@All,
I think i need to clarify the situation a little further as there does seem to be some confusion over the current status and if calling Apple will help.
MLB & ROM must be white-listed
Having done extensive testing with various combinations of MLB & ROM values (real and generated) it seems that both the MLB & ROM values must now be white-listed on Apples servers, real Mac's have their ID's added to the Apple database during the manufacturing process, however there are always going to be a few cases where this is not true such as refurbished systems ... etc.
In these instances the Call Apple/Customer Code message would be displayed and the user would go through the contact Apple procedure similar to what is detailed in Part-2, Step-8 of teh guide.
Hackingtosh users can still do this
but only do it if you know 100% that your MLB is correctly formatted. Even if you successfully call Apple with a customer code and they 'Activate' iMessage for the device by adding the MLB & ROM to the white list database, the MLB must also pass verification by the automated authentication process when you login to iMessage - It would seem that in most cases the Apple support desk is unaware of the automated verification process and will not be able to help you any further.
It's still unclear if the ROM value must conform to an Apple standard, although it is clear that it must be white listed. One possible way of generating a vlid Apple ROM value is to use the Apple-Mac-Hack utility which appears to be able to generate valid Apple ROM values - however i myself have yet to confirm that the ROM values it generates do follow an Apple standard.
17 Digit MLB's
Systems using a user-generated, 17 digit non-Apple MLB will not work, if you do call Apple, it may activate for a short period (up-to a few hours) but ultimately the MLB will fail the improved verification checks and be deactivated resulting in the call Apple dialogue again. Currently there is no method for generating a valid 17 digit MLB which will pass Apple verification, however this is the focus of much attention by myself and others and it is hopeful that the syntax will be fully understood soon.
13 Digit MLB's
13 Digit MLB's must still conform to some basic back-end verification, however since they lack the more complex parts of the 17 digit MLB format it is still possible to user-generate a valid 13 digit MLB that will pass back-end Apple verification, but simply using your OSX S/N + extra random digits like in the past will not work. You do have to use
some elements of the OSX S/N but it should ideally contain a manufacturing date and batch code that is earlier than the date code in the OSX S/N, additionally it must also contain the correct Apple ''EEE' code - this is yet another Apple part/type reference and can be obtained by researching replacement system boards, some sites list the 'EEE' code in the product description. As yet there is no real easy automatic method to do this so it requires a fair bit of effort by the end user, but it does work. I may write a method to assist in this approach but there are already a few other forums that detail the MLB in more detail so for the time-being if you want to try this approach then
this is a good place to start.
I hope this helps to clarify any confusion that some users may have, keep an eye on the main guide for any further news and developments.
Cheers
Jay
