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[Guide] HP Pavilion 15-AB216TX Catalina using OpenCore

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May 10, 2012
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Motherboard
Dell XPS 17 9700
CPU
i7-10875H
Graphics
UHD 630 + RTX 2060 Max-Q
Mac
  1. MacBook Pro
Mobile Phone
  1. Android
  2. iOS
The purpose of this guide is to provide a step-by-step guide to installing macOS Catalina on the HP Pavilion 15-AB216TX laptop.

Note: This guide will also work with Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra or El Capitan, This is my last update for this Guide. There won't be macOS Big Sur Guide. OpenCore update is required to boot Big Sur, along with config.plist using new OpenCore Configuration Manual (as of writing 0.6.3 is latest, and it can boot Big Sur release version without any issue). I can update OpenCore and config.plist but I don't have this machine anymore to test updated config, so attaching last tested configuration.


1. Computer Specification

HP Pavilion 15-AB216TX

Intel® Core™ i5-5200U @2.2Ghz

12GB RAM DDR3L 1600Mhz

Intel® HD Graphics 5500 (Broadwell)

Nvidia Geforce GT 940M (Disabled in DSDT)

128GB SanDisk SD6SB1M-128G-1006

1TB 5400 RPM SATA (2nd HDD Caddy)

Realtek ALC290 Audio Controller

RTL8101E Fast Ethernet

RTL8723BE (1x1) and BT 4.0 Combo (optional, Replace with supported Broadcom or Intel Wi-Fi/BT Module)


2. What you need


- HP Pavilion 15-AB216TX or Similar Hardware

- OpenCore Bootloader

- macOS Catalina (or version of macOS that you want to install) downloaded from the Mac App Store

- 16GB+ USB stick

- Access to Mac or Hackintosh

**attached archive contains OpenCore-0.5.9 along with config.plist based on OpenCore-0.5.9 Configuration Manual


3. BIOS settings

- UEFI boot is enabled

- secure boot is disabled

- enable Legacy Boot (but UEFI first) and you may experience less boot time glitches


4. Pre-Installation

Prior to installing macOS, it is a good idea to create an OEM recovery USB from Windows. If anything goes wrong and you want/need to get back to Windows, you can restore it via the USB. Use the utility provided by HP to accomplish this.

Always backup data you don’t want to lose. I take no responsibility for damaging your computer or data loss. This guide will lead you to do a “clean installation” which means formatting your main drive.


5. Preparing USB and initial Installation


Prepare a USB with 16GB or more, format by Disk Utility:

- Click Erase

- Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

- Scheme: GUID Partition Map

format.png


- Download Install macOS Catalina app from App Store (or version of macOS that you want to install)

- Open terminal app and paste this piece of code
Code:
sudo "/Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia" --volume  /Volumes/macOS --nointeraction

- Above terminal command will require modification depending on the version of macOS you want to install

- Alternatively if you don't have a System running macOS, you can try gibMacOS to prepare USB from Windows. This method require Internet as it only prepares macOS Recovery Media (Internet with decent Download Speed required, will also require Ethernet, if you don't have compatible Wi-Fi Adapter), and rest of the files will be downloaded automatically by macOS installer.

- Mount EFI partition of USB drive, and copy attached EFI folder

- Restart and press F9 to choose Boot devices > Boot from EFI file > choose your EFI partition > EFI > Boot > BOOTX64.EFI

- OpenCore Boot Picker will show up, select "macOS Base System (external)"

- Use Disk Utility to format your drive as GPT, create a APFS partition and install macOS to your formatted partition

- System will restart after copying files from USB drive

- After Restart press F9 to choose Boot devices > Boot from EFI file > choose your EFI partition > EFI > Boot > BOOTX64.efi

- OpenCore Boot Picker will show up, select "macOS Installer"

- Now it will reboot a few times, select “macOS Installer” unless it’s not available. And when “macOS Installer” boot entry is gone select your target partition

- If everything goes well, you can boot straight to desktop.

- Mount system EFI partition, and copy EFI folder from attached archive

- Now system should be bootable without USB, and OpenCore boot entry should show up in boot order (after you boot once using “Boot from EFI file” menu)

- if boot entry doesn’t show up, add it manually using EFI Shell

Code:
bcfg boot add XX FSX:\EFI\OC\OpenCore.EFI OpenCoreBoot, where FSX is your macOS/OSX EFI, and XX is the new entry

Note: System should be up and running, if everything is working and there is no issue then you can skip to 12. iMessage, following steps are basically for better understating of whole process, Should be helpful in case of different hardware configuration

6. Kexts

Place these Kexts in /Library/Extensions


- AppleALC
- set config.plist -> DeviceProperties -> Add -> PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1B,0x0) -> layout-id = 0x1C for ALC290 (or according to your audio codec)
Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 7.19.34 PM.png

- Lilu

- VirtualSMC (with SMCBatteryManger and SMCProcessor)

- CPUFriend
- CPUFriendDataProvider (use included one, or create your own using one-key-cpufriend script)

- EFICheckDisabler

- HibernationFixup

- RealtekRTL8100

- USBPorts (use included or create your own, if a USB port or internal device like Bluetooth/Webcam isn’t working then you possibly need to modify port mapping according to your hardware configuration. Hackintool is handy tool for USB Port mapping)

- VoodooPS2Controller (by Acidanthera or Rehabman) or VoodooRMI (supports 4-fingers unlike VoodooPS2Controller, might have to add device id in VoodooSMBus)

- WhateverGreen

- (optional) AirportBrcmFixup + BrcmPatchRAM3 (if Wi-Fi/BT module is replaced with compatible Broadcom Adapter)
- (optional) Airportitlwm/itlwm + IntelBluetoothFirmware (if Wi-Fi/BT module is replaced with compatible Intel Adapter)


- Intel Framebuffer Patching
Patches that are included in config.plist
- DVMT pre-Allocation memory patch (prevent Kernel Panic)
- Removed unused 3rd port and change port number from 3 to 2
Fixes Lag/Freeze at Login screen during startup right after entering password

For details check [Guide] Intel Framebuffer patching using WhateverGreen


7. Battery


Requires:
- SSDT-BATT.aml
- Following ACPI patches:
Find
Replace
Comment
434C5249 584C5249 PCI0.ACEL.CLRI to XLRI, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
5F424946 58424946 battery _BIF->XBIF, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
5F425354 58425354 battery _BST->XBST, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
55504249 00 58504249 00 battery BAT0.UPBI->XPBI, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
55504253 00 58504253 00 battery BAT0.UPBS->XPBS, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
534D5244 04 584D5244 04 battery EC.SMRD->XMRD, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml
534D5752 04 584D5752 04 battery EC.SMWR->XMWR, pair with SSDT-BATT.aml


8. Brightness Fix

Requires:
- WhateverGreen
- SSDT-PNLF.aml (included with WhateverGreen)

- (optional) AppleBacklightSmoother (for smoother transition, replace with included SSDT-PNLF), attached ZIP doesn’t include it.


9. Brightness Keys

BrightnessKeys does this without ACPI patching, should be a lot easier than older ACPI approach

Else you need to know label of EC Queries that are responsible for Brightness Levels
- In my case _Q10 for Brightness Down, and _Q11 for Brightness Up
- rename Original methods with ACPI Binary patch (_Q10 -> XQ10 and _Q11 -> XQ11)
- then Inject modified Methods using SSDT (use SSDT-KEYS as reference)


10. Disable Nvidia GT 940M

Disabling discrete GPU is tricky with ACPI, and OpenCore will also apply those patches to other OS (Windows/Linux). While it’s possible to modify patch so that code is only executed under macOS, but complexity of patch will increase.

WhateverGreen made this process easier than ever, with disable-external-gpu property. WhateverGreen disables IGPU without any ACPI patch. and discrete GPU remains usable under Windows or Linux.
Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 7.19.48 PM.png


11. Native Power Management

Requires:
- SSDT-PLUG is enough to enable Power Management
- CPUFriend along with CPUFriendDataProvider helps with dropping CPU frequency around 800Mhz (on idle)


12. iMessage

Attached config.plist doesn't contain Serial, Board Serial. there is no need to use serials form Macs. just follow An iDiot's Guide To iMessage and you'll get iMessage/FaceTime working.


13. Credits

RehabMan
Acidanthera
Alexandred
P1LGRIM
Mirone
Mieze
vit9696
 

Attachments

  • Required Files.zip
    2.6 MB · Views: 1,017
Last edited:
Hello!
Is VoodooPS2Controller works properly with 10.15 update? After update I miss three fingers gestures. On 10.14 all works good...
 
Hello!
Is VoodooPS2Controller works properly with 10.15 update? After update I miss three fingers gestures. On 10.14 all works good...
which version are you using?
i'm using Acidanthera's build with VoodooI2C MT2 Simulator, and it works same as it worked on 10.14.
 
I'm using Acidanthera's voodooPS2Controller version 2.0.4
 
Use this app and check if fingers are detected/reported properly when you perform 3 finger gestures.
 
Hm... This app detects three fingers correctly.
Снимок экрана 2019-10-24 в 16.27.25.png
 
Thank you. Just disable gestures in settings then enable it again and all works fine.
 
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