Getting past 10.6.0 on a Lenovo X220

[Applejack]

I'm trying to install OS X on a Lenovo X220. There are many reports of people having done this, and it's noted as being a very suitable laptop.
The example I'm working with is a Sandy Bridge i5-2520M/4Gb mem. It kept kernel panicking with 8Gb, even though Memtest flagged no errors, and Centos/Ubuntu/Win7Pro all install with no problem. The WWAN/WLAN/Bluetooth were stripped out, and it was tested using both a SATA 500Gb HDD and a mPCIe 250Gb SSD. The wired ethernet port works. Installation has been attempted under the standard 1.46 BIOS the system came with, and the modified Hackintosh-friendly 1.46 versions.


STEP 1: BIOS SETTINGS
Did this.

STEP 2: INSTALL MAC OS X
Did this, multiple times, using a 10.6.0 retail DVD from both an external USB DVD, and the one build into the Ultrabase 3. The iBoot -x option was necessary during setup. Once installed, the HDD/SDD boots normally using iBoot.

STEP 3: UPDATE TO 10.6.8
UpdateHelper and the 10.6.8 combo update appear to install okay, however the system crashes when rebooted. It doesn't matter whether or not I reboot between installing the two, the system will initially display the apple and doughnut, which is then replaced by a blank grey screen. No further response can be produced, even with -x. A 10.6.0 reinstall is required to bring it back to life.

STEP 4: MULTIBEAST
No matter what options I try to install, I can't get it to produce a bootable drive; the BIOS drops me to the select boot device screen, unless I fall back on iBoot. I've tried it on both 10.6.0, and .8 but neither worked.

Congratulations! You're done!!
Nope. I've been thumping this for days, and failing. Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong?

 

[trs96]

Any way you can find someone that has a Mac Laptop or Desktop you could borrow to make a unibeast installer ? Would make the whole process much simpler.

UpdateHelper and the 10.6.8 combo update appear to install okay, however the system crashes when rebooted. It doesn't matter whether or not I reboot between installing the two, the system will initially display the apple and doughnut, which is then replaced by a blank grey screen. No further response can be produced, even with -x. A 10.6.0 reinstall is required to bring it back to life.

Once you've installed 10.6.8 and the other software updates, keep on using the iBoot CD to boot from. Don't try to boot from the hard drive SL is installed on. Do not run multibeast either. That is only necessary if you plan on staying with SL longer term.

 

[Applejack]

Sadly, I only know one person with a genuine OS X Mac, and that's a G4 they keep for sentimental reasons.

With or without Multibeast the system is dead once 10.6.8 is installed. iBoot will get me to the startup screen, with apple and rotating doughnut (if I boot using -x, I'll also get a progress bar below the doughnut). This then clears to a blank grey screen, and no further response can be coerced from the system. There's disk activity for a minute or so, but after that, nothing. I've even left it overnight in case it was just taking a really long time to sort the update, but that didn't help either.

There's only two things I haven't changed so far; get a 10.6.3 DVD in case there's some obscure problem with the 6.0, or the X220 motherboard.

 

[trs96]

get a 10.6.3 DVD in case there's some obscure problem

sounds good

 

[Applejack]

Having seen several members reporting various issues while happily using 10.10 and above on this hardware, I'd be interested to know whether they started from iBoot+SL, or Unibeast+something later. Reviews say the X220 is a good choice for OS X, and I haven't found any reports matching my problems. Oh well, off to ebay...

 

[Applejack]

@trs96 ,as well as the 10.6.0/3 retail disks, I'm seeing lots of grey 2-disk sets being sold as install disks in 10.6.0/2/3/4/6/7 variants. They appear to be the disks originally supplied with specific Macs. Would these work with iBoot, or are they just restore images? IIRC, 6.7 was the version with Sandy Bridge support, so that might be worth trying if it'll work.

 

[trs96]

@trs96 ,as well as the 10.6.0/3 retail disks, I'm seeing lots of grey 2-disk sets being sold as install disks in 10.6.0/2/3/4/6/7 variants. They appear to be the disks originally supplied with specific Macs. Would these work with iBoot, or are they just restore images? IIRC, 6.7 was the version with Sandy Bridge support, so that might be worth trying if it'll work.

Grey disks won't work. Get the one with the Snow leopard pic on it. That will work.

 

[BarryP]

Sadly, I only know one person with a genuine OS X Mac, and that's a G4 they keep for sentimental reasons.

With or without Multibeast the system is dead once 10.6.8 is installed. iBoot will get me to the startup screen, with apple and rotating doughnut (if I boot using -x, I'll also get a progress bar below the doughnut). This then clears to a blank grey screen, and no further response can be coerced from the system. There's disk activity for a minute or so, but after that, nothing. I've even left it overnight in case it was just taking a really long time to sort the update, but that didn't help either.

There's only two things I haven't changed so far; get a 10.6.3 DVD in case there's some obscure problem with the 6.0, or the X220 motherboard.

Same problem here mate with 10.6.3 and update until 10.6.8. Boots so far (I think its graphics? Read it some where?)/ any way you are stuck with the graphics so you are screwed? Maybe it will run better (or even at all) on a different os? Trouble is like you I don't have a Mac, well I do until I reach 10.6.8 than its screwed!! I bought Mountain Lion online and I can see it but can't download it on App Store! Probably because I do not have an updated OS and apps etc. Ah well i kept me busy for a while?? Cheers!

 

[trs96]

I can see it but can't download it on App Store! Probably because I do not have an updated OS and apps etc. Ah well i kept me busy for a while?? Cheers!

You can download El Capitan for free and install that over Snow Leopard 10.6.8 without having to get it through the app store. http://updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2...cf50-4516-9011-228c78eda3d2/InstallMacOSX.dmg Open up the package and install it. Very simple. It's a 5.8 GB download direct from Apple.

Here's the link to Sierra if you want that instead. You can only install El Capitan over Snow Leopard though. Anything newer will not work.

http://updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2019/cert/061-39476-20191023-48f365f4-0015-4c41-9f44-39d3d2aca067/InstallOS.dmg