[Guide] Dell XPS 13 9360 on MacOS Sierra 10.12.x - LTS (Long-Term Support) Guide

[jkbuha]

Anyone else having freezing problems when connecting or disconnecting the power plug? I get frozen screen every time.

So it's just the two of us on this thread. My freeze doesn't happen in Windows or DOS, or even in Clover Menu. Once I select OSX, even during the kext loading screen, the laptop freezes if I plug/unplug charger.

Other than a nvram reset (which I've tried to clear via BIOS default and factory reset, with same results), I don't know what else to do. The interesting thing is that it wasn't like this when I first installed OSX.

@bozma88 could you list the entire changes you made on BIOS? Are they only the ones as listed on your first post? I'd like to compare each parameter.

 

[R.MnTnA]

BIOS are exactly the same as yours @bozma88. Going to try a fresh install and start from scratch cause I now have issues separate from the power plug issue. I was trying to get my HDMI adapter to output audio and with the help of @RehabMan I tried a few things with patching (see link to thread above), but I think I screwed something up when I patched my DSDT, now I'm getting KP at startup.

 

[einz]

So it's just the two of us on this thread. My freeze doesn't happen in Windows or DOS, or even in Clover Menu. Once I select OSX, even during the kext loading screen, the laptop freezes if I plug/unplug charger.

Other than a nvram reset (which I've tried to clear via BIOS default and factory reset, with same results), I don't know what else to do. The interesting thing is that it wasn't like this when I first installed OSX.

@bozma88 could you list the entire changes you made on BIOS? Are they only the ones as listed on your first post? I'd like to compare each parameter.

Count me in as number three. Initial install went fine but then last night the same issues appeared.

 

[bozma88]

Very very strange.

To everyone with the issue, please answer these:
1 - Do you recall making some modifications before the issue appeared?
2 - Describe "freeze": permanent lock or it lasts just a few seconds?
3 - Is it consistent and replicable 100% of the times?
4 - Did you try with an USB-C charger?
5 - Try connecting the charger WHILE moving the cursor with trackpad, and continue moving it. Does it freeze?
6 - Do you have FHD or QHD screen?
7 - Do you have USB peripherals connected?
8 - What BIOS version and MacOS version are you running?

 

[RehabMan]

DSDT - Initial compiling fixes:

Change:

If (LEqual (PM6H, One))
{
    CreateBitField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0C._RW, ECRW)  // _RW_: Read-Write Status
    Store (Zero, ECRW (If (PM0H)
            {
                CreateDWordField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0D._LEN, F0LN)  // _LEN: Length
                Store (Zero, F0LN)
            }))
}

To:

If (LEqual (PM6H, One))
{
    CreateBitField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0C._RW, ECRW)  // _RW_: Read-Write Status
    Store (Zero, ECRW) If (PM0H)
            {
                CreateDWordField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0D._LEN, F0LN)  // _LEN: Length
                Store (Zero, F0LN)
            }
}

Wrong fix.
Correct:

If (LEqual (PM6H, One))
{
    CreateBitField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0C._RW, ECRW)  // _RW_: Read-Write Status
    Store (Zero, ECRW)
}
If (PM0H)
{
    CreateDWordField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0D._LEN, F0LN)  // _LEN: Length
    Store (Zero, F0LN)
}

Guide revision: v8.11 - 20170228

It is probably a bad idea to provide patched ACPI. People will believe they can take the lazy way and use your ACPI files...

 

[bozma88]

Wrong fix.
Correct:

If (LEqual (PM6H, One))
{
    CreateBitField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0C._RW, ECRW)  // _RW_: Read-Write Status
    Store (Zero, ECRW)
}
If (PM0H)
{
    CreateDWordField (BUF0, \_SB.PCI0._Y0D._LEN, F0LN)  // _LEN: Length
    Store (Zero, F0LN)
}

It is probably a bad idea to provide patched ACPI. People will believe they can take the lazy way and use your ACPI files...

Good catch, thank you!
I chose to provide them for integrity, but I try to encourage personal R&D...
Currently, this thread is very good, there's a lot of good users trying and willing to understand, so I think I'll leave them.
In the future, we'll see.

There's still a lot of fine-tuning to do on this system.
We are understanding a lot of things here: https://github.com/syscl/XPS9350-macOS/issues/26#issuecomment-282898285
I hope to report all the finding in this thread once I consider them stable enough.

 

[RehabMan]

Currently, this thread is very good, there's a lot of good users trying and willing to understand, so I think I'll leave them.
In the future, we'll see.

Just keep in mind that if users were to use your ACPI files instead of patching their own, random instability would be the result. So prepare to check whether they patched their own files or not...

 

[bozma88]

Just keep in mind that if users were to use your ACPI files instead of patching their own, random instability would be the result. So prepare to check whether they patched their own files or not...

Yes, you're right.
I'll remove them on v9 revision next week, when HWP and hibernation prevention will be hopefully fully understood (see above link if you have time).

 

[RehabMan]

Yes, you're right.
I'll remove them on v9 revision next week,

hotpatch would be a great way to patch ACPI for this laptop...

when HWP and hibernation prevention will be hopefully fully understood (see above link if you have time).

I've been following that issue on github.
No time to look at HWP myself and I don't have any Kaby Lake hardware anyway (I could try it on my Skylake NUC6, when I have some time).

 

[bozma88]

hotpatch would be a great way to patch ACPI for this laptop...

I 100% agree. It will be done, it's all a matter of (free) time.
I use this laptop for productivity, my previous HP Envy literally exploded so I had to come up with a working machine asap.

I've been following that issue on github.
No time to look at HWP myself and I don't have any Kaby Lake hardware anyway (I could try it on my Skylake NUC6, when I have some time).

I think we should all collect some funds and send you a shiny new 9360