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

[kgp]

Okay this deal
My Mac Pro late 2013 became Sami iMac Pro late 2017

For the time being I seem to have suffered a minor blow to performance
But I believe it will get better by December when the original iMac Pro goes out

I7 6950 10 CORE
32 GB RAM
RX VEGA 64 8GB (WORK OOB)

View attachment 282849 View attachment 282851 View attachment 282852 View attachment 282853

Nobody except you might understand why you changed from macPro6,1 to iMac19,1

I personally also do not understand why you promote and advertise your change here in my SMBIOS macPro6,1 thread!

I think, I sufficiently emphasised, that I do not want to see any further discussion on SMBIOS along my thread!

Moreover, if the related SMBIOS change even implements a drop of performance like in your case.

No further comments...

Cheers and all the best

KGP

 

[ICEVISION]

Nobody except you might understand why you changed from macPro6,1 to iMac19,1

I personally also do not understand why you promote and advertise your change here in my SMBIOS macPro6,1 thread!

I think, I sufficiently emphasised, that I do not want to see any further discussion on SMBIOS along my thread!

Moreover, if the related SMBIOS change even implements a drop of performance like in your case.

No further comments...

Cheers and all the best

KGP

First of all I update here
Because through your guide I turned my computer into a Mac Pro

And I appreciate you and your guide very much!

I update so that if anyone gets into a problem with any similar hardware coming here and I will help and give my part to the community.

I switched to 19.1 so that Final Cut would work well (it stopped working)

 

[kgp]

First of all I update here
Because through your guide I turned my computer into a Mac Pro

And I appreciate you and your guide very much!

I update so that if anyone gets into a problem with any similar hardware coming here and I will help and give my part to the community.

I switched to 19.1 so that Final Cut would work well (it stopped working)

Everything fine and alright!

I just somewhat dislike the SMBIOS iMac19,1 solution.. that's all...

And I would not like to see now more and more iMac19,1 SMBIOS solutions coming up along this thread.

In my opinion, this would just confuse all readers.

Anyway your help and contribution is always welcome here as it was also welcome over many month all along my 10.12.6 thread!

All the best my friend

KGP

 

[RuleBreaker01]

As I propose in my guide, use an USB3.1 Flash Drive Installer on a USB3.1 port for the installation of macOS.

I have a fully working installation, just not all usb working. Thanks for the guide!

 

[athre0z]

Can you recompile and distribute NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext, if you think that the latter must be recompiled with 10.13 support?

Thanks,

KGP

While grabbing the source code to do so, I noticed that the author already updated the kext himself:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nvidiagraphicsfixup/

I imagine this might fix the installer for the GTX 780 as well then (since, from the description, it should pretty much an in-memory replacement for AGDPFix).

Edit: I can confirm that I no longer need the filesystem-based AGDPFix when using the updated in-memory fix linked above together with an updated Lilu Kext (so you also don't need "-lilubeta" anymore). I also noticed that in the Clover config in the EFI folder enclosed in the main post, there is a typo in that kernel argument ("-lilubta", without the "e"). At least I think that's the case, I'm currently unable to redownload the folder due to either my internet or lagging servers -- maybe I broke that in my local config.

 

[bnd555]

x99 Designare (Gigabyte). I recently upgraded from 4x8=32gb to 8x8=64gb. This is my second Hack which I built in Jan2017, since then "About this Mac > Memory" screens says " Your Mac contains 6 memory slots, each of which accepts
a 2400 MHz DDR4 memory module". In reality the board has 8 slots.

My upgrade 8x8=64gb has no effect, system recognizes 32gb only. I tried
1) SMBIOS manual memory slots update.
2) Added one by one 5,6,7,8 sticks. BIOS recognizes but not the OSx.
3) Manually increase SMBIOS memory slots and defined each slot. No difference.
4) Manually deleted all SMBIOS memory slots, rebooted and system still working with 32gb.

I am here with few screens shots, wondering if this is a common problem! How do I go ahead?

Thank you all.

 

[bnd555]

activity monitor image attached

 

[kgp]

While grabbing the source code to do so, I noticed that the author already updated the kext himself:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nvidiagraphicsfixup/

I imagine this might fix the installer for the GTX 780 as well then (since, from the description, it should pretty much an in-memory replacement for AGDPFix).

Edit: I can confirm that I no longer need the filesystem-based AGDPFix when using the updated in-memory fix linked above together with an updated Lilu Kext (so you also don't need "-lilubeta" anymore). I also noticed that in the Clover config in the EFI folder enclosed in the main post, there is a typo in that kernel argument ("-lilubta", without the "e"). At least I think that's the case, I'm currently unable to redownload the folder due to either my internet or lagging servers -- maybe I broke that in my local config.

a.) My EFI-Folder contains Lilu.kext 1.1.7! With this version, the boot flag -lilubeta is still absolutely mandatory at least for my

audio approach! Without this boot flag, analogue audio does not work at all! Now... yes I had a typo in the boot flag in the distributed EFI-Folder, but on my system disk I indeed use the proper boot-flag entry! Audio does not work without -lilubeta with Lilu.kext 1.1.7! I already updated the EFI-Folder at the end of the originating post/guide from 30 September 2017 accordingly. The typo in the boot flag is fixed now!

If I download and compile the source code for Lilu.kext 1.2.0, I obtain a kext with half of the file size of Lilu.kext 1.1.7, which is practically useless. What I am doing wrong? Can you upload the correct and complete Lilu.kext 1.2.0?
​

b.) I indeed erroneously attached NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.2. to the originating post/guide! I just uploaded and linked the

most actual version NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.3. Sorry for this inconvenience, which might have caused problems for many users when intending to run their Nvidia graphics cards under MacOS High Sierra 10.13!​

Many thanks in advance for your help and further clarifications!

KGP

 

[kgp]

Error Notification related to the 10.13 Nvidia Web Driver

1.) I previously erroneously attached NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.2 to the originating post/guide! I just uploaded and linked

the most actual version NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.3. Sorry for this inconvenience, which might have caused problems for many users when intending to fix the black screen issue with their Nvidia graphics cards under MacOS High Sierra 10.13!​

2.) My previously distributed EFI-Folder contained Lilu.kext 1.1.5, while I am using Lilu.kext 1.1.7 on my system disk!

3.) My previously distributed EFI-Folder contained AppleALC.kext 1.1.3 instead of AppleALC.kext 1.1.4

4.) With Lilu.kext 1.1.5 and AppleALC.kext 1.1.3, there was still the necessity of implementing the boot flags -alcbeta and

- lilubeta under macOS High Sierra 10.13. Note that in addition there was a typo in the -lilubeta boot flag (-lilubta). I actually don't know the additional impact of the -lilubeta boot flag typo on previous attempts to prevent the Nvidia black screen issue.
​

5.) With Lilu.kext 1.1.7 and AppleALC.kext 1.1.4, the -alcbeta and -lilubeta boot flags are now completely obsolete!

​

New EFI-Folder attach at the end of originating post/guide and here below:

​

EFI-Folder Modifications:

• Implementation of Clover Boot Loader Clover_v2.4k_r4233

• Update from Lilu.kext 1.1.5 to Lilu.kext 1.1.7 in /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/

• Update from AppleALC.kext 1.1.3 to AppleALC.kext 1.1.4 in /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/

• Removal of -alcbeta and -lilubeta boot flags from config.plist

I recommend to repeat the Lilu.kext and NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext black screen prevention approach with the updated EFI-Folder now attached at the end of the originating post/guide and also attached here below, in case that the ADPFix approach did not work out with your mobo and Nvidia graphics card.

Many thanks to @athre0z for his extremely helpful feedback and comments!

Cheers,

​

 

[athre0z]

1.) I previously erroneously attached NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.2 to the originating post/guide! I just uploaded and linked
the most actual version NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext v1.1.3. Sorry for this inconvenience, which might have caused problems for many users when intending to fix the black screen issue with their Nvidia graphics cards under MacOS High Sierra 10.13!

Ah well, no worries mate, you probably still saved everyone days, if not weeks of compiling all the info about power management and sleep etc.

2.) My distributed EFI-Folder contains at present Lilu.kext 1.1.7! With this version, the boot flag -lilubeta is still absolutely
mandatory at least for my audio approach! Without this boot flag, e.g. analogue audio does not work at all!

Note that however there was a typo in the -lilubeta boot flag in the config.plist of the distributed EFI-Folder, although in the config.plist on my System Disk, I indeed used the correct -lilubeta boot flag entry! I already modified and reloaded the EFI-Folder at the end of the originating post/guide from 30 September 2017. The -lilubeta boot flag typo is fixed now! I actually don't know the impact of the previous -lilubeta boot flag typo on the black screen prevention.

Hm, I think you might be confusing something here. I just redownloaded the zipped EFI folder from the main post and, according to their Info.plist files, it contains Lilu 1.1.5 and AppleALC 1.1.3.

Edit: Oh, I see you updated your post. Nevermind then.

If I download and compile the source code for Lilu.kext 1.2.0, I obtain a kext with half of the file size of Lilu.kext 1.1.7, which is practically useless. What I am doing wrong? Can somebody attach the correct and complete Lilu.kext 1.2.0? Maybe it further improves the efficiency of the black screen prevention approach based on Lilu.kext and NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext?

I can only guess about this one, but since the previous release notes mentioned that he added support for HDE, I imagine you might be compiling in HDE mode. HDE is a very small disassembler, compared to Capstone, which seems to be used in the previous versions, so a decrease in file size is very likely. Personally, I'd just go with the latest stable release by vit himself. It's hard to predict if there are unfinished changes in the latest master code -- after all, he probably has a reason for not creating a new release, yet.

Your previous, undedited post contained a question on why anyone should prefer Lilu + NVFix over the filesystem patch based AGDPFix. I see two major benefits in the memory based (Lilu) approach:

• It should theoretically (I didn't verify) also work in the installer
• It survives macOS updates

However, if the FS based fix is working well for you, there's not much reason to switch. In the long term however, it might be easier to maintain.