Clarification of unibeast/multibeast

[BSDguru]

I have a GA-Z77X-UP5 TB with a 660TI card and after installing and booting Mountain Lion from the usb everything in the system works and is shown properly in system report. But after running multi beast, no matter what I seem to do, the system won't boot with the graphics card.

Where is it getting the correct drivers from when it boots unibeast and runs lion? Does everything work because the drivers are native in mountain lion, or because of the configuration of unibeast? how can I replicate this working environment?

It's quite baffling. Also, is it possible that the boot0 fix (I have to do this) can cause some problem?

To add to this, when i first boot Mountain Lion everything in the system works. After running just DSDT-free installation and the boot0 fix, I can no longer boot with the 660ti card in the box, even when booting with the unibeast USB. So one of those procedures is breaking it.

 

[johnsalter]

If you have any way of booting into mountain lion without the graphics card (with a spare card or onboard graphics), download these drivers and install them, then try with the 660. I had to use these with my 650Ti and both these cards run on the new kepler chips so it may work.

 

[Middleman]

Hi BSDGuru,

I have the same system as you, and I don't have the same problem.

1) To make it work, make sure you are connected to the last DVI port or first HDMI port (nearest the screwhole on the plate).
Reboot and try that first. If it doesn't do the following:

Make sure your graphics settings in BIOS are set to:

Init Display = AUTO
Internal Graphics = Enabled
Video RAM = 32MB
DVMT Memory = Max
XHCI = AUTO
Preboot XHCI detection = Enabled

Using Multibeast, install the SECOND graphics option for Nvidia Open GL.

May have to add this before Kernel Flags section to your org.chameleon.Boot.plist in /Extras folder (if your monitor supports this):

<key>Graphics Mode</key>
<string>1920x1080x32</string>

If you are not sure of what video modes your card can go up to, when you see the Chameleon disk prompt, press the Down arrow key on your keyboard - a menu will come up. Select Video Info from there to tell you what it is.

2) Boot0 shouldn't be a problem, although you can check what type of format your drive is in Disk Utility. It needs to be GPT/GUID Partition, using Mac Journaled HFS format/

3) As for your graphics issues, if you still have problems try reading this guide here >

http://www.tonymacx86.com/mountain-...ed-10-8-2-multibeast-5-2-a-10.html#post517329

I think your card may have the same issues as the Quadra in booting, and the above fix worked for the Quadra.

 

[BSDguru]

ok, thanks for the input. I have a few more things to try today. First, a pot of coffee.

Note that if I take the 660ti card out, the system boots without issue and the onboard HD4000 works fine with 1920x support.

My real question here was, is there a way to get the unibeast config onto the hard drive, since whatever it's doing works, or at least a way to see what settings are in place. I know that works.

 

[BSDguru]

If you have any way of booting into mountain lion without the graphics card (with a spare card or onboard graphics), download these drivers and install them, then try with the 660. I had to use these with my 650Ti and both these cards run on the new kepler chips so it may work.

No go on this. System panic on boot.

 

[Going Bald]

ok, thanks for the input. I have a few more things to try today. First, a pot of coffee.

Note that if I take the 660ti card out, the system boots without issue and the onboard HD4000 works fine with 1920x support.

My real question here was, is there a way to get the unibeast config onto the hard drive, since whatever it's doing works, or at least a way to see what settings are in place. I know that works.

Things to remember
1)The 660Ti Keplar GPU is fully supported as of 10.8.2.
2)Fully supported Keplar GPUs need GraphicsEnabler=NO for OS X to work
3)MultiBeast, by default, installs an org.chameleon.boot.plist which contains GraphicEnabler=YES.
4)You need to select the GraphicsEnabler=NO option in MultiBeast to prevent 3.

 

[BSDguru]

Things to remember
1)The 660Ti Keplar GPU is fully supported as of 10.8.2.
2)Fully supported Keplar GPUs need GraphicsEnabler=NO for OS X to work
3)MultiBeast, by default, installs an org.chameleon.boot.plist which contains GraphicEnabler=YES.
4)You need to select the GraphicsEnabler=NO option in MultiBeast to prevent 3.

Hard to believe that's all it was. Is it really not possible for multibeast to not "know" which adapters are supported by the OS natively? It sure would have a lot of people a lot of time.

I'll tell you. I must have read 15 multibeast tutorials, and not one mentioned the importance of graphics enabler or made the connection between native drivers and the setting. Someone ought to add it.

I still thinks its a bit odd that unibeast seems to use different defaults than what multibeast uses.

Also, for anyone reading this thread, while I couldn't get the card to work I was using the built-in HD4000 and I was pretty happy with it. 2 1920x1200 displays, and it performed/looked just fine running photoshop and photo publisher and screenflow. I'd spend $250 on more cpu before going for the PIA graphics card again. Without the graphics card, this is a pretty nice box for under $1000.