mosue mircrosoft mouse works fine but keyboard when in safari does not let me type input or is exremely slow.

 

Can this be a usb problem or something any ideas?

 

Also in leopard want let me change keyboard type when i click button nothing happens..

[jk21]

Donk what stuff you got in the darwin.iso version etc? Might need to add some extras into the file.

 

Edit: OK wtf, sorry to be so messy with the posts, but I just tried instead of using darwin.iso, generic.iso from David Elliot and my keyboard started working fine.

 

I dont know if its vmware bugs or sumfin.

 

Once again sorry for messy posts just been testing and tweaking this for 2 days now trying to make it perfect..

[Donk]

Have you used my template? Darwin in VMware implements a virtual USB keyboard and mouse. Using the generic.iso allows PS2 to be used. I'm also confused as you say you are using darwin.iso but mine is called vmdonk.iso. Can you confirm which one you are using?

 

I am interested in sorting this out, as my ISO is bascially the same as VMware's although I used the drivers from generic.iso

 

AppleIntelPIIXATA.kext - from generic.iso

dsmos.ket - from generic.iso

NullCPUPowerManagement.kext - compiled the soruce code myself.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[jk21]

AH my fault when i extract your file it extracts it to a folder called darwin, so i got confused, vmdonk.iso Yes i used this for the whole process, but switched to generic after I had problem with keyboard. Also yes i have been using your template only thing I changed was the hard disk on it, reduced its size and changed it to scsi.

 

More info: The keyboard was connected with ps2 adaptor at first, didnt work. I thought dammit i removed adaptor and basically thought that will sort the problem. The keyboard and mouse both USB now. I tried changing the keyboard option in leopard but the button was not there gone lol.

I then used generic to boot up with and clicked the change keyboard button nuffin happened but then keyboard started working fine.

 

Hope that makes little more sense..

[Donk]

Don't forget that the physical connection of mouse and keyboard to host don't matter. The PS2 or USB mouse and keyboard passed to guest OS is virtual not passed through. I have another little iso which is repackaged Fusion darwin.iso but works outside of Fusion. I'll do some more checks later today and see if I can recreate any of the issues you've seen.

[kdb424]

Just so you know, this won't work on VMWare Fusion Beta 2, because it reads it as mac leopard server, and will not boot. Thanks though. Glad it worked for others.

[scoobydu]

Donk

 

I'm confused

 

I get a different screen when I boot donk.iso

 

I get an EBIOS Read Error 0x31

 

Block 0 Sectors 64

 

Is this a bad download?

 

Also do you have the SCSi version of your iso please? TIA!!

 

Also;

 

Will this work to install Leopard Server, as I get the dark blue screen loading Leopard Server, but with a spinning ball and it goes no further.

 

Using Vmware Fusion 2 Beta 2

[jk21]

I get an EBIOS Read Error 0x31

 

Block 0 Sectors 64

 

Is this a bad download?

 

 

I get same error but have just ignored it each time, dunno if has effected or made any difference to the system.

[Donk]

@scoobydu - As David Elliott mentions on his site, it can be safely ignored. I am confused why you would use this on Fusion with Leopard Server as that is part of the beta 2 release, to support Leopard Server. My hack is for other versions e.g. Workstation and for non-Server version. I will try and test on Fusion tonight on my real iMAc.

[scoobydu]

@scoobydu - As David Elliott mentions on his site, it can be safely ignored. I am confused why you would use this on Fusion with Leopard Server as that is part of the beta 2 release, to support Leopard Server. My hack is for other versions e.g. Workstation and for non-Server version. I will try and test on Fusion tonight on my real iMAc.

 

jk21: Thanks for the feedback.

 

Donk: I'm trying it because the stock Server install doesn't work for me from my Hack.

 

I get to the same place. Loads the dark blue screen (not of death) as per the normal install, then I get the spinning ball.

 

Happens the same from your donk.iso.

 

I will try using your iso with my leopard client DVD.

 

edit: no go, recognises its not Server and exits the VM

 

Thanks.