How to extend the iMac Pro to X99 [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[SmariMo]

Thanks for this detailed and easy guide, kgp!
But I‘ve got a question:
I like to performe a clean install on my SSD, but I can‘t boot from the Installation Drive. I just get a prohibition sign! Even when I add -v (Verbose) to my boot args, I just get this sign.

Can you help me?

My setup:
Intel Core i7-6950X
128 GB Corsair Dominator Platinum @ 3300 MHz
ASUS Rampage V Edition 10
2x 2TB Samsung 960 Pro SSD, 4x 4TB Samsung SATA SSD (I don‘t know the exact name)
2x NVIDIA Titan Xp
be quiet Dark Power Pro 11 1200W
Custom water cooling
Corsair 900D

I also tried to upgrade an existing macOS Sierra (installed with your guide ), but I don‘t see the Apple Logo. Just this white prohibition sign.

Best regards
SmariMo

 

[kgp]

Thanks for this detailed and easy guide, kgp!
But I‘ve got a question:
I like to performe a clean install on my SSD, but I can‘t boot from the Installation Drive. I just get a prohibition sign! Even when I add -v (Verbose) to my boot args, I just get this sign.

Can you help me?

My setup:
Intel Core i7-6950X
128 GB Corsair Dominator Platinum @ 3300 MHz
ASUS Rampage V Edition 10
2x 2TB Samsung 960 Pro SSD, 4x 4TB Samsung SATA SSD (I don‘t know the exact name)
2x NVIDIA Titan Xp
be quiet Dark Power Pro 11 1200W
Custom water cooling
Corsair 900D

I also tried to upgrade an existing macOS Sierra (installed with your guide ), but I don‘t see the Apple Logo. Just this white prohibition sign.

Best regards
SmariMo

What is your installation drive? A USB flash drive? USB 2.0 or 3.0? After which step in the boot process the prohibition sign appears when you boot in verbose mode? If the prohibition sign appears, your boot fails at some point! Did you try to boot with the EFI folder contained in EFI-10.13-TM-040817.zip attached below? After some recent modifications, this EFI folder now boots on my rig 100% both the DP4 clean installer as well as the DP4 Upgrade Installer from 10.12.6 or DP3.

One advice! Try to perform the Dp4 clean install or upgrade just with one of your 2x NVIDIA Titan Xp!!!

Cheers,

KGP

 

[Obecny]

@kgp Thank you very much for this. Unfortunately still ++++++

@Obecny When you get the opportunity, could you please upload your EFI folder that progresses past the +++++++ and successfully loads the installer.

Regards,
Duck

I have used the exactly EFI folder kgp provided with not a single modification... yet

 

[duckgrossberg]

I have used the exactly EFI folder kgp provided with not a single modification... yet

Interesting... I wonder if there is something silly in my Bios, have you made any changes not outlined in the 10.12 o 10.13 guides?

The only difference appears to be the 6900X you are using and the 6950X I am using.

 

[kgp]

Interesting... I wonder if there is something silly in my Bios, have you made any changes not outlined in the 10.12 o 10.13 guides?

The only difference appears to be the 6900X you are using and the 6950X I am using.

Form the basic system configuration point, there is no difference between 6900K and 6950X, both Broadwell-E! The only difference will consist in a different ssdt.aml, which however is topic of the post-installation process and not included in the EFI directory of EFi-10.13-TM.

This BIOS configuration however could be slightly different, especially with respect to OC (different max frequency ratios), which however is also not mandatory or of interest for the PB3/DP4 clean install or upgrade process!

 

[duckgrossberg]

Form the basic system configuration point, there is no difference between 6900K and 6950X, both Broadwell-E! The only difference will consist in a different ssdt.aml, which however is topic of the post-installation process and not included in the EFI directory of EFi-10.13-TM.

This BIOS configuration however could be slightly different, especially with respect to OC (different max frequency ratios), which however is also not mandatory or of interest for the PB3/DP4 clean install or upgrade process!

I'm going to revert and refresh my BIOS, go through the whole process again as if it is a virgin system. I'll update soon. Should IO stay on the "a" version of the EFI or use the one from today?

 

[Obecny]

Interesting... I wonder if there is something silly in my Bios, have you made any changes not outlined in the 10.12 o 10.13 guides?

The only difference appears to be the 6900X you are using and the 6950X I am using.

Nothing really, all basic as possible and exactly like in tutorial by kgp, at the moment I still fighting to start my nvidia maxwell 970 but no luck.

Just tried the latest update efi 040817 and all good as well

 

[kgp]

Further Minor Update of EFI-10.13-TM
​

• SSD TRIM Enabler "KextsToPatch" entry added to the config.plist in the " Kernel and Kext Patches" Section of Clover Configurator.

Name*                   Find*[HEX]                  Replace*[HEX]               Comment           MatchOS
IOAHCIBlockStorage      4150504c 45205353 4400      00000000 00000000 0000      Trim Enabler      10.12.x,10.13.x

Macs only enable TRIM for Apple-provided solid-state drives they come with. If you upgrade a Mac with an aftermarket SSD, the Mac won’t use TRIM with it. The same applies for SSD's used by a Hackintosh. When an operating system uses TRIM with a solid-state drive, it sends a signal to the SSD every time you delete a file. The SSD knows that the file is deleted and it can erase the file’s data from its flash storage. With flash memory, it’s faster to write to empty memory — to write to full memory, the memory must first be erased and then written to. This causes your SSD to slow down over time unless TRIM is enabled. TRIM ensures the physical NAND memory locations containing deleted files are erased before you need to write to them. The SSD can then manage its available storage more intelligently.

With this minor EFI/config.plist, SSD TRIM will no be fully support on your 10.13 System, see Apple's System Report below.

Note that with this minor upgrade, EFI-13.10-TM-040817.zip has now changed to EFI-TM-040817a.zip, attached below or to be downloaded towards the end of the originating post of this thread (10.13 High Sierra Desktop Guide)

Also note, that the 10.13 High Sierra Desktop Guide has been updated correspondingly.



Good Luck and enjoy

​

 

[duckgrossberg]

I'm going to revert and refresh my BIOS, go through the whole process again as if it is a virgin system. I'll update soon. Should IO stay on the "a" version of the EFI or use the one from today?

Unfortunately no change, still stuck on the ++++++, perplexed, I'll stick with 10.12.x for the time being and keep an eye on the forums.

 

[SmariMo]

What is your installation drive? A USB flash drive? USB 2.0 or 3.0? After which step in the boot process the prohibition sign appears when you boot in verbose mode? If the prohibition sign appears, your boot fails at some point! Did you try to boot with the EFI folder contained in EFI-10.13-TM-040817.zip attached below? After some recent modifications, this EFI folder now boots on my rig 100% both the DP4 clean installer as well as the DP4 Upgrade Installer from 10.12.6 or DP3.

One advice! Try to perform the Dp4 clean install or upgrade just with one of your 2x NVIDIA Titan Xp!!!

Cheers,

KGP

Thanks for your answer.
I tried exactly the things you said. My installion drive (the drive with the installiert on it) is an USB 3.0 Stick. The target drive is one of th 4TB SATA SSDs. I have removed one of the Titan Xps.
The prohibition sign appears directly after pressing Enter in Clover to boot from the USB.
No changes with your new EFI Folder.


Cheers,
SmariMo