The Hackintosh Thread

[hellknight]

I'm starting a new thread about Hackintosh. Mods please bear in mind that :-


1. We are in India so we are not under DMCA.
2. Secondly, DMCA has been modified and now Jailbreaking is legal.
3. Technically, we're jailbreaking Mac OS X from its hardware. That's not illegal.
4. Many big sites such as Lifehacker have articles about Hackintosh. So can we.
5. No links to torrents or other illegal ways to obtain Mac OS X will be posted.
6. We'll only post how to install it on our system. Detailed screenshots should be allowed with instructions.


The first rule of Hackintosh thread is, you do not talk about Hackintosh torrent. The second rule of Hackintosh thread is, you DO NOT TALK ABOUT Hackintosh torrent.

DISCLAIMER & WARNING :-

Now lets get serious.

First of all, I'm creating this thread to help fellow users in taking a test ride of Mac. The sole purpose of this thread is to see how Mac OS X works, what's the difference between Mac, Windows & Linux (Mac OS X has FreeBSD kernel so technically they're almost identical) and most importantly, prepare you to get a genuine Apple hardware. Anyone, asking or posting the links to get Mac OS X illegally will get instant ban ranging from 15-30 days from the mods. Repeat it, and you may get banned for life.. Believe me, there were numerous other threads regarding this topic on the forum & never, ever a single one was allowed. The mods are doing us a favour to allow this discussion. I don't want the thread to be deleted because of a one damn link. We don't discuss piracy in this forum & that's the way it has been since the initial days of the forum. Moreover, if you can buy computers ranging from 25-50k (or more than that), then you can obviously get Mac OS X Snow Leopard for just Rs. 1800 from stores or any other sources. It is a dirt cheap price for the operating system. A big thanks to desiibond for allowing me to start this thread.

Secondly, any damage to your hardware, loss of data or banning from the forum will not be my responsibility. The experienced members are here to guide you only, they will not be responsible for anything like me. I repeat again, do not ask them about links.

What you're allowed to do :-

• Post your hardware details.
• Post screenshots of software installation.
• Post pics of BIOS settings.
• Discuss if a particular hardware works or not.
• Ask for only OPEN SOURCE or Copyleft links. Like iBoot, Chameleon bootloader etc. No links regarding illegal proprietary software, period!
• Discuss the pros & cons of Hackintosh.
• A good, healthy discussion about Mac apps like iLife, iWorks etc.
• If you succeed, then you ARE required to post how you did it to help fellow members. Refusing to do so is against the rules of this thread. Share & care.
• You are required to post the output of Geekbench after a successful install. It is a free software in its 32-bit avatar. It will help us to compare the performance of our systems.

What you're not allowed to do :-

• Ask for links regarding illegal downloading of Mac OS X.
• Posting links regarding illegal downloading of Mac OS X.
• Ask for links for pirated apps.
• No hacks in the propreitary software. Only FOSS apps are allowed to hack.
• Post megasizes images. Use image hosting service for that. We need to conserve the bandwidth as people will see this thread on their mobiles while installing it on their PC.
• Genuine Apple hardware users are not allowed to ask other members to show the receipt or screenshot of the Mac OS X DVD. This is called harassment. We don't even ask Windows users to show a proof that they've legal Windows before answering their query.
• Mocking Genuine Apple hardware users by Hackintosh users or Hackintosh users by Apple hardware users is strictly prohibited. Do this and get banned for a week or more. I don't want this thread to start a fight between us.

Now, I have elaborated the rules. Let the fun begin. Remember to follow the rules. Keeps this thread alive & clean.

Here's an awesome article from Lifehacker depicting a Hack Mini construction.

How to Build a Hackintosh Mini for a Less Expensive, Faster Mac

You can get Mac OS X Snow Leopard from Apple's site. It costs just Rs. 1800. Stop drinking for a month and get this, it's dirt cheap.

Snow Leopard 10.6.2 ran beautifully on my rig consisting of :-

AMD Athlon X2 4400+
4 GB RAM
Jetway JM2A 692 GDG motherboard (AMD 690 G Chipset)
NVIDIA 8600 GT 512 MB DDR2 Graphics card.
Realtek 5.1 surround sound card & Realtek Gigabit network card
250 GB WD HDD SATA. (only SATA stuff works. Don't try on IDE. Too slow)
19" Viewsonic 1440x900 monitor.

It didn't work on (actually it installed successfully, but couldn't boot after that) :-

AMD Athlon II X4 640 and AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE.
Biostar TA 790 GX BE (790 GX chipset)
Palit GTX 260 Core 216 Sonic edition.
Samsung 500 GB Green series HDD. (secondary HDD)

OK I'm posting few tricks regarding installation

1. Remove any additional HDD other than the one you want to install Mac OS X on.
2. Remove more than 4 GB RAM. You can add the module later after installation is finished.
3. If you're using separate HDD to install Mac OS X then please select AHCI Mode under SATA settings in the BIOS.
4. Remove any PCI cards such as TV tuners or sound cards. Put them back on later. TV tuners aren't supported by Mac OS X except Elagato which is external TV Tuner.
5. Make sure you format the HDD as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) or it will not work.
6. If possible, then please format the HDD in GPT format other than MBR.
7. Remove anything connected to USB ports except Keyboard or mouse.
8. Please consider using USB keyboard & mouse. PS/2 doesn't have good support in the Hackintosh arena & may not work well.

Regarding the Retail DVD, please follow the Lifehacker link which is posted in the first post. Moreover, you can also use iBoot CD to install Mac OS X.

Consider using Intel processors & their chipsets. AMD isn't supported as it is not used by Apple. For GPU, consider using AMD cards. The newer, the better. NVIDIA only has presence in Mac Mini. Rest all stuff is ruled by AMD.

Whatever you do after successful installation is upto you. But please Turn off the update feature & DO NOT UPDATE IT. IT WILL BREAK YOUR INSTALLATION I'm officially retired from Hackintosh stuff. I tried it for 2-3 years but then realized its not worth the effort & headache. But I will post my experience. Feel free to ask.

To all the users who are asking the questions if it is worth it. Trust me, it is NOT. All the commands that you'll use to hack it & install it, will serve you no purpose in your life. Instead you can go & learn Linux or FreeBSD. It has loads of headaches & if you're a very patient person then you should try it. If you really want to experience Mac OS X then get your self a Mac Mini It is available for Rs. 34k and it is worth it. It makes an awesome home computer & HTPC.

 

[Tech&ME]

Thanks a million. I have always liked Mac. Have tried it at the Apple Store in Bangalore at many places.

I always wanted to have one. But due to the heavy price I was always put down.

But I now see some hope.

If your article works! Then I have a question.

Question: Can I buy Mac OS X (Snow Leopard 10.6.2) from the Apple Store and use the DVD to install it after following the article of course?

 

[thetechfreak]

Question: Can I buy Mac OS X (Snow
Leopard 10.6.2) from the Apple Store
and use the DVD to install it after
following the article of course?

Only on Apple Pc's or laptops. Else the Dvd will come to know from Bios you arent a Mac user.

 

[desiibond]

Thanks a million. I have always liked Mac. Have tried it at the Apple Store in Bangalore at many places.

I always wanted to have one. But due to the heavy price I was always put down.

But I now see some hope.

If your article works! Then I have a question.

Question: Can I buy Mac OS X (Snow Leopard 10.6.2) from the Apple Store and use the DVD to install it after following the article of course?

yes. but do note that it is a 50-50 chance. It may or may not work on your config. Given that OS X costs around 1800 bucks MRP, you can give it a try.

 

[furious_gamer]

^^ 1800bucks is a decent price, comparing to outrageously priced Win 7. Will try that. BTW What's that 50-50 chance means? Can't it install just like Windows?

 

[desiibond]

^^ 1800bucks is a decent price, comparing to outrageously priced Win 7. Will try that. BTW What's that 50-50 chance means? Can't it install just like Windows?

yes. it depends a lot on the h/w. The closer the h/w is to the mac lineup the better chance you have to make it work. As you know, if the OS doesn't have drivers for your h/w (especially GPU/CPU/mobo chipset etc), it won't work.

 

[furious_gamer]

Oh, too bad. Will try to check this and if everything is perfect, i'll give it a try.

 

[Tech&ME]

yes. but do note that it is a 50-50 chance. It may or may not work on your config. Given that OS X costs around 1800 bucks MRP, you can give it a try.

Ok, then I am ready to take that 50-50 chance. Because I love Mac!!

I am planning to try this Mac OS X DVD on this machine:

[CPU] Intel C2D 2.4 Ghz
[Mobo] Intel D945GCNL
[Ram] DDR2 667 (2 GB)
[HDD] Seagate HDD 160 GB SATA
[Optical] DVD RW Sony


Will this work ?

Only on Apple Pc's or laptops. Else the Dvd will come to know from Bios you arent a Mac user.

I think you should keep out of this!!
What the hell BIOS will do with the DVD huh..............

And also you should read before posting!! The Lifehacker article says to use Original Mac OS X DVD and gives a link to a US store to buy it.

I was concerned if the DVD available in INDIA is different one or not. So, I asked that question.

 

[Garbage]

From OSx86 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Legal issues and Apple objections
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apple does not authorize the use of the Mac OS on any x86 PC other than the ones it has developed itself. The company used a Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, to tie Mac OS to the systems it distributed to developers after announcing its switch to Intel's chips.

The Mac OS X EULA forbids installations of Mac OS X on a "non-Apple-branded computer". ....

From Mac OS X Snow Leopard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are three licenses available. These licenses differ in their requirements for pre-installed versions of Mac OS X:

Leopard Upgrade: requires that Mac OS X Leopard already be installed.

If you have purchased an Upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard license, then subject to the terms and conditions of this License, you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer as long as that computer has a properly licensed copy of Mac OS X Leopard already installed on it.

A "Family Pack Upgrade for Mac OS X Leopard" license is also mentioned as a subset of the Leopard Upgrade.

Single Use: places no restriction on which (if any) version of Mac OS X should already be installed. Used for the non-upgrade and Mac Box Set versions of Snow Leopard.

Subject to the terms and conditions of this License ... you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time.

Family Pack: identical to the Single Use license in this respect.

I am not a lawyer, but I this thread is violating TDF's policies. Rest is up to mods.

 

[Tech&ME]

From OSx86 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


From Mac OS X Snow Leopard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I am not a lawyer, but I this thread is violating TDF's policies. Rest is up to mods.

No Hackintosh is legal now!!

It was featured in the very recent Tech Show on NDTV (Gadget Guru). There it was explained that the hackintosh process is LEGAL as long as the jailbreaking the Hardware is concerned. Using the Original DVD to install is not Illegal.

 

[Liverpool_fan]

From OSx86 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


From Mac OS X Snow Leopard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I am not a lawyer, but I this thread is violating TDF's policies. Rest is up to mods.

Nope. DMCA is NOT applicable in India so patches are not illegal. You are also free to install OSX in your PC if you own a valid license of Mac OS X, which doesn't cost much and if the PC is Apple-labelled a term which is ambiguous, as an interpretation can mean sticking Apple stickers on a PC. They just called it "Apple-LABELLED" in the EULA.

Oh, too bad. Will try to check this and if everything is perfect, i'll give it a try.

To be very honest, it's not quite worth it. IMO a regular Linux distro is a much better choice than a Hackintosh Mac OS X. Mac OS X can only perform well in Apple hardware, and it's recommended to buy an Apple Hardware to use OS X.

I think you should keep out of this!!
What the hell BIOS will do with the DVD huh..............

And also you should read before posting!! The Lifehacker article says to use Original Mac OS X DVD and gives a link to a US store to buy it.

I was concerned if the DVD available in INDIA is different one or not. So, I asked that question.

He isn't wrong. He may have expressed himself incorrectly, but what he points out is true. You simply don't put an OS X disk in your optical drive and install it. The Lifehacker article also mentions iBoot.
Apple uses it's own EFI rather than the standard BIOS found in most regular PCs running Windows and Linux, so in a way he is right.

Do I need Apple hardware to run Mac OS X?

Not anymore.

Projects such as OSx86 have succeeded in allowing the Intel-based version of Mac OS X to run on non-Apple hardware largely by bypassing the TPM in software.

The "Trusted Platform Module," or TPM, is a computer chip embedded inside Intel-based Macs to prevent the Intel-based version of Mac OS X from running on non-Apple hardware. (during installation of Mac OS X, Mac OS X interfaces with the TPM. If Mac OS X finds that the TPM doesn't exist, Mac OS X refuses to install or run.)

In building your "Hackintosh" however, you may want to keep as close to the hardware configuration of Intel-based Macs for the best compatibility. Intel Macs use (or have used) either a Core Solo, Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, or Xeon processor. For graphics cards, Intel Macs have seen Intel's GMA950; ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600, Radeon X1600, and Radeon X1900 XT; and nVidia's GeForce 7300GT, 7600GT, 8600M GT or Quadro FX4500. . . . . .

 

[vamsi360]

@liverpool_fan

Mac OS X Snow Leopard on my Inspiron 1525 just rocks. There is a great osx86 community out there and not to mention tonymacx86 and macman. They make life easier to install OS X on a x86 Intel PC.

I have Snow Leopard License and installed it using the guide at Dell Inspiron 1525 Running OS X . It's a community especially for Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop. I am fortunate that it's so popular around the world. The battery life too has improved with the new kexts that have emerged int the community.

Now I triple boot Mac OS X 10.6.8, Windows 7 SP1 and Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS. And it's a great way to enjoy the summer for me.

 

[hellknight]

^Dude, you're on 10.6.8?? Really? Was the transition smooth or you had to mess up some kexts?

I am planning to try this Mac OS X DVD on this machine:

[CPU] Intel C2D 2.4 Ghz
[Mobo] Intel D945GCNL
[Ram] DDR2 667 (2 GB)
[HDD] Seagate HDD 160 GB SATA
[Optical] DVD RW Sony

Will this work ?

It should. Considering that you've a Intel Processor with 945 G chipset. This chipset was used in Macbooks sometime back. Can you please post the exact model number of the processor along with the onboard sound & network cards?

 

[Tech&ME]

^^
Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 LGA 775.

motherboard : details

 

[hellknight]

Yeah it is supported.. Go ahead and install.. do post the results..

 

[hellknight]

ico, I think that you've original Apple hardware. Would you mind posting the score of geekbench along with the tech-specs? Also, it would be great if you could tell us some free & great apps that you use.

 

[Liverpool_fan]

Yeah I would also suggest a quick list of Mac alternatives for common Windows and Linux applications in the OP.

 

[skeletor]

ico, I think that you've original Apple hardware. Would you mind posting the score of geekbench along with the tech-specs? Also, it would be great if you could tell us some free & great apps that you use.

Mac mini (Early 2009) : Geekbench Result Browser

It's actually Mac mini - Late 2009. Tech specs? Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53ghz, 2*2GB DDR3 1066Mhz RAM, 320GB Hard disk and nVidia 9400M. The only game I play is TF2 and some indie games so it is good enough for me. Used to play Urban Terror earlier. Gaming is strictly done in my 40GB Windows partition. Why I use Mac? Don't like using Windows. In which OS do I feel home? Arch Linux on my laptop. C2D P8700 is a laptop processor anyways.

Applications - not much to say. I only use the usual apps. Nothing special.

Limechat for IRC. Linkinus is the best client out there - but it is paid. Colloquy hasn't seen any active development since 2 years.
Cyberduck for FTP/SFTP. Slightly slow compared to Filezilla, but interface is much much better.
TextWrangler - for coding. I've installed Xcode for development. It's free.
Firefox 5 is the default browser. Opera felt a little clunky till 11.11 version. Now, Opera 11.50 is refreshing. Thinking of switching to it. I'm an Opera fan and only boot into Windows to use Opera. On Linux, it is still clunky, I guess. Chrome on Linux.
Burn - best application for burning CD/DVDs.
Adobe Flash CS4 - there was some Adobe offer. Someone had posted in the forum.
Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac - bought it for something like 2.5k
Twitter for Mac - I guess it is the best twitter application regardless of the OS.
Handbrake - for encoding.
OnyX - lets you change little settings like screenshot format and optimize things.
Garageband - although I don't use it, but I have heard thewisecrab praising it always even though he doesn't run Mac.
iPhoto - good enough to manage photos.
AppCleaner - use it when I need to uninstall an application and remove its setting files too. Otherwise, just dragging Apps to trash is the way you uninstall most apps.

 

[hellknight]

Thanks for posting the specs & Applications.

I too, boot Windows only to play games. My OS of choice is Arch Linux too. Have installed it on my desktop computer (Athlon II X4 640 one). I'm also a RHCSA so I have Fedora 15 installed too. But I really hate the complicated System V stuff and prefer BSD init over it.

AMD users should also note that Mac OS X doesn't supports Cool n Quiet profile. So, your processor will constantly run at 100% speed. No power management of processor. So make sure you have a good heatsink.

Moreover, if you intend to use Parallels for virtualzation inside Mac OS X, it will not work. Doesn't supports AMD.

 

[MetalheadGautham]

Anybody here tried running iLife on Hackintosh ?
And what's the price of iLife 2011 ?
I'm interested in it solely because of Garage Band