DC7900 Build

[P1LGRIM]

it's for a DC7900 build.

i created a boutable External HDD with El Capitain 10.11.3, each time using a different way,
Unibeast: the kernel panic in the picture below
yours: "++++++++++_" with auto reboot

doesn't matter wich version of clover i use, the result is the same (clover 2.3k-r3333)

-reset bios, disabled the VT-d
-used different kernel flags,

to no avail


i couldn't get a better picture because it reboots quickly.
but it's readable by zooming

View attachment 174409

I spent a great deal of time trying to get El Capitan installed on my dc7900 and the only method that worked for me is that detailed in Post #4 which you don't appear to be following.

The config.plist attached to that post is for a build with a discrete Nvidia graphics card, if you don't have one then you will need to modify the file.

 

[P1LGRIM]

i know, because it's not the first time i try to instal a Hackintosh myself on this machine, from Leopard to Mountain Lion, it has always been a struggle,

i have followed your instructions by letter, but for the config.plist
i have changed these keys only:

<key>Intel</key>
            [COLOR=#008000][B]<true/>[/B][/COLOR]
            <key>NVidia</key>
            [B][COLOR=#ff0000]<false/>[/COLOR][/B]

if i was wrong,,, what should i exactly change on the config.plist for my basic configuration. ?
and what BIOS settings should i set exactly !!?

"and i encourage the other users who succeeded to install it to participate and help others"

Your previous posts say that you were installing to an external drive whereas my installation was to a clean internal drive with no other drives connected.

Your screen shot shows the boot argument cpus=1 which I did not find necessary.

I have not attempted to run El Capitan with the integrated graphics so cannot advise you on the changes to your config.plist in that regard.
I'm not even sure if it is possible with El Capitan but it certainly was with Mavericks when I acquired my dc7900.

The BIOS is pretty basic and the Default setting is fine for the installation, just make sure that DEP is enabled.

 

[P1LGRIM]

so,, at least, can you PM me please a link to the exact version of EL Capitain you personally used !?

The "exact version" was the one that was available from the App Store at the time.
No need to PM a link - The App Store location is well known.

 

[faithie999]

hhh, yep, as you said "was"

anyway, no need to fill this thread with non instructive posts, i'll figure out a solution,,,
thank you for your patience.

if you criticize those trying to help you, it dramatically diminishes your chances of getting help.

anyway---

i assume you are using a SATA hard disk, and that you have made sure in BIOS that you have set your HD mode to SATA. dc7900's came out early in the use of SATA disks, and the default in BIOS is IDE, not SATA.

 

[faithie999]

i just dug out my dc7900 SFF.

i downloaded clover 3333 and prepared a usb stick for legacy boot. in the clover setup "customize" screen under Bootloader i chose Install boot0af in MBR

under CloverEFI i chose CloverEFI 64-bit BiosBlockIO

since we need to use legacy booting for this elderly mono, you need to uncheck Install for UEFI booting only and uncheck Install clover in the ESP. (yes, you could install clover legacy in the EFI partition, but then you'll always have to mount the EFI partition to make any config changes, but there is no tangible advantage when legacy booting to install in the efi partition.)

i used the config.list that clover 3333 installed, with a couple of tweaks. i will send the plist i used if you want.

do you have a DSDT? that will make it easier, rather than trying to figure out which DSDT fixes you want clover to make.

anyway, i booted the El Cap 10.11.3 installer from the usb stick, and i am sending this message from the new install.

 

[faithie999]

thanks faithie999 for your reply,
i don't criticize any one, and honestly, without hypocrisy, i salute P1LGRIM for his hard work and his help, i just (talking about myself) don't like to post non constructive messages, because it makes it very hard for other readers to follow,... that's all

and yep,, please send me the files you used, DSDT.aml and the config.plist you modified and any other files you think it might help.

thanks again

try these and let us know

 

[fatmaddin2000]

What am i doing wrong in these steps !!??

Do you use discrete graphics?

Could you provide your DSDT.aml?

 

[fatmaddin2000]

I followed the instructions posted in post #4. Everything works fine. easy going. Thanks a lot for that Tutorial.

Did someone of you tried to create a SSDT for the old Core2Duo? Piker Alpha's ssdtPRGen script does not support that old CPU.

 

[faithie999]

hello again,

there was no way i could reach the GUI installer,, it just keeps rebooting at the black/white- apple screen OR "++++++++_" (using verbose mode) whatever i do.

let's summarize, won't you:

first of all:
i reset BIOS setting to factory default

-Disabled VTx options​

-DEP enabled (Data Execute Prevention)​

-HDD mode to AHCI​

​

then i boot to my working Mountain LION partition:

1-Create a new GUID partition on an external HDD, format it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) named: USB
2-in Terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/USB --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction

3-Install Clover-v2.3k-r3333 to the newly created "Install ..." partition with "only" :
-boot0af in MBR
-CloverEFI 64-bits BiosBlockIO

4-Removed VBoxHfs-64.efi from /Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/drivers64UEFI/ and added HFSPlus.efi
Deleted all of the 10.* folders from /Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/kexts (leaving just the /Other folder).
and added to it (/Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other):

-FakeSMC.kext​

-NullCPUPowerManagement.kext​

-FakePCIID.kext​

-FakePCIID_XHCIMux.kext​

​

5-Copy DSDT.aml to /Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/Patched/
6-Copy config.plist to /Install OS X El Capitain/EFI/CLOVER/


then i shutdown the Computer
put a 40Go HDD, (GUID/Mac OSX Ext journaled) preformated, in SATA 1 slot

boot with the external HDD, select the Install partition from Clover,

- White apple on Black screen then reboot
or in verbose mode
- "+++++++++_" then reboot

without or with whatever arguments i use, it reboots

What am i doing wrong in these steps !!??

what i would do at this point is:

prepare a new 8gb or larger USB stick. use mavericks or yosemite disk utility to format and partition the usb. format 2 partitions: 1gb fat32 and the rest HFS+ journaled.name the HFS partition Untitled. in Options at the bottom of the disk utility screen choose MBR. don't use GUID as we don't want a hidden EFI partition on your usb stick. using a usb stick for booting and for the installer partition is LOTS easier to make changes to than trying to use a HD.

then run the clover installer and install clover on the 1gb fat 32 with the options you chose above. also check the box next to themes and drivers. after the installer finishes, put the dsdt i sent you into efi/clover/acpi/patched and replace config.plist that clover installed on the usb stick with the config i sent you. in efi/clover/drivers64, i have the following:
FSInject
NVMExpress
PS2Mouse
USBMouse
vbox2
vbox4
xhciDxe
IIRC, these are the default drivers that clover installs. i think the only one you really need is FSInject, but for the record, i'm using all of the above and my system boots fine.
don't try to move drivers from the drivers64UEFI folder into the drivers64 folder. the UEFI drivers are only for UEFI booting which we're not doing on this old mobo.

in efi/clover/kexts/10.11 i have only appletintel1000e.kext and FakeSMC.kext. i also placed both those kexts in kexts/other. that is probably belt and suspenders.

you will never need the fakepciid and fakeXhcimux kexts, as this mobo doesn't have usb3 ports. if later you add a usb3 card, you can load the genericxhci kext that will likely enable that card, or you can locate one that does.

you don't need the nullpowermangement kext. clover automatically applies a patch to handle this. when you successfully install el cap, the null kext will prevent proper sleep.

then run the terminal script to place the El Cap installer into the "untitled" partition of your usb stick.

what bios are you on? mine is 1.26. the bios level shows up at the bottom left of the boot splash screen. it's been several years since i first hacked the dc7900, but i seem to remember there was a reason to upgrade to 1.26. if yours is lower, i'd advise updating. it looks like (from the BIOS setup screen) that you can update the bios using a USB stick selecting File-->Flash System ROM, but rely on the HP download site for instructions and the bios download.

confirming BIOS settings:

Storage--device configuration--default values: SATA Defaults
--storage options--SATA emulation: AHCI
--boot order--move USB device above Hard Drive

Security--system security--data execution prevention enable, VTd disable, embedded security device support disable, os management of embedded security device enable, reset of embedded security device through OS disable

Power--OS power management--runtime power management enable, acpi S3 hard disk reset disable, acpi s3 ps2 mouse wakeup any activity, usb wake on device insertion disable, unique sleep state blink rates disable
--hardware power management--SATA power management--enable



then on your spare HD:

using mavs or yosemite disk utility, partition your spare HD again so you have a totally clean disk and a clean EFI partition.(this time, choose GUID instead of MBR). it's easier to do a partition that to erase the EFI partition. we want to have no question that you will be booting from your USB stick instead of from a potentially failed clover installation on your HD's EFI partition. when you successfully install el cap and are ready to install clover on your HD, i STRONGLY suggest to uncheck the "install on EFI partition" so that the boot files and clover files are at the root level of your HD, in a folder called EFI, that you can access without having to load the hidden EFI partition. in legacy booting, i see no advantage of installing the boot and clover files on the hidden EFI partition. different story if you were booting UEFI.

then disconnect the HD that is currently attached to your mobo and connect the clean HD via SATA.

finally plug in your USB and do a verbose boot.

 

[francesco289]

In my recent dc7900 upgrade I made my USB flash drive installer using the createinstallmedia method [....]
.

I followed this guide but I can't boot from usb - when I select usb on boot menu (with f9) it skips the usb and goes to hard drive. Also in boot order the usb is first. What am I missing?

edit:
I updated the bios and now it's working.
I can also confirm that without discrete graphics like gt610 the system reboot and never comes to the mac os installation