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GC-ALPINE RIDGE in hands

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Here is the Save As from IOReg 2.1.
The IO reg looks fine. A text dump might be more useful because it's easier to search.
Code:
ioreg -lw0 > ioreg.txt
zip the result and post.

The pcitree.sh gives:
Code:
pcilib: Cannot open AppleACPIPlatformExpert (add boot arg debug=0x144 & run as root)
setpci: Cannot find any working access method.
even though I have boot-arg debug=0x144 in Clover.
Did you run the command with sudo (run as root?)? Show me the line from your config.plist.
You could try setting the boot-args variable using the nvram command. First, check what the current value is:
Code:
nvram -p | grep boot-args
Then append debug=0x144 to the current value
Code:
sudo nvram boot-args="debug=0x144"
As far as I can tell from the device tree in Window, Thunderbolt is attaching to PCI0:RP21: PXSX: pci-bridge@0: pci8086,1577.
The ioreg shows the Thunderbolt controller at RP21. The USB controller and NHI are there. There seems to be no USB or Thunderbolt devices connected to the USB-C ports. What do you expect to be there? Are they connected before you boot the computer? Do they appear in Windows? Do they appear in EFI (use the pci and devtree commands in the EFI Shell, include the results in a zip file)?
 
The IO reg looks fine. A text dump might be more useful because it's easier to search.
Code:
ioreg -lw0 > ioreg.txt
zip the result and post.

Attached.

Did you run the command with sudo (run as root?)? Show me the line from your config.plist.
You could try setting the boot-args variable using the nvram command. First, check what the current value is:
Code:
nvram -p | grep boot-args
Then append debug=0x144 to the current value
Code:
sudo nvram boot-args="debug=0x144"
Issue solved. Was that I had SIP=0x0. Disabling worked. pcitree.sh output attached in same zip file below.

The ioreg shows the Thunderbolt controller at RP21. The USB controller and NHI are there. There seems to be no USB or Thunderbolt devices connected to the USB-C ports. What do you expect to be there? Are they connected before you boot the computer? Do they appear in Windows? Do they appear in EFI (use the pci and devtree commands in the EFI Shell, include the results in a zip file)?

There is a Thunderbolt 2 G-Drive that daisy chains with an OWC TB2 Dock. I tried reversing the order, but that doesn't seem to do anything. They connect to the Alpine Ridge via an Apple TB3->TB2 dongle adapter.

They are connected before I boot. To boot with Alpine Ridge, I have to cold boot (switch on PSU), then I get the interdiction sign after clover, then I have to press restart on the front panel, and it boots. I'm suspecting an NVRAM issue, but I really have no idea.

They are recognized in Windows but as they are both Mac-specific a message warns that "they may not operate correctly."

I'll have to look at the EFI later tonight. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the help!

EDIT:
Getting the EFI data is near impossible. It appears that the "Cold boot" / "Warm boot" / "Restart" sequence that I need to boot is somewhat random. I did check verbose in Clover and it seems to hang after:

Code:
OsxAptioFix2Drv: Starting overrides [snip]
Using reloc block: no, hibernate wake: no
does printf work??

If it boots, I do not get 'does printf work??' but after 'hibernate wake: no', I get a line of '+' shortly before the more familiar verbose output.
 

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They are connected before I boot. To boot with Alpine Ridge, I have to cold boot (switch on PSU), then I get the interdiction sign after clover, then I have to press restart on the front panel, and it boots. I'm suspecting an NVRAM issue, but I really have no idea.

EDIT:

Getting the EFI data is near impossible. It appears that the "Cold boot" / "Warm boot" / "Restart" sequence that I need to boot is somewhat random. I did check verbose in Clover and it seems to hang after:

Code:
OsxAptioFix2Drv: Starting overrides [snip]
Using reloc block: no, hibernate wake: no
does printf work??

If it boots, I do not get 'does printf work??' but after 'hibernate wake: no', I get a line of '+' shortly before the more familiar verbose output.
Have you updated Clover recently? There was an NVRAM problem which is now supposedly fixed so you don't need the rc scripts nvram emulation stuff. In other words, NVRAM should work natively.

I think the "does printf work??" comes from the APFS efi driver?

Sounds like you're saying Clover boots all the time, but macOS sometimes doesn't boot (interdiction sign). Maybe you should clone macOS to a different hard drive? Can you post a zipped clover boot log file?

If Clover always boots, then you should always be able to use the EFI shell from clover.

Unrelated issues:

pcitree.sh shows that you have an Asmedia ASM1142 PCIe 2.0 x2 USB card in the x8 slot which causes your graphics card to change from x16 to x8. You can find an ASM1142 PCIe 3.0 x1 USB card that can go into an x1 slot. The Delock 89582 and SUNIX UPD2018 are two examples which also support USB-C DisplayPort alt mode using a DisplayPort input.

ioreg shows that you haven't completed the USB setup (should remove 11 of the 26 ports of the XHC).
 
Have you updated Clover recently? There was an NVRAM problem which is now supposedly fixed so you don't need the rc scripts nvram emulation stuff. In other words, NVRAM should work natively.

I think the "does printf work??" comes from the APFS efi driver?

Sounds like you're saying Clover boots all the time, but macOS sometimes doesn't boot (interdiction sign). Maybe you should clone macOS to a different hard drive? Can you post a zipped clover boot log file?

If Clover always boots, then you should always be able to use the EFI shell from clover.

Unrelated issues:

pcitree.sh shows that you have an Asmedia ASM1142 PCIe 2.0 x2 USB card in the x8 slot which causes your graphics card to change from x16 to x8. You can find an ASM1142 PCIe 3.0 x1 USB card that can go into an x1 slot. The Delock 89582 and SUNIX UPD2018 are two examples which also support USB-C DisplayPort alt mode using a DisplayPort input.

ioreg shows that you haven't completed the USB setup (should remove 11 of the 26 ports of the XHC).


Yes, I am running the latest clover and removed emuvariable from the EFI. I'll try removing the actual nvram.plist file and any rc scripts and see what happens.

printf and APFS: sounds right, as clover shows that prior to the main screen. I don't have any APFS drives, though.

Clover always boots indeed and I can use the shell, but I have never succeeded in entering the shell, dumping the output, and getting OS X to boot.

I did pick up on the USB issue too. I finally found an adapter for the internal 3.1 Gen 2 header to a 3.0 19-pin header. Should arrive in a week. Will let you know how that works. This would free up a slot completely.

True about not completing USB. I am waiting to have a semi-stable setup before doing that. Perhaps not wise?

Regarding PCI slots, I need 10-bit output (photographer) and the 1080 doesn't allow that (I have seen reports that it can work, but I can only get a dithered output in Photoshop). I was also motivated to free the USB 4x slot to put a BlackMagic Decklink Monitor instead, though now I am hearing a lot of good about Vega. Frontier seems to output 10-bit on OpenGL and I am trying to figure out what the Vega 64 equivalent of Radeon Pro Vega 64 for Mac would be for a Z370 MB; that's slightly off-topic, though, so I'll keep that for another thread/forum.
 
@joevt !

I have TB running... with FW800! I'm going to give it a few days to make sure that this isn't a fluke, but if it holds, I will update with my config and changes. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I thought I had it fixed and then it failed, so this time I will have to run a few tests. That said, this is the best outcome thus far!

Thank you for your help and insightful questions, joevt. I really appreciate it!
 

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@joevt !

I have TB running... with FW800! I'm going to give it a few days to make sure that this isn't a fluke, but if it holds, I will update with my config and changes. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I thought I had it fixed and then it failed, so this time I will have to run a few tests. That said, this is the best outcome thus far!

Thank you for your help and insightful questions, joevt. I really appreciate it!
Glad you got it working.

Yes, I am running the latest clover and removed emuvariable from the EFI. I'll try removing the actual nvram.plist file and any rc scripts and see what happens.

printf and APFS: sounds right, as clover shows that prior to the main screen. I don't have any APFS drives, though.
Since you don't have APFS drives, you can remove the APFS driver for now (put it in a different folder on the EFI partition for safe keeping).

Clover always boots indeed and I can use the shell, but I have never succeeded in entering the shell, dumping the output, and getting OS X to boot.
Which part doesn't work? Entering the shell? Dumping the Output? or getting OS X to boot?

I did pick up on the USB issue too. I finally found an adapter for the internal 3.1 Gen 2 header to a 3.0 19-pin header. Should arrive in a week. Will let you know how that works. This would free up a slot completely.
So the motherboard has a different connector than your computer case? That makes sense. If you use a USB 3.0 19 pin header adapter, it should still support 10 Gbps speed, unless the cable/adapter introduces too much noise?

True about not completing USB. I am waiting to have a semi-stable setup before doing that. Perhaps not wise?
Should fix what you can fix. USB is well understood and there's an excellent guide for setting that up properly. Thunderbolt might not be stable for awhile. Is it stable if you disable Thunderbolt in BIOS for now?

Regarding PCI slots, I need 10-bit output (photographer) and the 1080 doesn't allow that (I have seen reports that it can work, but I can only get a dithered output in Photoshop). I was also motivated to free the USB 4x slot to put a BlackMagic Decklink Monitor instead, though now I am hearing a lot of good about Vega. Frontier seems to output 10-bit on OpenGL and I am trying to figure out what the Vega 64 equivalent of Radeon Pro Vega 64 for Mac would be for a Z370 MB; that's slightly off-topic, though, so I'll keep that for another thread/forum.
I haven't found a good test to see if 10-bit actually works. I did create a 16bit tiff file with gradients for 6,8,10,12 bit.
https://forums.geforce.com/default/...apple-gpus/10bit-hidpi-in-10-13-1-is-orange-/

First you need to know that the frame buffer is using 10 bit. Does taking a screenshot create a 10 bit png? Might need to make your own screenshot program. Then you can examine the hex to see the format of the pixels.

Then you need to know that the frame buffer is output as 10 bit to the display. Maybe there's a way to get the DisplayPort information, check the bandwidth, pixel size, whatever. Might have to hack the graphics driver to get that info.

Then you need to know that the display is showing a difference between color 1000000000b and 1000000001b. It's hard to see. Maybe an animation will make it more visible (the human eye can see movement better than color?)
 
@joevt !

I have TB running... with FW800! I'm going to give it a few days to make sure that this isn't a fluke, but if it holds, I will update with my config and changes. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I thought I had it fixed and then it failed, so this time I will have to run a few tests. That said, this is the best outcome thus far!

Thank you for your help and insightful questions, joevt. I really appreciate it!


I have the same board and the same TH3 adaptor, can you share your method? My mac does not show anything in the PCI
 
Hey I have actually gotten the Alpine Bridge to FLASH in Windows 10 by turning Enable for all the setting in Thunderbolt section in the BIOS. First install the driver , then do the flashing again to try.
 
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