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[Guide] EVGA X58 Vanilla Install :: Snow Leopard

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in OSx86 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

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EVGA X58 Vanilla Install Guide :: Snow Leopard

Preface

First off, I know there are a few other EVGA X58 installation guides out there, but from what I could find, many used methods I'd rather avoid (like installing OSInstall.mpkg to another hard drive or partition) or just not being for Snow Leopard (Snow Leopard's native ability to install from a hard drive changes a lot.) In my experience, using the 'OSInstall.mpkg' method can lead to little problems and annoyances.

 

This guide is completely vanilla (I even believe that there is a vanilla workaround for sound now, too, but I haven't tried it yet.) This guide will split into two paths for a while, depending on what hardware you have available to use.

What You'll Need

-Another Mac OS X Installation (things will be even easier if you can get your hands on a Mac Pro, but that isn't required.) You may use another vanilla installation, a real mac, or a distribution.

-You'll need a disc image of the Snow Leopard install DVD (this can easily be done using Disc Utility. You can just use the original DVD if you're using a real Mac or if you run your bootloader from another flash drive.)

-A spare hard drive that you can reformat and install Snow Leopard onto OR a spare external hard drive to make into an install "disc."

-This pack of stuff [here] (I put together everything you need into one package - Netkas' boot file, Chameleon 2 RC3 r658, and a collection of KEXTs, plists, and utilities. You can update Chameleon and the boot file if you'd like, but I know these work.)

NOTE: The DMG only appears to display correctly on a Snow Leopard installation. If you are running another version of OS X, view the reference image here so you know what everything is for.

 

Install Method I: Using a Mac Pro (or any Mac where you can plug your hard drive into the SATA port.)

THIS METHOD IS THE MOST RELIABLE.

(NOTE: You need an administrator password in order to use sudo command. If you don't have one, set one.)

1a) (Optional - if used, use 1b as well) Create a disc image of your Snow Leopard Install DVD.

On your Mac: Place your Snow Leopard Install DVD in your drive. Open Disc Utility and choose your DVD. Click 'Create Image' and follow any dialogue boxes. Save the image to a location of your choosing.

1b) Restore your Snow Leopard DVD to an external hard drive.

Open Disk Utility and click on your external hard drive. Choose the 'Partition' tab. Choose '1 Partition.' Choose 'Options->GUID Partition Table.' Name the drive whatever you want. This name won't be kept when you restore the image. After the partitioning is complete, choose the 'Restore' tab. Select your Snow Leopard disk image and drag your external hard drive into the 'Destination' field. Check 'Erase Destination' and press 'Restore.' Allow this process to complete.

2) Insert your Hackintosh's hard drive into your Mac.

3) Boot from the install disc / hard drive.

4) Format your Hackintosh's hard drive.

Open Disk Utility and click on your hard drive. Choose the 'Partition' tab. Choose '1 Partition.' Choose 'Options->GUID Partition Table.' Name the drive what you want (I named it 'Macintosh HD.') Click 'Partition.'

5) Quit Disk Utility.

6) Click 'Continue' on the Mac OS X Installation screen.

7) When prompted to choose where to install to, choose your Hackintosh's hard drive.

8) Click 'Customize.'

9) Select everything but the printer drivers. (Unless you don't care to install all the features and such.)

10) Press 'Okay' and then 'Install.'

11) Allow Snow Leopard to install.

12) When it's complete, shut down your Mac and remove your Hackintosh's hard drive.

13) Boot your Mac back up on its own installation.

14) Plug in your flash drive that you are dedicating to be a first-time bootloader for your Hackintosh.

Open Disk Utility and click on your external hard drive. Choose the 'Partition' tab. Choose '1 Partition.' Choose 'Options->GUID Partition Table.' Name the drive whatever you want.

15) Place the files you downloaded from above on your desktop (if you didn't download them, they are available here.)

16) Open Terminal (Application->Utilities->Terminal.)

17) Type 

diskutil list

Write down your flash drive's identifier and its partition identifier. (i.e. - disk# and disc#s2 (or s1 if your flash drive doesn't have room for an EFI partition.) You'll need these later.

18) Type 

cd

then drag and drop the i386 folder within your Chameleon folder (which was included in my set of files.)

19) Type 

sudo fdisk -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdisk2

and replace 'rdisk2' with whatever your flash drive's identifier was.

20) Type 

sudo dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk2s2

and replace 'rdisk2s2' with whatever your flash drive's partition identifier was.

21) Type 

sudo cp

and drag the 'boot' file to your terminal window, then drag your flash drive to the terminal window. Press enter. Enter your password if required.

22) Close Terminal.

23) Drag my included 'Extra' folder to your flash drive.

24a) If you aren't using a GeForce GTX 260, you'll need a new EFI string for your com.apple.Boot.plist. Instructions for doing this can be found here. [http://aquamac.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=509&page=1]'>http://aquamac.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=509&page=1] 896MB Memory Size: 0x00000038

Paste this EFI String into the device-properties section off your com.apple.Boot.plist in the 'Extra' folder.

24b) Change 'Graphics Mode' in com.apple.Boot.plist to whatever your resolution settings are.

24c) Remove arch=i386 if you want a 64-bit kernel. I have not tested this yet.

25) Put your Hackintosh's hard drive into your Hackintosh. Also plug in your flash drive.

26) Boot your Hackintosh. Enter the BIOS and set the following settings:

Under 'Integrated Peripherals' set the first and last two options to AHCI.

Under 'Power Management Setup' change the setting from 'S1' to 'S3.'

Under 'PnP/PCI Configurations' change the setting for default output from 'PCI' to 'PCI Ex' (unless you're using a PCI graphics card.)

Under 'Frequency/Voltage Control' over clock your RAM and/or CPU if you so choose.

27) Save and exit setup.

28) Your computer will restart. Press the 'Esc' key repeatedly to access the boot menu. If all goes as planned, your flash drive will appear as a boot choice. Boot from it. When the Chameleon bootloader shows up, press any key and choose your Snow Leopard drive. Press enter.

29) Hopefully, your computer will start up. If you get kernel panics, remote 'DSDT.aml' from your extra folder. This only disadvantage to this is the need to re-enter BIOS settings every time you boot into OS X.

30) Follow the same instructions that you followed above to install Chameleon and the Netkas boot file and Extra folder onto your flash drive to install it to your boot drive. Except use the disk# from your boot drive, not the flash drive.

31) Now you can boot without the flash drive plugged in! One last step: Use Technojunkie's 'Kext Helper' application I included to install VoodooHDA.kext. (This is the only non-vanilla part of the install.) Run the 'Kext Utility' application and allow it to complete. Lastly, install the Realtek driver .pkg that I included to get the Ethernet working. Reboot (making sure that you are booting to your Snow Leopard drive) and be happy. Snow Leopard should be fully functioning! (NOTE: Sleep still doesn't work. Be sure to disable sleep under the 'Energy Saver' panel in System Preferences.

ALSO NOTE THAT WITH THE KEXTs I INCLUDED, THE 10.6.2 UPDATE DOESN'T WORK. I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS UNTIL I HAVE A BACKUP DRIVE TO BACKUP TO. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THIS TO WORK, THOUGH. LOOK AROUND THESE FORUMS.

 

Install Method II: Installing on your Hackintosh PC (booting from the Install Disc.)

THIS METHOD DOESN'T REQUIRE A REAL MAC (EXCEPT FOR INITIAL FORMATTING, SO YOU CAN BORROW ONE OR USE A DISTRIBUTION.) THE DOWNSIDE IS THAT THE INSTALLER CAN BE VERY UNSTABLE (AT LEAST ON MY SYSTEM.)

PART I: This requires a working OS X installation.

(NOTE: You need an administrator password in order to use sudo command. If you don't have one, set one.)

1) Create a disc image of your Snow Leopard Install DVD.

On your OS X Installation: Place your Snow Leopard Install DVD in your drive. Open Disc Utility and choose your DVD. Click 'Create Image' and follow any dialogue boxes. Save the image to a location of your choosing.

2) Restore your Snow Leopard DVD to an external hard drive.

Open Disk Utility and click on your external hard drive. Choose the 'Partition' tab. Choose '1 Partition.' Choose 'Options->GUID Partition Table.' Name the drive whatever you want. This name won't be kept when you restore the image. After the partitioning is complete, choose the 'Restore' tab. Select your Snow Leopard disk image and drag your external hard drive into the 'Destination' field. Check 'Erase Destination' and press 'Restore.' Allow this process to complete.

3) Place the files you downloaded from above on your desktop (if you didn't download them, they are available here.)

4) Open Terminal (Application->Utilities->Terminal.)

5) Type 

diskutil list

Write down your install drive's identifier and its partition identifier. (i.e. - disk# and disc#s2 (or s1 if your flash drive/hard drive doesn't have an EFI partition.) You'll need these later.

6) Type 

cd

then drag and drop the i386 folder within your Chameleon folder (which was included in my set of files.)

7) Type 

sudo fdisk -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdisk2

and replace 'rdisk2' with whatever your install drive's identifier was.

8) Type 

sudo dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk2s2

and replace 'rdisk2s2' with whatever your install drive's partition identifier was.

9) Type 

sudo cp

and drag the 'boot' file to your terminal window, then drag your install drive to the terminal window. Press enter. Enter your password if required.

10) Close Terminal.

11) Drag my included 'Extra' folder to your flash drive.

12a) If you aren't using a GeForce GTX 260, you'll need a new EFI string for your com.apple.Boot.plist. Instructions for doing this can be found here. [http://aquamac.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=509&page=1] 896MB Memory Size: 0x00000038

Paste this EFI String into the device-properties section off your com.apple.Boot.plist in the 'Extra' folder.

12b) Change 'Graphics Mode' in com.apple.Boot.plist to whatever your resolution settings are.

12c) Remove arch=i386 if you want a 64-bit kernel. I have not tested this yet.

13) Boot/reboot your Hackintosh and set your BIOS as follows:

Under 'Integrated Peripherals' set the first and last two options to AHCI.

Under 'Power Management Setup' change the setting from 'S1' to 'S3.'

Under 'PnP/PCI Configurations' change the setting for default output from 'PCI' to 'PCI Ex' (unless you're using a PCI graphics card.)

Under 'Frequency/Voltage Control' over clock your RAM and/or CPU if you so choose.

14) Your computer will reboot. Press escape and choose to boot from your install drive.

15) At the Chameleon bootloader choose your Snow Leopard drive.

16) If all goes well, your computer will boot into the Snow Leopard installer.

17) Format your Hackintosh's hard drive.

Open Disk Utility and click on your (internal) hard drive. Choose the 'Partition' tab. Choose '1 Partition.' Choose 'Options->GUID Partition Table.' Name the drive what you want (I named it 'Macintosh HD.') Click 'Partition.'

18) Quit Disk Utility.

19) Click 'Continue' on the Mac OS X Installation screen.

20) When prompted to choose where to install to, choose your Hackintosh's hard drive.

21) Click 'Customize.'

22) Select everything but the printer drivers. (Unless you don't care to install all the features and such.)

23) Press 'Okay' and then 'Install.'

24) Allow Snow Leopard to install.

25) When it's complete, press 'Restart.'

26) Hopefully, your computer will boot into Snow Leopard.

If you get a kernel panic, try removing the DSDT.aml. This will cause you to have to re-enter BIOS setting after every boot into Mac.

27) Follow the same instructions that you followed above to install Chameleon and the Netkas boot file and Extra folder onto your flash drive to install it to your boot drive. Except use the disk# from your boot drive, not the flash drive.

28) Now you can boot without the flash drive plugged in! One last step: Use Technojunkie's 'Kext Helper' application I included to install VoodooHDA.kext. (This is the only non-vanilla part of the install.) Run the 'Kext Utility' application and allow it to complete. Lastly, install the Realtek driver .pkg that I included to get the Ethernet working. Reboot (making sure that you are booting to your Snow Leopard drive) and be happy. Snow Leopard should be fully functioning! (NOTE: Sleep still doesn't work. Be sure to disable sleep under the 'Energy Saver' panel in System Preferences.

ALSO NOTE THAT WITH THE KEXTs I INCLUDED, THE 10.6.2 UPDATE DOESN'T WORK. I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS UNTIL I HAVE A BACKUP DRIVE TO BACKUP TO. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THIS TO WORK, THOUGH. LOOK AROUND THESE FORUMS.

 

Tip

This is for both install methods.

To give your Hackintosh a more authentic Mac OS X experience: Download Developer Tools from developer.apple.com, or install it from the 'Optional Installs' folder on your Install DVD. After it's installed, open Terminal, and type 

setfile -a V

then drag and drop the 'boot' file from the root of your hard drive to the Terminal window. Press enter. Do the same thing again with the 'Extra' folder. (The folder can still be accessed by pressing cmd+shift+G and typing '/Extra' into the box.)

If this fails, try typing 

sudo -s

and pressing enter. Enter your password and try the above commands again.

 

Troubleshooting: Kernel Panics and Such

System not working? System unstable?

Hard drive doesn't show in the boot menu: This is because you didn't format your drive to boot correctly. Redo the steps about installing Netkas' boot file and the Chameleon bootloader. If it still doesn't work, reformat your drive and try all the steps over again.

Panic(cpu # caller [...]: Try removing your DSDT.aml and/or add to your boot flags 'cpus=1.' (In com.apple.Boot.plist.)

Other kernel panics (i.e. "You need to restart your computer."): Try booting with the -f -x -v boot flags. (In com.apple.Boot.plist.)

Applications won't install and/or launch: Try repairing your disc permissions. Open Disc Utility and select your hard drive and click 'Verify and Repair Permissions.' If it still doesn't work, boot from the install disc, repair permissions there, and then reboot and repair permissions from within Snow Leopard again. If this still doesn't work, read up on the specific application. Sometimes deleting program preferences or doing a full reinstall works.

Sound doesn't work: Though the included VoodooHDA.kext should work with the 64-bit kernel, it might not. Try adding the 'arch=i386' boot flag to com.apple.Boot.plist.

Other Questions: Ask them as a response or private message; when they're resolved I'll add them here.

 

Special Thanks

To Netkas for the boot file, Techno_junkie for the Utilities, The Chameleon Bootloader Project for their bootloader, everyone I've gathered kernel extensions from, and the entire Hackintosh community for their assistance throughout my experience Hackintoshing my computer.

 

My Systems Specifications

For reference, here is my system:

Motherboard: EVGA X58 (E758)

Processor: Intel Core i7 920 @ 3.36GHz

RAM: 6GB Corsair DDR3 1600

Hard Drives: 3 SATA hard drives, 2 Seagate, 1 Samsung

Case (not that it has any affect on running Mac): Antec Twelve Hundred

 

Coming Soon

-Videos and screenshots illustrating the method.

-Instructions on upgrading to 10.6.2.

-I'll fix there errors as I or other notice them. Or a missed step. That would be a good thing to fix.

 

Downloads

Download the DMG of files and instructions: [http://www.sveetly.com/downloads/EVGA_X58_Files.dmg]

Reference image is the background is missing: [http://www.sveetly.com/downloads/EVGA_X58_Files_Ref.png]

Download an RTF version of the guide: [http://www.sveetly.com/downloads/EVGA_X58_Install_Guide.rtf]

 

Also Note

I am well-aware that there are errors in the downloaded DMG's version of the guide. These are minor, such as inconsistent formatting and the fact that I wrote twice 'arch=i286' instead of 'arch=i386.' The DMG had problems and took a lot of tries to get it to work, and is read-only. I don't plan to update it unless I need to (i.e. a major change or a missing/added/updated file.) Please either correct these or follow the guide in this post, as it is up to date. Thank you.

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