[Guide]Intel D945GCLF2 10.5.x Retail Installation

[EnzoFX]

So no HT at all after 10.5.7? Not even with the dsdt patch?

 

I'm using this thread as a reference, seeing as I used iATkos 5i to install it on this build. I got a panic after someone accidentally updated, grr, and cpus=2 fixed it.

 

Thanks for all the great info/work here!

[iSynapse]

First post updated....again...Hmm twice in a day...a record )

 

Added a second method to run your 10.5.7 with HT on, no cpus param and Geekbench score of 1358.

[EnzoFX]

Cool, thanks!

 

I wonder what the performance difference is...

[leppy700m]

Doesn't look like any performance diff.

 

Okay, I really like this board for OS X. Really really like this board. Enough that I just bought this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-Box-Set-Family-P...3659&sr=8-2

 

I know it's still not what Mr. Steve Apple wants for his OS, but I figure tossing him some cash for the code I've been playing with is fair. And at $140.00 for a family edition box set, how can you go wrong?

 

So I wonder how this little wonder will handle garage band?

[leppy700m]

I mean the Apple screen sharing, using the file sharing

 

Yes, it works.

[dug320]

Will this work with 10.5.1?

 

I tried it and for some reason I get a message of not being able to install on this computer

 

 

I tried both MBR and GUID formats

[ArsonWells]

OK, so I'm confused about a few things:

 

1. Earlier in this thread it seemed like using Onetrack's DSDT would allow hyperthreading on 10.5.7, but then everyone stopped talking about this and now we are only paying attention to both of Synapse's methods (cpus fix vs. 10.5.6 kernel). Was I reading wrong or did something happen where Onetrack's DSDT will no longer fix hyperthreading in 10.5.7?

 

2. Another thing that's very confusing is that this thread now links to at least 4-5 different DSDT files that we can use. If Onetrack's DSDT does not actually fix hyperthreading, is it safe to say that OcciJano's is still the most reliable? I don't want any video artifacts.

 

3. If I end up going the route of using the 10.5.6 kernel and System.kext, what kind of risk am I taking as far as system stability?

 

Also for those of you looking for the most reliable PS/2 fix, check out VoodooPS2

 

VoodooPS2Controller.kext.zip

[balderdashian]

have found of course that flash doesn't play all that well due to it being heavily cpu bound - however the machine is powerful enough to play 720p avi with ac3 5.1 - podcasts and such - it makes a great general purpose computer.

 

Onetrack, appreciate the guide. Although it doesn't work for me (the rEFIt USB key works but only sees OSX Install DVDs - it doesn not recognize an OSX system installed on any SATA disk) the DSDT works great. But I have to disagree completely with your assessment. I am in the same situation with Flash suddenly being slow, and because of it, this is NOT a great general purpose computer.

 

To all, I've been stubbornly using this setup for 4 months now. It worked great at first, then this Flash issue suddenly started out of nowhere. I posted it on here a while back and I got a bunch of "That doesn't happen" replies. It's interesting to see the author of the latest install guide is having it.

 

This Flash issue is more than just Flash, and regardless it basically means your machine will be a complete piece of garbage. If you look at the Activity Monitor you'll see that any web browsing activity (Safari or Firefox) induces extraordinarily high CPU loads. When any web video plays in your browser, be it Flash, Microsoft, or even Quicktime, the CPU load jumps to over 100%. Video skips and stutters. Even super low-res videos you see embedded on blogs - you can't watch them. And it's not just videos. Even typing this message I get general lagginess while typing. Anyone saying this is a good system is in hefty denial.

 

So unless you block all Web 2.0 content or don't' even go on the Internet, avoid putting OSX on this board LIKE THE PLAGUE! It is a miserable desktop experience words cannot describe. You are far better off going on ebay and buying a used PowerMac G4. I have no doubt that your web experience will be much faster on that 10 year old machine than this one.

 

OK, so I'm confused about a few things:

 

1. Earlier in this thread it seemed like using Onetrack's DSDT would allow hyperthreading on 10.5.7, but then everyone stopped talking about this and now we are only paying attention to both of Synapse's methods (cpus fix vs. 10.5.6 kernel). Was I reading wrong or did something happen where Onetrack's DSDT will no longer fix hyperthreading in 10.5.7?

 

2. Another thing that's very confusing is that this thread now links to at least 4-5 different DSDT files that we can use. If Onetrack's DSDT does not actually fix hyperthreading, is it safe to say that OcciJano's is still the most reliable? I don't want any video artifacts.

 

I believe I've tried them all. The one that comes with Onetrack's kit (which you must manually google the filename to download - the link no longer works) is the best. HT doesn't work with any of them if you've upgraded to 10.5.7 and you installed using the boot123 method.

 

3. If I end up going the route of using the 10.5.6 kernel and System.kext, what kind of risk am I taking as far as system stability?

It's very stable in the sense that it doesn't crash, but it's a nightmare to operate. See my above post. Downgrading the kernel to 10.5.6 shouldn't affect anything one way or the other.

[Nips]

Onetrack, appreciate the guide. Although it doesn't work for me (the rEFIt USB key works but only sees OSX Install DVDs - it doesn not recognize an OSX system installed on any SATA disk) the DSDT works great. But I have to disagree completely with your assessment. I am in the same situation with Flash suddenly being slow, and because of it, this is NOT a great general purpose computer.

 

To all, I've been stubbornly using this setup for 4 months now. It worked great at first, then this Flash issue suddenly started out of nowhere. I posted it on here a while back and I got a bunch of "That doesn't happen" replies. It's interesting to see the author of the latest install guide is having it.

 

This Flash issue is more than just Flash, and regardless it basically means your machine will be a complete piece of garbage. If you look at the Activity Monitor you'll see that any web browsing activity (Safari or Firefox) induces extraordinarily high CPU loads. When any web video plays in your browser, be it Flash, Microsoft, or even Quicktime, the CPU load jumps to over 100%. Video skips and stutters. Even super low-res videos you see embedded on blogs - you can't watch them. And it's not just videos. Even typing this message I get general lagginess while typing. Anyone saying this is a good system is in hefty denial.

 

 

I unfortunately have to agree with this statement! Sure this is a very very cheap PC that will "run" OSX, however, I'm positive that I have a celeron laying around that would do a better job of web browsing. The fact that flash brings web browsing to a crawl with this box made it more and more unusable for me. Trying to watch YouTube was a nightmare. Hulu, forget it.

 

However, I disagree that all web browsing was slow on this box, most of it was great. I was very enthusiastic about this box when I first got it, and the problems got worse and worse the more I tried to use them. When I stopped using the box as a little showpiece and really started using it as our "main" general purpose computer, its flaws really started showing.

 

This box is EXCELLENT for one thing I can think of: iPhone/Mac development. If you want to learn how to write code for the iPhone or Mac, you have to have a Mac to do it. Entry level macs (Mac Mini, etc) cost 2 to 3 times more than this box does.

 

It has been a great development box for me, and it a great server box for media/file sharing. However, it really did fail as a general purpose PC after extended use.

[ArsonWells]

What the hell? How did Flash just start slugging out of nowhere?

 

Are you having the same problem with both 10.5.6 and 10.5.7 kernels?

 

Think the Voodoo kernel would make any difference?

 

This sentence is a statement.

[munky]

I've just read the whole thread, and i'd like clarification on an aspect of the S-Video support here...

 

So if I boot the machine while only S-Video is connected, i'll get TV-Out support, so long as I havent installed the video drivers?

 

Do I get any choice of resolution on the TV output? Can I switch between PAL and NTSC, for example?

 

Hoping to replace my hacked AppleTV with a hackintosh based on this Atom board...

 

thanks in advance!

 

EDIT: one more thing - if you run Front Row while connected via S-Video does it show up? running Leopard on the AppleTV, it treats the TV as a second display, so running FR just gives a black screen :/

[balderdashian]

What the hell? How did Flash just start slugging out of nowhere?

 

Are you having the same problem with both 10.5.6 and 10.5.7 kernels?

 

Think the Voodoo kernel would make any difference?

 

This sentence is a statement.

I don't know if Voodoo works. It could have nothing to do with the kernel - could be a driver. It could only happen on DVI monitors, or with high res monitors (I have 1680x1050). The problem started with 10.5.6. It was not caused by any program or anything like that. It just started getting slower over time until I noticed it. Updating to 10.5.7, hoping it would fix it, did not. Deleting my user account, repairing permissions, etc., does not help. I even installed the Opera browser and it has the same problem. It's not just Flash sites - Flash simply is the most extreme example of the machine choking. It's really any browsing. Just loading insanelymac.com, Firefox jumps up to over 100% in the Activity Monitor (which means 50% on a dual core). Just idling goes over 25%. This machine is rubbish. I was about to re-install using Onetrack's method, hoping it will resolve it, and then I find out the Onetrack is having the same exact problem. Vanilla hackintosh on this machine is rubbish.

[munky]

No s-video totin' hackintosh Little Falls 2 dudes who can answer my question?

[Joe.R]

Munky, my s-video was locked down to 800x600. It is also one or the other with regards to the video. If s-video is plugged in then VGA was dead.

 

If you are looking for an AppleTV replacement, build a simple core duo setup for $270. It will be able to handle anything you throw at it. Including 720p and 1080p content. This atom setup can't handle those resolutions. It will stutter or not play at all. My advice is to throw in the extra $70.

 

Don't get my wrong, I own this atom setup and it has basicly become the mainly used computer in the house. For managing iTunes, email and web, it is amazing. Just not to dedicated TV use.

[dug320]

I tried both methods, iSynapse and Onetrack.

 

 

The apparent ease of Onetrack's method was inviting. But I found the usb boot annoying.

 

iSynapse did not appear to be as easy. The instructions were not as explicit as I had hoped. But once I figured them out, specifically installing the driver package and the DSDT, I found this solution to be an excellent one.

 

 

Thank to both Onetrack and iSynapse for two excellent ideas.

 

[munky]

Joe.R - thanks for the lowdown. I actually went ahead and got the board, playing with it now.

 

I can only get black and white from the S-Video using various s-video -> composite adapters. Damn it all. Sometimes I can see the vaguest hint of colour, but I think its not going to be a good option.

 

I already have an external VGA -> Composite box (back from my 'home made Apple TV' days ) so im trying that now. I'm seeing some odd tearing and oddness in the refresh, not sure why. Havent yet installed the proper working GMA950 kexts, hoping that'll help.

 

FYI i'm an SD-only type of guy, for now at least. I want a low-power box that can torrent / usenet overnight and playback SD video during the day / evening. I think this board will be good enough. If I ever get an HD tv, i'll build a more powerful box and relegate the atom to being a NAS / home server.

 

Cheers.

[ArsonWells]

I'm about to suck it up and install Tiger on this board. Is there anything special I have to keep in mind with that?

 

I hope Chameleon works.

[munky]

Another question, is anyone using this board with a 7-pin S-Video to RCA (composite) cable? Does it work?

[ArsonWells]

Tried 3 different Tiger discs, they won't even boot. All stop at the line BSD Root: diskXsY etc.

 

Could anyone who is NOT having the Flash issue please post method/details on what you did to get the board to work properly?

 

Thanks

[munky]

ArsonWells: why Tiger, particularly?

[simsim]

High cpu usage when watching adobe flash is hardly a new issue. It's a bit unfair to blame it on this board or installation method. Better to discuss it with Adobe perhaps, like these people have done: Adobe bug

 

Disabling HyperThreading in Bios and installing 10.5.7 gave me a 30% lower result in Geekbench.

It didn't seem worth it.

I installed the iPhone SDK by staying at 10.5.6 but changing the version number in Systemversion.plist.

It seemed to work okey but so far I've only played around with the simulator. Anyone else who uses it in 10.5.6?

[Joe.R]

Joe.R - thanks for the lowdown. I actually went ahead and got the board, playing with it now.

 

I can only get black and white from the S-Video using various s-video -> composite adapters. Damn it all. Sometimes I can see the vaguest hint of colour, but I think its not going to be a good option.

 

In order for s-video out to work you CAN NOT use the GMA950 kexts included with the installers. They totally disable them.

[ArsonWells]

ArsonWells: why Tiger, particularly?

 

Figured it would run better on this underpowered board and wouldn't have issues with HT or Flash. Maybe Snow Leo will help the lot of us.

 

By the way, the magnification of the dock icons when sliding the cursor across them.. I noticed it isn't even half as smooth as my other OSX86 build. Is this an issue with the drivers or is the card really that weak that it can't make a simple icon resizing look nice? The genie effect is fairly choppy as well.

 

Aren't there real Macs that use GMA950? Surely they can't be looking this cheap.

[munky]

Joe R : yeah I know that. This was before I installed the kexts.

 

Been trying out various experiments in a 10.5.7 with HT disabled. Seems powerful enough for my purposes, basically Front Row, EyeTV and PyeTV.

 

Going to do a clean install of 10.5.6 and turn HT on. Does it help much?

[balderdashian]

High cpu usage when watching adobe flash is hardly a new issue. It's a bit unfair to blame it on this board or installation method. Better to discuss it with Adobe perhaps, like these people have done: Adobe bug

 

CPU usage for Flash is higher on Macs and that is a known bug for a long time, but it's much more severe on this board. I have a Mac Mini G4 and Flash is still usable on that thing. Not on this board. It's beyond bad, and as me and others have mentioned, this problem does not exist right away after a new install. Also have another OSX86 install (Core 2 board) and it works fine on there too. And as I've mentioned THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO FLASH! I have absolutely nothing open right now except Activity Monitor, and this InsanelyMac page I'm typing on in Firefox 3.5. No Flash is used on this site from what I can tell. And yet my CPU usage for Firefox is rapidly bouncing around between 15% and 60%! In IDLE it's doing that! Safari and Opera will do the same thing. And deleting all my cookies does not solve anything.

 

There is something wrong with installing OSX86 10.5.6 retail on this board.

 

By the way, the magnification of the dock icons when sliding the cursor across them.. I noticed it isn't even half as smooth as my other OSX86 build. Is this an issue with the drivers or is the card really that weak that it can't make a simple icon resizing look nice? The genie effect is fairly choppy as well.

 

Aren't there real Macs that use GMA950? Surely they can't be looking this cheap.

 

I have the same problem using Leopard on this board. Resizing the dock, resizing windows, and the genie effect is all laggy and stuttery. Yes, there are real Macs that use GMA950 like the last gen Macbook (not pro) and Mac Mini. And no, basic 2-d graphics do not look cheap. Everything is smooth on those machines. Even Flash video.

 

This is why I'm really urging people not to do an OSX86 install on this board until someone can identify what's going on. Maybe it could work fine with a hacked video driver, but the install method in this thread is no good IMO.