[UPDATED] Chameleon 2.0RC2 is out! With Official Installer

[SaCleoCheater]

This is great! Works perfectly, detects my Windows 7 Partition and OS X partition!

 

Thanks Chameleon Team!

 

[TheHarbinger]

A couple of quick questions, if I may...

 

1) I'm to the point where I can finally install Leopard on my PC (Grub-DFE works; Boot-132 doesn't). I divvied my only hard disk into several partitions: (1) primary XP, (1) primary Ubuntu, (1) primary OSX, (1) Linux swap, (1) extended HPFS for XP. From reading munky's method, I understand that a hidden EFI partition is created in the OS X partition when the OS is installed, correct?

 

2) When I install Chameleon, will it install some preliminary boot code in the hard drive's boot sector and the rest of itself in the hidden OS X partition? I'm trying to figure out if I need to re-partition again to leave ~ 200MB free at the beginning of the hard drive for Chameleon or if the program works around a "normal," smaller boot partition on an existing, already-partitioned hard disk.

 

3) The people who are having problems booting XP: are your XP installs on separate hard disks? My XP is on the same hard disk, so I want to understand if I'll have problems booting XP before installing this.

 

Thanks in advance...

[Guest pcharles25]

Chameleon 2.0RC1 is out!

Right before 1st of April, Chameleon Team gladly introducing the Release Candidate 1 version of Chameleon 2.0 for public download. Now supporting GUI booting, and all other features mentioned in the previous articles.

 

 

Credits

Thanks to bumby, cosmo1t, Dense, dfe, fassl, Galaxy, iNDi, Kabyl, kaitek, kalyway, mackerintel, netkas, sckevyn, Turbo, XyZ.

 

Note:

 

Installer Package with new options is in the works, according to kabyl.

 

For the meantime, you can grab the binary from their website and read the README file on how to install manually.

 

For additional help, log-in to irc.voodooprojects.org channel #chameleon

 

 

 

this is very cool, i am glad i made a installer with the binaries in a few threads down.

try it it works great.

you can't post results now because the thread is locked because some moderaterator got sand in the {censored}.

[tormentor]

pcharles25, I think they locked the topic 'cause of your bad language. You should calm down a bit. I tested your pre-installer and it worked like the other gui installers that came out with this beta. And if it worked for me, an amateur, should work for anybody else, or you can save yourself with a boot132 disk...

 

In any case I would wait for the official release, then some mods will eventually be more useful...

[Azoro2000]

Ok.. Ubuntu is seen Chameleon instaled to disk0s2 (primary partition), Ubu in disk0s7 (logical partition). Used a utility that has saved me many times a lot of work/trouble, solving boot problems between Windows/Linux and lately OS X too, to restore Grub to Ubuntu partition bootsector. It has an option to do just that!

The utility, SuperGrubDisk can be found here: Super Grub Disk Official Webpage

it's a bootable image with lots of language support.. truly useful for noobs and not only!

After booting the image and choosing language, go to Advanced/Grub/Restore Grub in Partition. Follow your nose.. the image contains nice help, just explore it.

 

p.s.: Installer working fine here but, needs some polishing.. will post feedback later.. still messing with it

 

Hi, I have a HD with Windows XP partition + Ubuntu partition. In this moment I've installed Grub in this disk MBR and use it to boot Ubuntu and/or Windows. Should I follow your directions and install Grub in the Ubuntu partition as well... am I going not be able to start Windows XP anymore?

Of course I wanto to do that becouse my Ubutnu partition is not recognized...

 

Thanks a lot!

[mitch_de]

First impression : all works.

But as i tried to boot WIN XP , shown as bootable if boot from HD1, from an partition on other HD2 it displays an _ and stops.

I have to boot from that HD2 (F12 Boot Menue BIOS, HD2 has also newest chameleon bootloader) and then select the XP Partition there(HD2) - that worked.

Is there an problem of booting from an partition which is on an other HD (pysical) ?

Also my SATA AHCI DVD as boot is not shown - last chameleon showed that in text (F8). (Please not same nightmare as with that USB UEFI bootloader - cant see any AHCI devices of my ICH9)

What´s that new boot.plist entrys for ?

Rescan=Yes Enable CD-ROM rescan mode.

"Rescan Prompt"=Yes Prompts for enable CD-ROM rescan mode.

They "look like" as an help for CD/DVD problems.

Are they useable togehter or only one of them ?

[cvad]

@ALL who like to install Chameleon2 to USB-stick.

 

For this purpose, not need so many steps.

Just install it with GUI-Installer and all will be OK.

Before annonce, I tested it with MBR and GUID formatted USB-stick.

With new ver. Chameleon, just copy new boot file to root USB-stick.

 

Good luck.

[Azimutz]

Edited (4/4/09)

 

One thing with the Installer.. deselecting Extras package doesn't stop the mkext creation procedure.

Wish you guys don't "default to install" the Extras package.

 

One other thing with the Bootloader.. it always loads the stuff from the Extra folder that's on the partition were the bootloader is installed. Meaning, when i boot my test partition, the Extra stuff that is used is the one in the main.

Just wondering if you guys made it like this?

Not really a problem.. in fact, can be handy, depending on what i'm setting up in the test partition.

 



 

Facts:

Have only disk0 to boot from, using MBR, AHCI controller (ICH7).

Installed to s2 (leo), boots s1 (windows xp, ntfs), boots s3 (test leo).. sees s5/s6 (data, hfs+), boots s7 (Ubuntu). Boots from USB HD and USB stick.

dsdt.aml, smbios.plist and com.apple.Boot.plist loading fine from Extra. Everything in one place, nice!

IONetworkingFamily/AppleIntel8255x also loading fine, mkext (Extra) or kext (Extra/Extensions).

Installer worked fine, installing to same or other partition.. install partition marked Active.

What can i say more!?...

Love this vapourware

 

Thanks so much, guys.

[Guest pcharles25]

I am just a get it done kind of guy, i do... not talk...

 

The guy is going on about all kinds of bull {censored} that i don't eve care about

 

i/everyone wanted a installer!

 

I Brought one to the table... and then to have some dip stick call me a amateur, and so on,

i mean when you are talking about porn.. the amateur kind is the best. fresh new,

Great ideas.. so there for its not a bad thing to be one, it just makes him sound like

a superior douche bag. he will eventally find his {censored} lover and move on and stop posting here

i am here to stay 2005 baby!

 

one thing i will say i ain't no amateur, regardless of what that pencil {censored} pole smoker says.

[rgitelman]

is it possible to remove a certain partition from the boot menu? I have a partition with a ghost image that i don't want showing up.

[cmdshft]

Doesn't the Ubuntu installer install grub?

 

 

As stated above, only partially, one part on the partitons bootsector, and the rest on disk in /boot.

 

I have the fix posted on my blog: http://www.hara.ipwn.me/blog/?p=150

[TurdWise]

As stated above, only partially, one part on the partitons bootsector, and the rest on disk in /boot.

 

I have the fix posted on my blog: http://www.hara.ipwn.me/blog/?p=150

 

Onca again you demonstrate that you don't understand what you're posting about: Ubuntu installs a fully working grub (grub-legacy) to the default location *unless* you do the obvious thing & select customise where you have the option of installing it elsewhere (as needed to work with chameleon) or not at all (allowing you to play with bootloaders to your hearts content at a later stage) ubuntu keeps its kernels & initrds in /boot this is fairly common practice in linux & does not constitute a "half-install"

 

please stop spamming your blog full of half-baked assumptions born of ignorance.

 

oh and fwiw, people installing to the EFI partition no longer need to reformat it so many of the complex guides on this site are making it harder for thmslves. just install with fdisk & dd to rdiskXs1 and mount the fat partition to drop in Extra/ & boot.

[Azimutz]

Hi Azi

Install to USB WITHOUT the Extra Folder.

It will use the Extra Folder you select to boot.

 

Edit (4/4/09)

 

Hi mate.. I can't boot from USB devices.. no Bios/mobo support for that. Damn you HP nice HP

I can always change the active partition.. a bit of a pain...

See ya on PM.

 

------------------------------------------------------

 

It seems the noob here was wrong!

I somehow got the idea stuck in my mind, that i couldn't boot USB devices. Not because i read it somewere.. just looking at bios Setup and being to lazy (and stupid) to try it out. There's also this Boot Menu i keep forgetting it exists (beside bios Setup).. and there they were, my USB devices ready to be booted! Damn noob..

[pion]

is there a way to hide my other drives such as "download drive" and "time machine backup drive" durning the select menu as it pointless to show them since they are not bootable drives?

[cmdshft]

Onca again you demonstrate that you don't understand what you're posting about: Ubuntu installs a fully working grub (grub-legacy) to the default location *unless* you do the obvious thing & select customise where you have the option of installing it elsewhere (as needed to work with chameleon) or not at all (allowing you to play with bootloaders to your hearts content at a later stage) ubuntu keeps its kernels & initrds in /boot this is fairly common practice in linux & does not constitute a "half-install"

 

please stop spamming your blog full of half-baked assumptions born of ignorance.

 

 

Ubuntu 8.10 installs GRUB partially to the bootsector by default, and the rest to /boot by default. With the default install method, Chameleon will not see your 8.10 installtion because the bootloader in the bootsector is not valid (because of this partial installation) from. As stated in my blog post, if you dump the bootsector of your Ubuntu 8.10 drive or partition, you can hexdump it to see if it's valid or not by looking at the last two bytes. If they are 00 00 then the bootsector is not valid. If it's 55 aa, then it's fine (and should be seen anyway by Chameleon at that point).

 

If it's not valid, all that needs to be done in the end is run "sudo grub-install /dev/sdX" where X is the drive you need (a, b, c etc), or /dev/sdXY where X is the same as mentioned, and Y is the number partition. This will install GRUB to the bootsector and make it valid, and then Chameleon can see Ubuntu 8.10.

 

Most people don't know a whole lot about that (not even I do, I am still learning), so when they go through the default setup, and they go "WTF IT NO WORK" then they have this as a solution.

[bazilato]

work nice using official installer

 

However cannot boot into WinXP (separate HD=

cursor blinking and everything is stopped

 

A lot of people having this problem ...

No ideas guy ?

[supermx3]

finally got it working on my machine, figured out to remove the refresh rate setting on my graphics mode string, works great

[iRipper]

work nice using official installer

 

However cannot boot into WinXP (separate HD=

cursor blinking and everything is stopped

 

A lot of people having this problem ...

No ideas guy ?

 

Works great here. Using the same official installer. But it can't boot Vista out of the separate HD. No a big problem though

Thanks for the great release guys ! Keep up the outstanding work

[mitch_de]

@ALL who like to install Chameleon2 to USB-stick.

For this purpose, not need so many steps.

Just install it with GUI-Installer and all will be OK.Before annonce, I tested it with MBR and GUID formatted USB-stick.With new ver. Chameleon, just copy new boot file to root USB-stick.Good luck.

Thanks, but in general be always carefull to use such personal modded/configured install tools.

If the name includes also Version number, that GUI install has an older C R2.0 V 408 content (boot,booth1,....) , now its 431. You can copy your newest content (boot,boot1, cdboot...) into it before usage - no problem and recommended!

 

Also i would look in the extensions if you really need all of that stuff.

Disabler.kext of it (that kext isnt an "fixed thing") is mostly personally configured by its .plist to avoid loading problematic apple kexts. You may not need to block for example AppleUpStream...kext if you dont have an Nvidia GPU (Mouse lag)).

So check that an if needed add some or remove/edit some of that extensions folder.

To get an new/own .mkext (dont use new .kext with old .mkext!) you can use that great very easy drag&drop tool MkextTool. You can look in, pack & unpack .mkexts the easy way.

MKextTool.zip

[iSynapse]

work nice using official installer

 

However cannot boot into WinXP (separate HD=

cursor blinking and everything is stopped

 

A lot of people having this problem ...

No ideas guy ?

 

Same here...any suggestinos ?

[cvad]

...Also i would look in the extensions if you really need all of that stuff.

Disabler.kext of it (that kext isnt an "fixed thing") is mostly personally configured by its .plist to avoid loading problematic apple kexts. You may not need to block for example AppleUpStream...kext if you dont have an Nvidia GPU (Mouse lag)).

So check that an if needed add some or remove/edit some of that extensions folder.

To get an new/own .mkext (dont use new .kext with old .mkext!) you can use that great very easy drag&drop tool MkextTool. You can look in, pack & unpack .mkexts the easy way.

Thanks for your attention.

 

But allways carefully read the file readme - (READ ME FIRST!!!.rtf)

1. Copy the contents of your own "Extra" folder to "Extra Contents" directory link !!!

Several kext in the Extra directory and mkext-file are used for example.

"To get an new/own .mkext (and more..) you can use that great very easy" - Full Kext Utility 2.2 in my sig.

Good luck.

[mitch_de]

Yeah, sure those .kext in extra are examples - but i bet : lot of people will use for example that disabler.kext without locking in its .plist whats blocked. disabler.kext can be configured to block much more than only the needed AppleIntelCPU... - so better take always a look before using such configurable .kexts. That(checking .plist) is guilty for all configurable kexts.

[jjduro]

Same here...any suggestinos ?

 

Same here

[mitch_de]

Question in general for configuring the boot.plist for chameleon 2.0

 

What kind/type have those YES/NO values for GUI, RESCAN.... ?

I can use binary (i think thats right) or string in the PlistEditPro i use for all my .plist editing. If string "Yes" or "YES" ?

[i_Geek]

if i have previous chamelion version, can i update it via installer to the new one ?

 

thanks