How to build your own iMac Pro [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[kgp]

Great news man. I really appreciate that you brought this guide alive and keep it running so well. Thanks

Direct cloning option of APFS system disks with CCC is now implemented in my guide

Many thanks for your important and appreciated feedback

Cheers,

KGP

 

[rudey]

Hey KGP, I am still on the road and haven't been able to test the USB solution. However while flying I was able to jot down a starter script for creating the install media and prepping the system disk. Hopefully making the first portion of the guide easier. This is not tested, but I figured I would put it out there incase others want to add on to it.

https://github.com/alexisaperez/hack-installer

One of the things that would help maintaining the script would be a central location with versioning for the files you provided in your guide. Would you be willing to move your guides files to a git repo, or some other source control? It would help a lot with automating.

When I get a working install going and decent internet connection I'll work on automating the serial number validation, and config.plist changes to the script.

I am not sure if it is possible but it would also be very cool to have a pre-flight script that detects USB ports for the USB kext on any motherboard. Does anyone know if IOReg is the only way to get the device ID / Vendor ID's or can the same information be found via linux device-tree or some other non MacOS system?

 

[kgp]

Hey KGP, I am still on the road and haven't been able to test the USB solution. However while flying I was able to jot down a starter script for creating the install media and prepping the system disk. Hopefully making the first portion of the guide easier. This is not tested, but I figured I would put it out there incase others want to add on to it.

https://github.com/alexisaperez/hack-installer

One of the things that would help maintaining the script would be a central location with versioning for the files you provided in your guide. Would you be willing to move your guides files to a git repo, or some other source control? It would help a lot with automating.

When I get a working install going and decent internet connection I'll work on automating the serial number validation, and config.plist changes to the script.

I am not sure if it is possible but it would also be very cool to have a pre-flight script that detects USB ports for the USB kext on any motherboard. Does anyone know if IOReg is the only way to get the device ID / Vendor ID's or can the same information be found via linux device-tree or some other non MacOS system?

Interesting ideas! I will wait until you further developed the installer and you find time to test it. If you need my input during the development, don't hesitate to ask. Once your script is finished, we can think on possible maintenance.

However, I think not everything can be automatised, like e.g. the XHC USB Kext creation. You need to repeatedly manually plug and unplug a USB2.0 device on ALL USB2.0 and USB3.0 ports and check the response in IOREG, which you then use for the HS-port association. Then you have to manually repeat the process with a USB3.0 device on all USB3.0 ports for the SS-Port association. The check of the device ID / Vendor ID's is just a first step, primer to the latter fully manual implementation.

If you have a mobo different from the ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe, I would rather prefer that you create and provide a board specific XHC USB Kext as soon as possible, and primer to any automatisation. Other users might urgently need it.

In any case, I think it does not harm to repeatedly study and read my guide and to apply each step manually. Learning by doing is always the most efficient approach especially for unexperienced users...

Looking forward to receive your further feedback

Cheers, man!

KGP

 

[rudey]

Interesting ideas! I will wait until you further developed the installer and you find time to test it. If you need my input during the development, don't hesitate to ask. Once your script is finished, we can think on possible maintenance.

However, I think not everything can be automatised, like e.g. the XHC USB Kext creation. You need to repeatedly manually plug and unplug a USB2.0 device on ALL USB2.0 and USB3.0 ports and check the response in IOREG, which you then use for the HS-port association. Then you have to manually repeat the process with a USB3.0 device on all USB3.0 ports for the SS-Port association. The check of the device ID / Vendor ID's is just a first step, primer to the latter fully manual implementation.

If you have a mobo different from the ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe, I would rather prefer that you create and provide a board specific XHC USB Kext as soon as possible, and primer to any automatisation. Other users might urgently need it.

In any case, I think it does not harm to repeatedly study and read my guide and to apply each step manually. Learning by doing is always the most efficient approach especially for unexperienced users...

Looking forward to receive your further feedback

Cheers, man!

KGP

So I got in pretty late and had a go at the new kext files you provided. I rebooted maybe 20 times and got one successful boot that ended in a panic. I then created a installer volume on a ssd and installed in the case over sata. Same exact behavior. So I’m starting to think it’s not USB related.

 

[kgp]

So I got in pretty late and had a go at the new kext files you provided. I rebooted maybe 20 times and got one successful boot that ended in a panic. I then created a installer volume on a ssd and installed in the case over sata. Same exact behavior. So I’m starting to think it’s not USB related.

Please see post #281 and post #283 and please report back with the successful solution for your system.

I guess, @IgnitePro also introduced some modifications to my EFI-Folder, which might not be required at all.

Thus, we have to figure out which modifications out of a.) to c.) are really required for a successful boot on systems different from mine.

I also count on your help and collaboration in this issue!

As soon we have absolute clearness, i will upload a slightly modified EFI-Folder, which should be generally applicable on different systems without further issues.

All changes introduced by @IgnitePro have been exclusively restricted to my actual config.plist!

Please let me know once more, which mobo and cpu your are exactly employing! From your profile this is not clear at all!

With this information I might be able to provide further help and support or establish some crosstalk with other already successful users. Investigating all previous posts, I found now the following information to your system: Asus TUF X299 Mark I / RX580 / 960 pro. Yet I am missing the processor information. Please update your profile in any case!

By the way, did you try the approach I suggested with Test2.efi to get rid of our memory allocation errors? You are by the way the only user reporting about a frequencies excess of this else sporadic error message!

Cheers,

KGP

 

[kgp]

General comment to all Users connected to this thread and participating in the respective discussions!

Please provide your Skylake-X/X299 System information in your Signature!

Following the Forum Rules, the allowed entries are just:

• Mainboard Info
• CPU Info
• Graphics Cards Info

This restricted information is however more than sufficient!

I else have to investigate for each feedback and request all previous threads to find your particular system configuration, which is simply a nightmare and requires much efforts and time at my side!

Many thanks in advance,

KGP

 

[ggeorge]

It's very easy and in fact exactly a s I write! The HFS+ and GUID partition table formatting with Apple's Disk Utility creates the disk partition itself + the EFI partition. The however yet empty EFI partition can be mount by means of Clover Configurator! No need for a clover install at that point!

Just select the "Mount" menu (1.), Mount any partition displayed with "Mount Partition" (2.) and subsequently open it's EFI-Folder with "Open Partition" (3.). The latter function opens an Apple File Manager, which allows to copy, paste, delete anything on/to or from the EFI Partition. Ones your manipulation of the respective EFI-Folder is finished, select "unMount Partition" (4) and the EFI-Folder will be unmounted and disappear again.

Give it a try, if you never did

Clover Configurator is a mighty tool also for config.plist manipulation!

Cheers,

KGP

I was not aware previously that Clover Configurator did this, you might want to make it explicit in your guide to use that or another EFI utility to mount it at that point.

I'm stuck currently though. I've got a Rampage VI Extreme, 7900x and 1080ti, but I get the low memory relocating error every time I try to boot. Any idea where I am likely to have gone wrong?

 

[kgp]

I was not aware previously that Clover Configurator did this, you might want to make it explicit in your guide to use that or another EFI utility to mount it at that point.

I'm stuck currently though. I've got a Rampage VI Extreme, 7900x and 1080ti, but I get the low memory relocating error every time I try to boot. Any idea where I am likely to have gone wrong?

I don't think that the low memory relocating error has something to do with the EFi-Folder or the MacOS Installation.
In my case it really just appears sporadically and not very frequently, just from time to time. Sometimes it helps to just switch of the rig and boot subsequently.

However, I did witness an increased occurrence of the low memory relocating error, when using the ThunderboltEX 3, which I guess is anyway not part of the Rampage VI Extreme. Especially until the ThunderboltEX 3 was not properly configured or not configured at all, the error occurred much more frequently.

Please also check once more, if your BIOS settings are really identical with mine.

By the way!!!!

@kencar has nearly exactly the same system configuration like you have (just i9-7920X instead of i9-7900X)!!!!

Same mobo, same graphics!!!!

He is successfully running macOS High Sierra 10.13 on his rig, after following my guide!!!

He might be of big help in your issues!!

Cheers,

KGP

 

[ggeorge]

I don't think that the low memory relocating error has something to do with the EFi-Folder or the MacOS Installation.
In my case it really just appears sporadically and not very frequently, just from time to time. Sometimes it helps to just switch of the rig and boot subsequently.

However, I did witness an increased occurrence of the low memory relocating error, when using the ThunderboltEX 3, which I guess is anyway not part of the Rampage VI Extreme. Especially until the ThunderboltEX 3 was not properly configured or not configured at all, the error occurred much more frequently.

Please also check once more, if your BIOS settings are really identical with mine.

I have double checked and as far as I can tell I have the bios settings the same as yours, but I do have the Rampage VI Extreme so there may well be some differences on that score.

Sorry I was insufficiently clear, I get that error every time I boot, what it actually crashes on is usually

"AppleUSBHostResources@AppleUSBHostResources::AllocateDownstreamBussCurrentGated"
then
"AppleUSB30HubPort@14b40000"

By the way!!!!

@kencar has nearly exactly the same system configuration like you have (just i9-7920X instead of i9-7900X)!!!!

Same mobo, same graphics!!!!

He is successfully running macOS High Sierra 10.13 on his rig, after following my guide!!!

He might be of big help in your issues!!

Cheers,

KGP

Well hopefully he can chime in or will start a RVIE thread of his own.

 

[kgp]

I have double checked and as far as I can tell I have the bios settings the same as yours, but I do have the Rampage VI Extreme so there may well be some differences on that score.

Sorry I was insufficiently clear, I get that error every time I boot, what it actually crashes on is usually

"AppleUSBHostResources@AppleUSBHostResources::AllocateDownstreamBussCurrentGated"
then
"AppleUSB30HubPort@14b40000"

By the way!!!!

Well hopefully he can chime in or will start a RVIE thread of his own.

Well as far I have seen, @kencar already started his own RVIE thread.... at least he fairly mentions my Skylake-X/X299 macOS High Sierra 10.13 Desktop Guide as the base of his build, although without providing any reference or link to the latter. Not even my username is correctly implemented.

I do not really understand his reasoning for creating an additional and somewhat competitive macOS High Sierra 10.13 Desktop Guide thread, which actually even remains without much useful content....

I honestly would have preferred that he would have just shared his estimated experience with respect to the RVIE along my actual thread instead of opening a standalone thread without much content... Well.. anyway.. his free decision...

At least I really hope that he will still help along my actual thread and demonstrate a minimum of gratitude for having a fully functional build after following my Skylake-X/X299 macOS High Sierra 10.13 Desktop Guide.

Thus, I also really hope that he will help you here in this thread in solving your issues! It would be just fair and also of big help for all other RVIE users, following my Skylake-X/X299 macOS High Sierra 10.13 Desktop Guide in the originating post of this thread.

Cheers,

KGP