This is now a general discussion thread! Enjoy!
***************************************************************************
NOTE: This is a RETAIL LEOPARD GUIDE. You need a RETAIL copy of the Leopard DVD. Support Apple and buy your own DVD! You cannot use Machine-Specific Discs like a Macbook Pro or iMac Leopard DVD, it must be RETAIL! (any version) Newegg sells it for $109 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832110040
SUPPORT APPLE! PURCHASE LEOPARD!
***************************************************************************
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction
II. System Capabilities
III. Known Quirks
IV. Recipes
V. Budget Rig Recipe
VI. Better Budget Rig Recipe
VII. Media Center Rig Recipe
VIII. Monster Workstation Rig Recipe
IX. Hardware Setup and Testing
X. Preparation
XI. Leopard Installation
XII. Post-Install Setup
XIII. Apple Updates
XIV. Useful Apps
XV. Additional Notes
I. Introduction:
New to Hackintoshes? Read this first:
Hackintosh 101 Guide
Hackintosh is the idea of putting the Mac operating system (Leopard OS X 10.5) onto a PC. The picky parts are the motherboard and video card; this guide uses the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L rev2.0 motherboard with the F7 or newer BIOS, which is VERY compatible. Video cards will require a bit of research; Apple mostly likes Nvidia graphics cards. I recommend avoiding cards with 512mb VRAM as they have a history of problems, although the newer drivers are pretty good. My software package comes with a ton of supported video cards. Here's a list:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7618558/Video-Cards
If your Nvidia card isn't on the list, you can pick a similar card and modify the name to match your card. For example, I have a Quadro FX 5600, but it's not on the list, so I select the 768mb 8800GTX and rename it to a Quadro FX 5600. YMMV. Alternatively, you can just install a normal driver. My package doesn't include a comprehensive list of Hackintosh video cards because there are simply too many to include. Check out the Graphics Card sub-forum on InsanelyMac for more details:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showforum=151
Links to my previous monthly posts: (useful discussions in there)
June discussion | May discussion | August discussion
II. System Capabilities:
-100% Leopard 10.5.5 Compatible (Sleep, Shutdown, Restart, Time Machine, etc.)
-Retail Install (use a real Leopard DVD)
-Download software updates directly from Apple's Software Update
-VM-capable (VMware, Parallels, Crossover for Mac)
-Great for an HD Media Center (Plex + Remote Control = awesome)
-Awesome workstation (Adobe CS4, Final Cut Studio 2, Aperture 2, Microsoft Office 2008, etc.)
-Fully 1080p-capable
III. Known Quirks
1. Audio sometimes pops when you first start playing music. This is normal and is a bug in the AppleHDA drivers. The developers are saying that Apple is changing the audio sub-system in 10.5.6+ and that we should probably pick up a USB or Firewire sound card because it will probably screw up the Hackintosh drivers. I have a really nice, basic $8 USB sound card from Syba that even lets me control volume with the multimedia keys on my keyboard, available from Newegg.
2. If you're using a 10.5.4 Leopard disc to install OS X with, you may need to have the Onboard LAN Boot ROM enabled in BIOS to make Ethernet work (adds power to the port). Only enable this option if Ethernet does not work using a 10.5.4 install disc because it adds like 10 seconds to boot time. I've only had one user have to do this though.
3. Legacy ports are not supported: IDE, Parallel, and Serial. Yes, PS/2 DOES work, so you can use your PS/2 mice and keyboards. If you have an IDE drive you want to use, get an IDE-to-SATA adapter cable or a USB enclosure for the drive (I've heard of problems with the SATA adapter cable, so a USB enclosure is probably the best way to go). If you need Serial or Parallel ports, just get a Mac-compatible PCI or PCIe card. Also this board doesn't have Firewire; you can get a Mac-compatible PCI or PCIe card for that as well.
4. If you have a Hackintosh install already, DON'T USE MIGRATION ASSISTANT OR TIME MACHINE RESTORE. This is a RETAIL INSTALL and using Migration Assistant from your old hard drive or Time Machine restore from your backup drive will screw up the installation. Both methods copy over the Hackintosh subsystem (EFI, kexts, etc.), and even if you delete the hacked kexts after copying, it will still be messed up. This is the equivalent of cloning a Hackintosh install to an iMac. So copy your old files manually if you want to migrate your previous install over.
5. Wiggling the mouse or tapping the keyboard won't wake this system from sleep. P35 systems require you to press the Power Button to wake them from sleep. This is actually nice because if you accidentally bump your table, the computer won't wake up!
IV. Recipes:
I have 4 recipes for this motherboard:
1. Budget box ($305) [see Section V]
2. Better Budget box ($450) [see Section VI]
3. Media Center box ($455) [see Section VII]
4. Monster Workstation box ($970) [see Section VIII]
V. Budget Rig Recipe: 305 beans
Case: Rosewill Steel Case with 350w PSU and 92mm Rear Fan ($37)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel E2180 2.0ghz Dual-Core Allendale with CPU cooler ($70)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA HDD: WD 160gb 7200rpm SATA ($42)
Video Card: 256mb 7300GT (1 DVI, 1 VGA) ($30)
This is a nice starter rig, everything you need to run OS X well. But, it lacks a few nice features - which is why I added the "Better Budget" recipe next...
VI. Better Budget Rig Recipe: 450 beans
The Better Budget rig extends the above Budget rig to add the following features:
1. Faster CPU: This changes the 65nm 2.0ghz Allendale to a 45nm 2.5ghz Wolfdale for just $13 more. It also increases the L2 cache from 1MB to 2MB.
2. 4GB RAM: Double the memory for only $24 more. This helps OS X run better and is also totally worth it if you plan on running Windows XP in a Virtual Machine. This way you can give XP 2 gigs of RAM and still have 2 gigs of RAM for OS X.
3. Boot Drive: The boot drive capacity is doubled from 160gb to 320gb.
4. Backup Drive: 320gb backup drive - double the size of the 160gb boot drive, gives you lots of room for automatic hourly Time Machine backups. Personally I would NEVER run an OS X machine without a backup drive. This is the #1 feature in Leopard that makes it all worth it. Even if your boot drive fails, you can easily restore your ENTIRE SYSTEM using Time Machine, up to the last hour's backup. This includes apps, accounts, scripts, fonts, bookmarks, files - everything. Totally worth having a backup drive!
5. Card Reader: This is the ultimate card reader and is only $14. 65-in-1 plus a USB port (just in case you get a case that doesn't have front USB ports), it can ready pretty much ever card on the planet. If you have a PSP, a camera, a digital camcorder, whatever, it's super useful to have one of these devices. Plus it's internal and fits in a 3.5" drive bay and uses an internal USB port, so it's completely integrated with the computer. And it's 100% Leopard compatible natively - plug and play right out of the box.
6. Video Card: Upgraded to a more powerful Dual DVI card (includes a VGA adapter for convenience) for $25 more.
Add the following to the above recipe for the Super Budget rig:
Processor: 2.5ghz E5200 Dual-Core Wolfdale CPU ($83)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24 x 2 = $48)
Boot Drive: Samsung 320gb 7200rpm SATA ($55)
Backup Drive: Samsung 320gb 7200rpm SATA ($55)
Card Reader: 65-in-1 Internal Card Reader with a USB 2.0 port ($14)
Video Card: 256mb 8600GT with Dual DVI ($55)
VII. Media Center Rig Recipe: 455 beans
Note: S-video output does not work on Hackintoshes. This means no Composite, no S-video, and no Component. Your options are VGA, DVI, and HDMI (via adapter). Pretty much, you will only want to use this Media Center with an HDTV, such as an RPTV, LCD, Plasma, or Projector. Addendum: S-Video is confirmed working on the ATI X1900XT, which is now out of production. I ordered an HD 2600XT to test on my tube TV, will report back.
Case: Silverstone LC13 Silver ATX Media Center case with Fans (also available in Black for $9 more) ($100)
Power Supply: Antec low-noise 380w Earthwatts PSU ($30)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel E2180 2.0ghz Dual-Core Allendale with CPU cooler ($70)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA HDD: WD 160gb 7200rpm SATA ($42)
Video Card: 256mb 7300GT (1 DVI, 1 VGA) ($30)
Remote Control IR Receiver: Mantra TR1 USB IR Receiver with Mira software ($32 for IR Receiver + Software) [just added - native Plex support!]
Remote Control: Apple Remote ($19)
Media Center Software: Plex - XBMC port to Mac ($Free)
Additional notes:
1. Remote Control: There are a variety of Remote Control options. I included the basic remote - the Apple Remote - which works with the Mantra IR Receiver and Mira software. Personally I don't much care for the Apple Remote because it's small and gets misplaced easily, plus if you have little kids around they might try to eat it. My favorite remote is the Logitech Harmony series. I have both a 659 and an 880 model. You can use the Matra IR Receiver to interface with your Harmony remote quite easily; click here for the instructions for the Harmony remote series setup. I also have a Keyspan RF Remote for Front Row which works pretty well, although you'll need to modify some buttons in software to do what you want. I like it because it has rubbery pushbuttons and it's RF-based, no IR, so you don't have to aim it at the TV (well, IR receiver). Another good option is to use the Nintendo Wii Remote; I have a guide available here. All you need is a Wii remote, a USB Bluetooth adapter, and some free software. The Bluetooth interface is nice because you don't have to point it at the IR receiver, either.
2. Streaming vs. Local Playback: You can stream 1080p x264 MKV files across a Gigabit network to this machine. I only put in a 160gb 7200rpm hard drive for this reason - you can store all your movies on a NAS or on your computer and stream if you want (note: don't use wireless for streaming, it's terrible!). Otherwise, you can load up the Media Center with as many hard drives as you want. The Silverstone system is capable of taking 5 hard drives (1 DVD, 1 HDD in the 5.25" bay, 2 drives in the external 3.5" bays, and 2 drives internally). Seagate has a 1.5TB hard drive out now for only $180, available on Newegg. Samsung has the super-fast F1 1TB drive for $110 shipped, available on Mwave. OS X has a very nice software RAID feature, so you could use a 160gb 7200rpm drive for a speedy boot drive then RAID together 4 of the 1TB drives to get some massive storage going on.
3. HD Disc Playback: Apple does not currently support HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs; only DVD discs and files. You'll have to rip (and preferably encode) any HD material you have. I rip all of my DVD movies to my hard drive and then download the coverart from Google. With Plex, all you have to do is find a JPG of the DVD Cover and rename it to TBN (thumnail). So if you had "Back to the Future.iso", just drop "Back to the Future.tbn" (a renamed JPG of the cover art) in the same directory and you can browse by Cover rather than Name. Plex has scrapers to get the pic + image automatically, but I prefer to do it myself so that ALL of my media players get the same cover art.
4. Resolution: If you have a funky resolution and need some custom display tweaks, check out SwitchResX or DisplayConfigX.
5. Cables: Monoprice is the best place to get cables - good quality and cheap! DVI is the same as HDMI, so you can get an HDMI adapter or DVI-to-HDMI cable if you want to convert your DVI video card to HDMI. Remember that PC video cards only carry video over the DVI port, so you won't get audio over HDMI. The DS3L supports analog output as well as digital output (coaxial + Toslink), so you can hook up your receiver or TV speakers in a variety of ways. Digital includes 5.1 output. There is a bug in the AppleHDA drivers that makes a "pop" sometimes when you first start playing audio, so you may want to get a USB sound card if that bothers you.
6. Keyboard/Mouse: The best keyboard/mouse to get imo is the Logitech PS3 Mediaboard. Around $40, RF wireless, and has a built-in trackpad. Normally a wireless input device of this caliber would cost $120+, but since it's for PS3 it's only $40. Works on Windows and Mac natively.
VIII. Monster Workstation Rig Recipe: 970 beans
Case: Coolermaster 690 case with Fans and 550w PSU ($100)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel Q6600 2.4ghz Quad-Core CPU ($180)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 with 92mm Fan ($27)
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste ($6)
Memory: 8gb Total - Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24 x 4 = $96)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA Boot + Backup HDD: Two (2) Samsung F1 1TB ($110 x 2 = $220)
Video Card: XFX 768mb 8800GTX ($220)
Card Reader: 65-in-1 Internal Card Reader with a USB 2.0 port ($14)
You can optionally flash the 8800GTX to a Quadro FX 5600 (Apple sells the 1.5gb Quadro FX 5600 for $2850), but if you're dual-booting into XP or Vista, Nvidia has made it act sluggish (not so with the Mac drivers! haha). Also, XP won't boot with anything over 4gb of RAM, so you'll have to use Vista or XP in a VM if you want XP plus 6 or 8 gigs of RAM. The Q6600 is extremely overclockable; if you get a G0 chip (shop around) you can typically hit 3ghz+ even on cheap RAM.
IX. Hardware Setup and Testing:
1. Memory Testing: Build your system and then test it with Memtest86+. Download the ISO, burn it to a CD, and let it run overnight. If you can do 6 passes with Zero errors, you have good memory. ALWAYS TEST THE MEMORY ON ANY NEW SYSTEM OR WHENEVER YOU UPGRADE THE RAM. Memory problems are the #1 source of computer issues and you should ALWAYS do the 6-pass test whenever you build or upgrade a system. In addition to testing memory, your computer is on and running for the amount of time the test takes and lets you see if it overheats, has funny noises (rattles, wires striking fans, etc.), and so on.
2. Upgrade the BIOS: You'll need the F7 BIOS or newer, available from Gigabyte. Installation is super easy - just download the file, run the EXE on a Windows computer and it will extract the BIOS file, and then copy the BIOS file to a FAT/FAT32-formatted USB stick. Pop the USB stick in the computer and hit the button for the BIOS upgrade utility (I believe it's F12) and then follow the instructions. Be sure to backup your existing BIOS first!
3. Cables: Make sure you have all the cables you need, such as SATA cables. Some video cards require one or two PCI Express video card power cables; make sure your power supply has those or else get some adapters if your card doesn't come with any. The DS3L motherboard requires a 20+4 system - it has a big motherboard power plug and then the smaller one near the CPU (it can use a 4-pin or 8-pin power cable for that one). Be sure that your Power Supply has enough SATA power cables; some only come with one or two, so you may need 4-pin Molex adapters to get all of your drives properly powered. Also get some zip ties (Radio Shack sells a big pack) and do some good cable management to improve airflow in your case.
4. Power Supply: Make sure your PSU has enough juice for your system. You can estimate how much you need using the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator online. Always get a bit more than you need for fluctuations and to future-proof the system for upgrading. You can also check how much power your system is actually using by using a Kill-a-Watt energy meter for $18, available from Newegg. Test your system at idle and at 100%; you can make it go 100% by doing a simple Terminal trick. Open Terminal and type in "yes > /dev/null"; open one Terminal window with this command per core (dual core CPU = 2 windows, quad core CPU = 4 windows). Just quit Terminal when done testing. The Kill-a-Watt is only useful for telling you how much power your system is actually using; you don't really need it. It's just nice to know how much juice your system uses and whether or not you need to upgrade your PSU.
X. Preparation:
1. USB Stick Setup: Download my BOOT132 package to your Windows desktop (XP or Vista, PC or VM is fine). Unzip it to your desktop. Inside is a zipped file called bootloader.zip, unzip that inside of the BOOT132 folder. So you'll have Desktop > BOOT132 > bootloader. This is real easy, only 3 steps:
a. Insert your USB stick (any size will do - 64mb or larger - but keep in mind it will be permanently installed 24/7 into your Hackintosh). I like to use a 1GB stick because then you can download the 10.5.5 update ahead of time, copy it on the stick, and save yourself 45 minutes of downloading. Anyway, open My Computer and right-click on the drive (note the drive letter for later) and click Format. Format to FAT (not FAT32), name it "BOOT132", and do a Quick Format.
b. Open DOS (Start > Run > cmd) and navigate to the win32 folder inside that bootloader folder you unzipped (usually type in "cd desktop/boot132/bootloader/win32"). At the prompt, type in "syslinux -ma h:", but replace h: with the drive letter of your USB stick. Hit enter and it should return you to the prompt instantly with no feedback. This installs the Linux bootloader system (very fast!).
c. In the BOOT132 folder on the desktop, open the "Copy to USB" folder - there are a bunch of folders and files inside. Select All of them and copy them to your USB stick - just drag and drop all of the files inside the "Copy to USB" folder over to the root of the USB stick.
That's it - easy eh? Only takes about 30 seconds to setup the USB stick. This contains the Bootloader, EFI Emulation system, and hardware drivers for the DS3L. If you want, download that 10.5.5 update I linked to and copy it to the Tools folder on the USB stick (if you are using a 1GB stick or larger, otherwise it won't fit). This will save you a lot of time later.
2. DVD Setup: You can install Leopard one of two ways: by the Leopard DVD or by Hard Drive. The Hard Drive method is faster, but it requires a Mac (see the next step, #3, for more details). To boot up to the Leopard DVD, you'll need a Boot CD. Inside the BOOT132 folder is a file called "BOOT132CD.iso". Burn that as an ISO (not as a file) to a blank CD or DVD.
3. Hard Drive Setup: If you have a Mac with an available SATA port, you can cut your install time in half and make it easier, too. First, rip Leopard to an image file. To do that, pop the Retail Leopard DVD into your DVD drive and open up Disk Utility. On the left pane, find the DVD and click on the the name (not the DVD drive, but the indented name of the disc). NOTE: You have to use a RETAIL copy of Leopard, you can't use the one for your iMac or Macbook or whatever! MUST BE RETAIL! Okay, so you've clicked on the name, now click on the "New Image" icon in the top middle. Save it to the desktop (it will take awhile to rip, its about 8 gigs worth fo data).
Plug in the boot drive you want to use with your DS3L Hackintosh. In Disk Utility, click on the root drive (the name of the brand of the drive usually). Click on the Partition tab. Partition it into 2 partitions (click the "Current" drop-down menu and change to 2). Click on the first partition and rename it to "Hard Drive" or whatever you want it to be named (spaces are OK). Click on the #2 partition and name it "Leopard" and change the size to "10" (10GB). Click the "Options" button and make sure it's set to "GUID", and make sure the "Format" drop-down menu is set to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Click Apply and wait a minute for it to format.
Now we are going to copy the Leopard DVD image to the Leopard hard drive partition. In Disk Utility, find your boot hard drive and click on the "Leopard" name and icon of the partition you just made (it's indented). Click on the "Restore" tab. Drag the Leopard image from the desktop into the white box that says "Source". Drag the Leopard hard drive icon in the left pane of Disk Utility (the one you clicked on just now) to the white "Destination" box. Now click the "Restore" button, type in your password, and wait 10 minutes or so for it to copy the Leopard DVD image to the hard drive partition. Alternatively, you can do this on a USB drive or a backup drive in case you want to keep the Leopard DVD image on a hard drive for future installs (it's really handy that way).
4. BIOS Setup: BIOS setup is really easy; just follow my settings. A couple special notes: first, if you're using the Leopard DVD to install, you'll need to make the First Boot Device the CDROM initially. After you get setup and get to the Leopard desktop, you can change it to USB again because you won't need the DVD anymore. Second, for either method, make sure that USB is #1 in both the Priority and for the First Boot Device. If you have it set as the First Boot Device but not #1 Priority, it won't boot up properly.
XI. Leopard Installation:
Okay time for the fun part! Make sure you have a compatible video card and appropriate driver if your video card isn't supported by default in my package, make sure you've done Memtest86+, make sure your USB stick is plugged in and you have your boot drive plugged in as well. Unplug any other hard drives you have inside too! Just have your boot drive in for now. The bootloader will see your single hard drive first this way; later on if you want to add more, make sure that your boot drive is listed as #2 in the priority; sometimes plugging in a second hard drive puts the second drive to #2 instead of the boot drive to #2.
Note: If at any time you get a Ghostbusters symbol (circle with a line through it) on the white Apple logo boot screen, reboot and type in -f at the boot prompt, this flushes the cache.
DVD Installation Method: (see Hard Drive Installation Method below if you're using that instead)
Put your Boot Drive and DVD Drive on Ports 0 and 1. These are the first two ports on the motherboard, furthest from the bottom. The order doesn't matter if you're using the Hard Drive, just for DVD installation.
Set your BIOS to boot CDROM first. Insert the Boot CD and boot up. When it gets the prompt, hit enter (note: it will flash "missing com.boot.Apple.plist" briefly, just ignore this). Now it will give you a text-based bootloader saying something like "Hard drive 1 = 80, Hard drive 2 = 81" and so on. Eject the Boot CD and put your Retail Leopard DVD in. The second line of the bootloader will say something like "9f" or "fe"; that's your boot code for the DVD drive, type that in and hit enter. Now wait for the DVD to boot up to the Leopard installer.
At the Leopard installer, click the next arrow (blue one). In the tools menu at the top, open Disk Utility, find your hard drive, and format it to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" and make sure it's formatted as "GUID" not "MBR" (you can check in the Partitions tab by clicking the Options button). Exit Disk Utility. Now just follow the prompts through (select your boot drive as the drive to install Leopard to) and let it install. You can skip Disc Checking when the prompt appears. Takes 30-45 minutes to install. You're installing a Retail Leopard DVD, whoohoo!
When it's done, reboot. You need to put in the Boot CD, but Leopard won't let you eject the DVD, so you have to turn off the computer after it reboots, then boot it up again and eject the Leopard DVD. At the first prompt, hit enter. At the second prompt, type in "80" for your first hard drive and hit enter. Now it boots up to the Leopard setup screen. Go ahead and set it up and get to the desktop. Tip: When it asks for your Apple account or for registration (address and all that), just press the Apple Key (Windows key on Windows keyboards) plus Q and a prompt will appear, click Skip and you can skip it.
Now you're at the Leopard desktop. Eject the Boot CD and insert your USB stick into the back of the computer. Reboot and go into BIOS and setup BIOS so that the USB stick is #1 Priority and #1 in line for booting (make sure BOTH are set!). When it boots up, just select your hard drive name and hit enter. Now to to step XII. Post-Install Setup.
Hard Drive Installation Method:
Insert your USB stick into the back of the computer and make sure your BIOS is setup so that USB is both #1 Priority and #1 on the list in order. Boot up and it will bring you to a text bootloader prompt. Select Leopard and hit enter. Install Leopard - you don't have to format your drive since you already did that. Just select the other partition when you install, whatever you named it (I name mine "Hard Drive"). When it's done, reboot and it takes you back to the text bootloader prompt. Choose your hard drive partition name this time, not Leopard. Now it will boot up to the Leopard setup screen. Setup Leopard (see the note about skipping registration in the DVD installation method). When you get the desktop, you can delete the Leopard partition if you want to. Open Disk Utility, click on the root hard drive name (usually the brand; not the indented partitions), click on the Leopard partition and click the "-" symbol underneath to delete it. Then drag the primary partition down to fill up the empty space. Now your boot partition is the entire hard drive. You're done with install and setup, move on to Post-Install now!
XII. Post-Install Setup:
Alright, the Leopard installation was successful! Now we have to setup a few tools. Open your BOOT132 USB stick and go into the Tools folder. Double-click the Toolkit.dmg file and it will mount on your desktop; inside is a folder called "Tools" - drag that to your desktop.
1. If you have a Core 2 Quad CPU, run "aboutthismac.pkg". This changes the "About This Mac" listing from, say, "2.4ghz Unknown" to "2.4ghz Core 2 Quad". You can run this if you have any other CPU that doesn't show up right. Core 2 Duo CPUs show up properly, however. This doesn't work on all newer chips though, you may have to edit it manually.
2. Open the "Memory Fix" folder. Open Kext Helper and drag the "AppleSMBIOSEFI.kext" onto the app; type in your password and install. Don't reboot yet. Note: this kext won't be overwritten with updates because it's not a standard Apple kext, so it's good to go for Software Updates!
XIII. Apple Updates and More Tools:
So far this package has been tested with 10.5.0, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.3, 10.5.4, and 10.5.5. The next update, 10.5.6, is due out soon and I will test it. Please turn off Automatic Updates in System Preferences. I believe 10.5.6 is going to change some things and we will need to update our USB sticks to deal with it.
If you downloaded 10.5.5 ahead of time and put it on your USB stick in the Tools folder, go ahead and copy that to your hard drive now and install it. Otherwise just run Apple Updates. If you see 10.5.6 in Apple Updates, don't download it yet because I haven't test it! IF YOU DOWNLOAD IT, MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING THE 600 MEG VERSION NOT THE 300 MEG VERSIOn!!
Back in the main "Tools" folder on your desktop, open up "EFIStudio". Under the "Display" drop-down menu, select your video card and click "Add Device". A new window will appear, but don't do anything - just hit the red X button in the top lefthand corner to close it (note: if you're using a separate driver for a different card, skip this stype and install it now). Next, change the "Display" drop-down box to "Ethernet" and click "Add Device". This time when the second window pops up, click the "write to com.apple.Boot.plist" button in the lower righthand corner. This installs the video card driver (unless you're using a separate one) and the Ethernet/Time Machine/UUID fix. Exit the app after this (you have to use the menubar since there's no red X button to click).
Open "OSX86Tools" and click don't check for updates automatically. In the lower righthand corner, click the "Add EFI Strings/Boot Flag" button. You can optionally add your default resolution here to the secod white textbox on the left (the graphics mode box); this changes the white Apple logo boot screen to fit your monitor. You can just put in your resolution or you can put in your full specs if you want; for example, mine is "1920x1200x32@60Hz". Next, on the right side, type "5" into the white box (the current timeout seconds box) - this sets the bootloader to automatically load in 5 seconds instead of having to manually choose which drive or partition to boot from (plus gives you a 5-second window to hit any key if you DO need to get to the prompt). Click on "Apple changes to com.apple.Boot.plist" and reboot! Now your system is completely ready to go - you have your video card installed, the Ethernet fix, automatic boot, etc. set up.
After installing 10.5.5 and rebooting (note: it reboots twice automatically), keep checking for Apple updates and rebooting until there are no more left. You'll have to do this a couple times to get all of the latest updates. Also, after you install Apple software such as iLife or iWork, be sure to check for updates for those as well using Software Update.
XIV. Useful Apps:
1. Headphone Jack: You can use the front headphone jack on your PC case with the onboard audio header (HD Audio) on your motherboard. With real Macs, when you plug something into the front jack it automatically switches, but this isn't the case with Hackintoshes. Rogue Amoeba has a great freebie app called SoundSwitch, available here, that lets you switch between the front port and the rear port. This way you can leave your speakers AND headphones connected at all times and just use the menubar app to swap between them! I actually like this way better because I don't have to unplug my headphones to use my speakers like I do with a real Mac.
2. Compression: Apple includes a basic unzipper app, but we can do much better with some freebies. First, snag The Unarchiver and select ALL the formats for it to be associated with. Second, grab DropCompress, which is an app that sits on your dock and lets you drag-and-drop folders or files into it to instantly zip up with no effort (be sure to change the compression format to ZIP in preferences!). Lastly, download FreeDMG, which lets you create DMG files (basically a Mac-formatted image file). A lot of Mac apps are packaged in DMG format, it's similar to ZIP but the idea is more like ISO - you double-click it and it mounts like a CD disc on your desktop. Those three apps should cover your basic needs. If you need a more powerful tool, try the pay-for Stuffit Deluxe app.
3. Multimedia: Grab VLC, of course - this is the ultimate multimedia file player. Next install Perian, which supports your standard open-source codecs like Xvid. Download Flip4Mac, which lets you play Windows WMV files, and also get RealPlayer for Mac. That covers the multimedia file format bases for audio and video.
XV. Additional Notes:
10.5.6 changes some underlying structures. We'll probably have to update our USB sticks or something, so I'll post an update when the time comes. Also again, the developers are saying 10.5.6 changes the audio sub-system, so you may want to get a sound card (USB, Firewire, or PCI/PCIe). Note that the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 does not work, even though it's advertised as Mac-compatible. You can stick with 10.5.5 if you want onboard audio (analog + digital). Who know what the future holds, but for now 10.5.5 is wondeful
This is a nice system to build a Retail Leopard install on. Super easy, super fast, works great. No bugs that I'm aware of after extensive testing with multiple beta testers. Pretty much this is like having EFI-X for the DS3L board - $170 cheaper and the DS3L is actually supported, hehe. No pretty bootloader though!
Enjoy and please, ask any questions in the thread - myself or another Hackintosh user will be happy to help you!
Hardware Compatibility Quirks:
1. The Pioneer DVR-212D SATA DVD drive does not support sleep under Leopard; putting your computer to sleep will cause the DVD to lockup (various errors) until you reboot. Also, the energy saver "turn off hard disks" option may have the same effect. My suggestion? Get the $25 Lite-on, works great! Confirmed by two users.
***************************************************************************
NOTE: This is a RETAIL LEOPARD GUIDE. You need a RETAIL copy of the Leopard DVD. Support Apple and buy your own DVD! You cannot use Machine-Specific Discs like a Macbook Pro or iMac Leopard DVD, it must be RETAIL! (any version) Newegg sells it for $109 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832110040
SUPPORT APPLE! PURCHASE LEOPARD!
***************************************************************************
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction
II. System Capabilities
III. Known Quirks
IV. Recipes
V. Budget Rig Recipe
VI. Better Budget Rig Recipe
VII. Media Center Rig Recipe
VIII. Monster Workstation Rig Recipe
IX. Hardware Setup and Testing
X. Preparation
XI. Leopard Installation
XII. Post-Install Setup
XIII. Apple Updates
XIV. Useful Apps
XV. Additional Notes
I. Introduction:
New to Hackintoshes? Read this first:
Hackintosh 101 Guide
Hackintosh is the idea of putting the Mac operating system (Leopard OS X 10.5) onto a PC. The picky parts are the motherboard and video card; this guide uses the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L rev2.0 motherboard with the F7 or newer BIOS, which is VERY compatible. Video cards will require a bit of research; Apple mostly likes Nvidia graphics cards. I recommend avoiding cards with 512mb VRAM as they have a history of problems, although the newer drivers are pretty good. My software package comes with a ton of supported video cards. Here's a list:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7618558/Video-Cards
If your Nvidia card isn't on the list, you can pick a similar card and modify the name to match your card. For example, I have a Quadro FX 5600, but it's not on the list, so I select the 768mb 8800GTX and rename it to a Quadro FX 5600. YMMV. Alternatively, you can just install a normal driver. My package doesn't include a comprehensive list of Hackintosh video cards because there are simply too many to include. Check out the Graphics Card sub-forum on InsanelyMac for more details:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showforum=151
Links to my previous monthly posts: (useful discussions in there)
June discussion | May discussion | August discussion
II. System Capabilities:
-100% Leopard 10.5.5 Compatible (Sleep, Shutdown, Restart, Time Machine, etc.)
-Retail Install (use a real Leopard DVD)
-Download software updates directly from Apple's Software Update
-VM-capable (VMware, Parallels, Crossover for Mac)
-Great for an HD Media Center (Plex + Remote Control = awesome)
-Awesome workstation (Adobe CS4, Final Cut Studio 2, Aperture 2, Microsoft Office 2008, etc.)
-Fully 1080p-capable
III. Known Quirks
1. Audio sometimes pops when you first start playing music. This is normal and is a bug in the AppleHDA drivers. The developers are saying that Apple is changing the audio sub-system in 10.5.6+ and that we should probably pick up a USB or Firewire sound card because it will probably screw up the Hackintosh drivers. I have a really nice, basic $8 USB sound card from Syba that even lets me control volume with the multimedia keys on my keyboard, available from Newegg.
2. If you're using a 10.5.4 Leopard disc to install OS X with, you may need to have the Onboard LAN Boot ROM enabled in BIOS to make Ethernet work (adds power to the port). Only enable this option if Ethernet does not work using a 10.5.4 install disc because it adds like 10 seconds to boot time. I've only had one user have to do this though.
3. Legacy ports are not supported: IDE, Parallel, and Serial. Yes, PS/2 DOES work, so you can use your PS/2 mice and keyboards. If you have an IDE drive you want to use, get an IDE-to-SATA adapter cable or a USB enclosure for the drive (I've heard of problems with the SATA adapter cable, so a USB enclosure is probably the best way to go). If you need Serial or Parallel ports, just get a Mac-compatible PCI or PCIe card. Also this board doesn't have Firewire; you can get a Mac-compatible PCI or PCIe card for that as well.
4. If you have a Hackintosh install already, DON'T USE MIGRATION ASSISTANT OR TIME MACHINE RESTORE. This is a RETAIL INSTALL and using Migration Assistant from your old hard drive or Time Machine restore from your backup drive will screw up the installation. Both methods copy over the Hackintosh subsystem (EFI, kexts, etc.), and even if you delete the hacked kexts after copying, it will still be messed up. This is the equivalent of cloning a Hackintosh install to an iMac. So copy your old files manually if you want to migrate your previous install over.
5. Wiggling the mouse or tapping the keyboard won't wake this system from sleep. P35 systems require you to press the Power Button to wake them from sleep. This is actually nice because if you accidentally bump your table, the computer won't wake up!
IV. Recipes:
I have 4 recipes for this motherboard:
1. Budget box ($305) [see Section V]
2. Better Budget box ($450) [see Section VI]
3. Media Center box ($455) [see Section VII]
4. Monster Workstation box ($970) [see Section VIII]
V. Budget Rig Recipe: 305 beans
Case: Rosewill Steel Case with 350w PSU and 92mm Rear Fan ($37)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel E2180 2.0ghz Dual-Core Allendale with CPU cooler ($70)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA HDD: WD 160gb 7200rpm SATA ($42)
Video Card: 256mb 7300GT (1 DVI, 1 VGA) ($30)
This is a nice starter rig, everything you need to run OS X well. But, it lacks a few nice features - which is why I added the "Better Budget" recipe next...
VI. Better Budget Rig Recipe: 450 beans
The Better Budget rig extends the above Budget rig to add the following features:
1. Faster CPU: This changes the 65nm 2.0ghz Allendale to a 45nm 2.5ghz Wolfdale for just $13 more. It also increases the L2 cache from 1MB to 2MB.
2. 4GB RAM: Double the memory for only $24 more. This helps OS X run better and is also totally worth it if you plan on running Windows XP in a Virtual Machine. This way you can give XP 2 gigs of RAM and still have 2 gigs of RAM for OS X.
3. Boot Drive: The boot drive capacity is doubled from 160gb to 320gb.
4. Backup Drive: 320gb backup drive - double the size of the 160gb boot drive, gives you lots of room for automatic hourly Time Machine backups. Personally I would NEVER run an OS X machine without a backup drive. This is the #1 feature in Leopard that makes it all worth it. Even if your boot drive fails, you can easily restore your ENTIRE SYSTEM using Time Machine, up to the last hour's backup. This includes apps, accounts, scripts, fonts, bookmarks, files - everything. Totally worth having a backup drive!
5. Card Reader: This is the ultimate card reader and is only $14. 65-in-1 plus a USB port (just in case you get a case that doesn't have front USB ports), it can ready pretty much ever card on the planet. If you have a PSP, a camera, a digital camcorder, whatever, it's super useful to have one of these devices. Plus it's internal and fits in a 3.5" drive bay and uses an internal USB port, so it's completely integrated with the computer. And it's 100% Leopard compatible natively - plug and play right out of the box.
6. Video Card: Upgraded to a more powerful Dual DVI card (includes a VGA adapter for convenience) for $25 more.
Add the following to the above recipe for the Super Budget rig:
Processor: 2.5ghz E5200 Dual-Core Wolfdale CPU ($83)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24 x 2 = $48)
Boot Drive: Samsung 320gb 7200rpm SATA ($55)
Backup Drive: Samsung 320gb 7200rpm SATA ($55)
Card Reader: 65-in-1 Internal Card Reader with a USB 2.0 port ($14)
Video Card: 256mb 8600GT with Dual DVI ($55)
VII. Media Center Rig Recipe: 455 beans
Note: S-video output does not work on Hackintoshes. This means no Composite, no S-video, and no Component. Your options are VGA, DVI, and HDMI (via adapter). Pretty much, you will only want to use this Media Center with an HDTV, such as an RPTV, LCD, Plasma, or Projector. Addendum: S-Video is confirmed working on the ATI X1900XT, which is now out of production. I ordered an HD 2600XT to test on my tube TV, will report back.
Case: Silverstone LC13 Silver ATX Media Center case with Fans (also available in Black for $9 more) ($100)
Power Supply: Antec low-noise 380w Earthwatts PSU ($30)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel E2180 2.0ghz Dual-Core Allendale with CPU cooler ($70)
Memory: Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA HDD: WD 160gb 7200rpm SATA ($42)
Video Card: 256mb 7300GT (1 DVI, 1 VGA) ($30)
Remote Control IR Receiver: Mantra TR1 USB IR Receiver with Mira software ($32 for IR Receiver + Software) [just added - native Plex support!]
Remote Control: Apple Remote ($19)
Media Center Software: Plex - XBMC port to Mac ($Free)
Additional notes:
1. Remote Control: There are a variety of Remote Control options. I included the basic remote - the Apple Remote - which works with the Mantra IR Receiver and Mira software. Personally I don't much care for the Apple Remote because it's small and gets misplaced easily, plus if you have little kids around they might try to eat it. My favorite remote is the Logitech Harmony series. I have both a 659 and an 880 model. You can use the Matra IR Receiver to interface with your Harmony remote quite easily; click here for the instructions for the Harmony remote series setup. I also have a Keyspan RF Remote for Front Row which works pretty well, although you'll need to modify some buttons in software to do what you want. I like it because it has rubbery pushbuttons and it's RF-based, no IR, so you don't have to aim it at the TV (well, IR receiver). Another good option is to use the Nintendo Wii Remote; I have a guide available here. All you need is a Wii remote, a USB Bluetooth adapter, and some free software. The Bluetooth interface is nice because you don't have to point it at the IR receiver, either.
2. Streaming vs. Local Playback: You can stream 1080p x264 MKV files across a Gigabit network to this machine. I only put in a 160gb 7200rpm hard drive for this reason - you can store all your movies on a NAS or on your computer and stream if you want (note: don't use wireless for streaming, it's terrible!). Otherwise, you can load up the Media Center with as many hard drives as you want. The Silverstone system is capable of taking 5 hard drives (1 DVD, 1 HDD in the 5.25" bay, 2 drives in the external 3.5" bays, and 2 drives internally). Seagate has a 1.5TB hard drive out now for only $180, available on Newegg. Samsung has the super-fast F1 1TB drive for $110 shipped, available on Mwave. OS X has a very nice software RAID feature, so you could use a 160gb 7200rpm drive for a speedy boot drive then RAID together 4 of the 1TB drives to get some massive storage going on.
3. HD Disc Playback: Apple does not currently support HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs; only DVD discs and files. You'll have to rip (and preferably encode) any HD material you have. I rip all of my DVD movies to my hard drive and then download the coverart from Google. With Plex, all you have to do is find a JPG of the DVD Cover and rename it to TBN (thumnail). So if you had "Back to the Future.iso", just drop "Back to the Future.tbn" (a renamed JPG of the cover art) in the same directory and you can browse by Cover rather than Name. Plex has scrapers to get the pic + image automatically, but I prefer to do it myself so that ALL of my media players get the same cover art.
4. Resolution: If you have a funky resolution and need some custom display tweaks, check out SwitchResX or DisplayConfigX.
5. Cables: Monoprice is the best place to get cables - good quality and cheap! DVI is the same as HDMI, so you can get an HDMI adapter or DVI-to-HDMI cable if you want to convert your DVI video card to HDMI. Remember that PC video cards only carry video over the DVI port, so you won't get audio over HDMI. The DS3L supports analog output as well as digital output (coaxial + Toslink), so you can hook up your receiver or TV speakers in a variety of ways. Digital includes 5.1 output. There is a bug in the AppleHDA drivers that makes a "pop" sometimes when you first start playing audio, so you may want to get a USB sound card if that bothers you.
6. Keyboard/Mouse: The best keyboard/mouse to get imo is the Logitech PS3 Mediaboard. Around $40, RF wireless, and has a built-in trackpad. Normally a wireless input device of this caliber would cost $120+, but since it's for PS3 it's only $40. Works on Windows and Mac natively.
VIII. Monster Workstation Rig Recipe: 970 beans
Case: Coolermaster 690 case with Fans and 550w PSU ($100)
Motherboard: See eBay, do an Advanced Search for the Seller "Macpalace7" - he has tons of Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboards in stock ($75)
Processor: Intel Q6600 2.4ghz Quad-Core CPU ($180)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 with 92mm Fan ($27)
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste ($6)
Memory: 8gb Total - Trascend 2GB DDR2-800 - Single Stick ($24 x 4 = $96)
SATA DVD: 20x DL Lite-on with Lightscribe ($26)
SATA Boot + Backup HDD: Two (2) Samsung F1 1TB ($110 x 2 = $220)
Video Card: XFX 768mb 8800GTX ($220)
Card Reader: 65-in-1 Internal Card Reader with a USB 2.0 port ($14)
You can optionally flash the 8800GTX to a Quadro FX 5600 (Apple sells the 1.5gb Quadro FX 5600 for $2850), but if you're dual-booting into XP or Vista, Nvidia has made it act sluggish (not so with the Mac drivers! haha). Also, XP won't boot with anything over 4gb of RAM, so you'll have to use Vista or XP in a VM if you want XP plus 6 or 8 gigs of RAM. The Q6600 is extremely overclockable; if you get a G0 chip (shop around) you can typically hit 3ghz+ even on cheap RAM.
IX. Hardware Setup and Testing:
1. Memory Testing: Build your system and then test it with Memtest86+. Download the ISO, burn it to a CD, and let it run overnight. If you can do 6 passes with Zero errors, you have good memory. ALWAYS TEST THE MEMORY ON ANY NEW SYSTEM OR WHENEVER YOU UPGRADE THE RAM. Memory problems are the #1 source of computer issues and you should ALWAYS do the 6-pass test whenever you build or upgrade a system. In addition to testing memory, your computer is on and running for the amount of time the test takes and lets you see if it overheats, has funny noises (rattles, wires striking fans, etc.), and so on.
2. Upgrade the BIOS: You'll need the F7 BIOS or newer, available from Gigabyte. Installation is super easy - just download the file, run the EXE on a Windows computer and it will extract the BIOS file, and then copy the BIOS file to a FAT/FAT32-formatted USB stick. Pop the USB stick in the computer and hit the button for the BIOS upgrade utility (I believe it's F12) and then follow the instructions. Be sure to backup your existing BIOS first!
3. Cables: Make sure you have all the cables you need, such as SATA cables. Some video cards require one or two PCI Express video card power cables; make sure your power supply has those or else get some adapters if your card doesn't come with any. The DS3L motherboard requires a 20+4 system - it has a big motherboard power plug and then the smaller one near the CPU (it can use a 4-pin or 8-pin power cable for that one). Be sure that your Power Supply has enough SATA power cables; some only come with one or two, so you may need 4-pin Molex adapters to get all of your drives properly powered. Also get some zip ties (Radio Shack sells a big pack) and do some good cable management to improve airflow in your case.
4. Power Supply: Make sure your PSU has enough juice for your system. You can estimate how much you need using the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator online. Always get a bit more than you need for fluctuations and to future-proof the system for upgrading. You can also check how much power your system is actually using by using a Kill-a-Watt energy meter for $18, available from Newegg. Test your system at idle and at 100%; you can make it go 100% by doing a simple Terminal trick. Open Terminal and type in "yes > /dev/null"; open one Terminal window with this command per core (dual core CPU = 2 windows, quad core CPU = 4 windows). Just quit Terminal when done testing. The Kill-a-Watt is only useful for telling you how much power your system is actually using; you don't really need it. It's just nice to know how much juice your system uses and whether or not you need to upgrade your PSU.
X. Preparation:
1. USB Stick Setup: Download my BOOT132 package to your Windows desktop (XP or Vista, PC or VM is fine). Unzip it to your desktop. Inside is a zipped file called bootloader.zip, unzip that inside of the BOOT132 folder. So you'll have Desktop > BOOT132 > bootloader. This is real easy, only 3 steps:
a. Insert your USB stick (any size will do - 64mb or larger - but keep in mind it will be permanently installed 24/7 into your Hackintosh). I like to use a 1GB stick because then you can download the 10.5.5 update ahead of time, copy it on the stick, and save yourself 45 minutes of downloading. Anyway, open My Computer and right-click on the drive (note the drive letter for later) and click Format. Format to FAT (not FAT32), name it "BOOT132", and do a Quick Format.
b. Open DOS (Start > Run > cmd) and navigate to the win32 folder inside that bootloader folder you unzipped (usually type in "cd desktop/boot132/bootloader/win32"). At the prompt, type in "syslinux -ma h:", but replace h: with the drive letter of your USB stick. Hit enter and it should return you to the prompt instantly with no feedback. This installs the Linux bootloader system (very fast!).
c. In the BOOT132 folder on the desktop, open the "Copy to USB" folder - there are a bunch of folders and files inside. Select All of them and copy them to your USB stick - just drag and drop all of the files inside the "Copy to USB" folder over to the root of the USB stick.
That's it - easy eh? Only takes about 30 seconds to setup the USB stick. This contains the Bootloader, EFI Emulation system, and hardware drivers for the DS3L. If you want, download that 10.5.5 update I linked to and copy it to the Tools folder on the USB stick (if you are using a 1GB stick or larger, otherwise it won't fit). This will save you a lot of time later.
2. DVD Setup: You can install Leopard one of two ways: by the Leopard DVD or by Hard Drive. The Hard Drive method is faster, but it requires a Mac (see the next step, #3, for more details). To boot up to the Leopard DVD, you'll need a Boot CD. Inside the BOOT132 folder is a file called "BOOT132CD.iso". Burn that as an ISO (not as a file) to a blank CD or DVD.
3. Hard Drive Setup: If you have a Mac with an available SATA port, you can cut your install time in half and make it easier, too. First, rip Leopard to an image file. To do that, pop the Retail Leopard DVD into your DVD drive and open up Disk Utility. On the left pane, find the DVD and click on the the name (not the DVD drive, but the indented name of the disc). NOTE: You have to use a RETAIL copy of Leopard, you can't use the one for your iMac or Macbook or whatever! MUST BE RETAIL! Okay, so you've clicked on the name, now click on the "New Image" icon in the top middle. Save it to the desktop (it will take awhile to rip, its about 8 gigs worth fo data).
Plug in the boot drive you want to use with your DS3L Hackintosh. In Disk Utility, click on the root drive (the name of the brand of the drive usually). Click on the Partition tab. Partition it into 2 partitions (click the "Current" drop-down menu and change to 2). Click on the first partition and rename it to "Hard Drive" or whatever you want it to be named (spaces are OK). Click on the #2 partition and name it "Leopard" and change the size to "10" (10GB). Click the "Options" button and make sure it's set to "GUID", and make sure the "Format" drop-down menu is set to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Click Apply and wait a minute for it to format.
Now we are going to copy the Leopard DVD image to the Leopard hard drive partition. In Disk Utility, find your boot hard drive and click on the "Leopard" name and icon of the partition you just made (it's indented). Click on the "Restore" tab. Drag the Leopard image from the desktop into the white box that says "Source". Drag the Leopard hard drive icon in the left pane of Disk Utility (the one you clicked on just now) to the white "Destination" box. Now click the "Restore" button, type in your password, and wait 10 minutes or so for it to copy the Leopard DVD image to the hard drive partition. Alternatively, you can do this on a USB drive or a backup drive in case you want to keep the Leopard DVD image on a hard drive for future installs (it's really handy that way).
4. BIOS Setup: BIOS setup is really easy; just follow my settings. A couple special notes: first, if you're using the Leopard DVD to install, you'll need to make the First Boot Device the CDROM initially. After you get setup and get to the Leopard desktop, you can change it to USB again because you won't need the DVD anymore. Second, for either method, make sure that USB is #1 in both the Priority and for the First Boot Device. If you have it set as the First Boot Device but not #1 Priority, it won't boot up properly.
XI. Leopard Installation:
Okay time for the fun part! Make sure you have a compatible video card and appropriate driver if your video card isn't supported by default in my package, make sure you've done Memtest86+, make sure your USB stick is plugged in and you have your boot drive plugged in as well. Unplug any other hard drives you have inside too! Just have your boot drive in for now. The bootloader will see your single hard drive first this way; later on if you want to add more, make sure that your boot drive is listed as #2 in the priority; sometimes plugging in a second hard drive puts the second drive to #2 instead of the boot drive to #2.
Note: If at any time you get a Ghostbusters symbol (circle with a line through it) on the white Apple logo boot screen, reboot and type in -f at the boot prompt, this flushes the cache.
DVD Installation Method: (see Hard Drive Installation Method below if you're using that instead)
Put your Boot Drive and DVD Drive on Ports 0 and 1. These are the first two ports on the motherboard, furthest from the bottom. The order doesn't matter if you're using the Hard Drive, just for DVD installation.
Set your BIOS to boot CDROM first. Insert the Boot CD and boot up. When it gets the prompt, hit enter (note: it will flash "missing com.boot.Apple.plist" briefly, just ignore this). Now it will give you a text-based bootloader saying something like "Hard drive 1 = 80, Hard drive 2 = 81" and so on. Eject the Boot CD and put your Retail Leopard DVD in. The second line of the bootloader will say something like "9f" or "fe"; that's your boot code for the DVD drive, type that in and hit enter. Now wait for the DVD to boot up to the Leopard installer.
At the Leopard installer, click the next arrow (blue one). In the tools menu at the top, open Disk Utility, find your hard drive, and format it to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" and make sure it's formatted as "GUID" not "MBR" (you can check in the Partitions tab by clicking the Options button). Exit Disk Utility. Now just follow the prompts through (select your boot drive as the drive to install Leopard to) and let it install. You can skip Disc Checking when the prompt appears. Takes 30-45 minutes to install. You're installing a Retail Leopard DVD, whoohoo!
When it's done, reboot. You need to put in the Boot CD, but Leopard won't let you eject the DVD, so you have to turn off the computer after it reboots, then boot it up again and eject the Leopard DVD. At the first prompt, hit enter. At the second prompt, type in "80" for your first hard drive and hit enter. Now it boots up to the Leopard setup screen. Go ahead and set it up and get to the desktop. Tip: When it asks for your Apple account or for registration (address and all that), just press the Apple Key (Windows key on Windows keyboards) plus Q and a prompt will appear, click Skip and you can skip it.
Now you're at the Leopard desktop. Eject the Boot CD and insert your USB stick into the back of the computer. Reboot and go into BIOS and setup BIOS so that the USB stick is #1 Priority and #1 in line for booting (make sure BOTH are set!). When it boots up, just select your hard drive name and hit enter. Now to to step XII. Post-Install Setup.
Hard Drive Installation Method:
Insert your USB stick into the back of the computer and make sure your BIOS is setup so that USB is both #1 Priority and #1 on the list in order. Boot up and it will bring you to a text bootloader prompt. Select Leopard and hit enter. Install Leopard - you don't have to format your drive since you already did that. Just select the other partition when you install, whatever you named it (I name mine "Hard Drive"). When it's done, reboot and it takes you back to the text bootloader prompt. Choose your hard drive partition name this time, not Leopard. Now it will boot up to the Leopard setup screen. Setup Leopard (see the note about skipping registration in the DVD installation method). When you get the desktop, you can delete the Leopard partition if you want to. Open Disk Utility, click on the root hard drive name (usually the brand; not the indented partitions), click on the Leopard partition and click the "-" symbol underneath to delete it. Then drag the primary partition down to fill up the empty space. Now your boot partition is the entire hard drive. You're done with install and setup, move on to Post-Install now!
XII. Post-Install Setup:
Alright, the Leopard installation was successful! Now we have to setup a few tools. Open your BOOT132 USB stick and go into the Tools folder. Double-click the Toolkit.dmg file and it will mount on your desktop; inside is a folder called "Tools" - drag that to your desktop.
1. If you have a Core 2 Quad CPU, run "aboutthismac.pkg". This changes the "About This Mac" listing from, say, "2.4ghz Unknown" to "2.4ghz Core 2 Quad". You can run this if you have any other CPU that doesn't show up right. Core 2 Duo CPUs show up properly, however. This doesn't work on all newer chips though, you may have to edit it manually.
2. Open the "Memory Fix" folder. Open Kext Helper and drag the "AppleSMBIOSEFI.kext" onto the app; type in your password and install. Don't reboot yet. Note: this kext won't be overwritten with updates because it's not a standard Apple kext, so it's good to go for Software Updates!
XIII. Apple Updates and More Tools:
So far this package has been tested with 10.5.0, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.3, 10.5.4, and 10.5.5. The next update, 10.5.6, is due out soon and I will test it. Please turn off Automatic Updates in System Preferences. I believe 10.5.6 is going to change some things and we will need to update our USB sticks to deal with it.
If you downloaded 10.5.5 ahead of time and put it on your USB stick in the Tools folder, go ahead and copy that to your hard drive now and install it. Otherwise just run Apple Updates. If you see 10.5.6 in Apple Updates, don't download it yet because I haven't test it! IF YOU DOWNLOAD IT, MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING THE 600 MEG VERSION NOT THE 300 MEG VERSIOn!!
Back in the main "Tools" folder on your desktop, open up "EFIStudio". Under the "Display" drop-down menu, select your video card and click "Add Device". A new window will appear, but don't do anything - just hit the red X button in the top lefthand corner to close it (note: if you're using a separate driver for a different card, skip this stype and install it now). Next, change the "Display" drop-down box to "Ethernet" and click "Add Device". This time when the second window pops up, click the "write to com.apple.Boot.plist" button in the lower righthand corner. This installs the video card driver (unless you're using a separate one) and the Ethernet/Time Machine/UUID fix. Exit the app after this (you have to use the menubar since there's no red X button to click).
Open "OSX86Tools" and click don't check for updates automatically. In the lower righthand corner, click the "Add EFI Strings/Boot Flag" button. You can optionally add your default resolution here to the secod white textbox on the left (the graphics mode box); this changes the white Apple logo boot screen to fit your monitor. You can just put in your resolution or you can put in your full specs if you want; for example, mine is "1920x1200x32@60Hz". Next, on the right side, type "5" into the white box (the current timeout seconds box) - this sets the bootloader to automatically load in 5 seconds instead of having to manually choose which drive or partition to boot from (plus gives you a 5-second window to hit any key if you DO need to get to the prompt). Click on "Apple changes to com.apple.Boot.plist" and reboot! Now your system is completely ready to go - you have your video card installed, the Ethernet fix, automatic boot, etc. set up.
After installing 10.5.5 and rebooting (note: it reboots twice automatically), keep checking for Apple updates and rebooting until there are no more left. You'll have to do this a couple times to get all of the latest updates. Also, after you install Apple software such as iLife or iWork, be sure to check for updates for those as well using Software Update.
XIV. Useful Apps:
1. Headphone Jack: You can use the front headphone jack on your PC case with the onboard audio header (HD Audio) on your motherboard. With real Macs, when you plug something into the front jack it automatically switches, but this isn't the case with Hackintoshes. Rogue Amoeba has a great freebie app called SoundSwitch, available here, that lets you switch between the front port and the rear port. This way you can leave your speakers AND headphones connected at all times and just use the menubar app to swap between them! I actually like this way better because I don't have to unplug my headphones to use my speakers like I do with a real Mac.
2. Compression: Apple includes a basic unzipper app, but we can do much better with some freebies. First, snag The Unarchiver and select ALL the formats for it to be associated with. Second, grab DropCompress, which is an app that sits on your dock and lets you drag-and-drop folders or files into it to instantly zip up with no effort (be sure to change the compression format to ZIP in preferences!). Lastly, download FreeDMG, which lets you create DMG files (basically a Mac-formatted image file). A lot of Mac apps are packaged in DMG format, it's similar to ZIP but the idea is more like ISO - you double-click it and it mounts like a CD disc on your desktop. Those three apps should cover your basic needs. If you need a more powerful tool, try the pay-for Stuffit Deluxe app.
3. Multimedia: Grab VLC, of course - this is the ultimate multimedia file player. Next install Perian, which supports your standard open-source codecs like Xvid. Download Flip4Mac, which lets you play Windows WMV files, and also get RealPlayer for Mac. That covers the multimedia file format bases for audio and video.
XV. Additional Notes:
10.5.6 changes some underlying structures. We'll probably have to update our USB sticks or something, so I'll post an update when the time comes. Also again, the developers are saying 10.5.6 changes the audio sub-system, so you may want to get a sound card (USB, Firewire, or PCI/PCIe). Note that the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 does not work, even though it's advertised as Mac-compatible. You can stick with 10.5.5 if you want onboard audio (analog + digital). Who know what the future holds, but for now 10.5.5 is wondeful
This is a nice system to build a Retail Leopard install on. Super easy, super fast, works great. No bugs that I'm aware of after extensive testing with multiple beta testers. Pretty much this is like having EFI-X for the DS3L board - $170 cheaper and the DS3L is actually supported, hehe. No pretty bootloader though!
Enjoy and please, ask any questions in the thread - myself or another Hackintosh user will be happy to help you!
Hardware Compatibility Quirks:
1. The Pioneer DVR-212D SATA DVD drive does not support sleep under Leopard; putting your computer to sleep will cause the DVD to lockup (various errors) until you reboot. Also, the energy saver "turn off hard disks" option may have the same effect. My suggestion? Get the $25 Lite-on, works great! Confirmed by two users.
Last edited: