How to Install OS X Yosemite using Clover
Clover is a new and exciting open source EFI bootloader. Developed over the past 2 years by a group of developers at Project OS X led by Slice, Clover aims to solve problems inherent in existing OS X installation methods and legacy bootloaders:
- Boots troublesome desktop and laptop BIOS/UEFI
- Uses native OS X installation media
- Ability to patch DSDT/kernel/kexts at boot time
- Creates OS X Recovery partition
- No boot0 error with 4K Advanced Format drives
- Solves multi-boot issues with Linux and Windows 7/8
- Solves traditional bootloader NVRAM issues related to iMessage/FaceTime
Clover has a completely different system of configuration with a decidedly steep learning curve. It can be confusing for those who have only ever used the more traditional Chameleon or Chimera.
Clover is also in beta stage, and is not guaranteed to work well for all systems. Development has been fast and furious, with many major changes appearing in the code all the time. Clover can be a moving target, difficult to pin down- almost, it seems, by design. Recent changes, however, have stabilized things enough to be a reliable alternative for those adventurous enough to learn something new.
Overview
1. Download the OS X Yosemite Application from the Mac App Store
2. Prepare a Installer USB flash drive
3. Install OS X Yosemite
4. Install the bootloader and drivers to system drive
STEP 1: Download OS X Yosemite
The full operating system is a free download for anyone who has purchased Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion. Download the Application from the Mac App Store using your Apple ID on any Mac or functional computer running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later.
1. Open
Mac App Store
2. Log in with your Apple ID
3. Download
OS X Yosemite
The Application
Install OS X Yosemite will appear in /Applications.
STEP 2: Prepare Bootable USB Drive
This step extracts the OS X Installer contents, then installs Clover bootloader to the USB stick.
1. Insert the USB drive
2. Open
/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
3. Highlight the USB drive in left column
4. Click on the
Partition tab
5. Click
Current and choose
1 Partition
6. Click
Options...
7. Choose
GUID Partition Table
8. Under
Name: type
USB (You can rename it later)
9. Under
Format: choose
Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
10. Click
Apply then
Partition
11. Open
/Applications/Utilities/Terminal
12. Type the following, enter password and hit enter. This command completely erases the USB, then creates native OS X installer media from the Install OS X Yosemite Application.
Code:
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/USB --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app --no interaction
Upon completion, the USB will be renamed
Install OS X Yosemite.
13. Download the latest version of Clover from
sourceforge
14. Open Clover package installer
15. Hit
Continue,
Continue,
Change Install Location...
16. Choose the USB, now called
Install OS X Yosemite
17. Hit
Customize and install Clover to the same USB with the following
Custom Install settings:
NOTE: There are a few different ways to setup Clover on the USB. Using Legacy Mode is the simplest and most reliable for 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 Series Gigabyte motherboards with standard default BIOS or UEFI settings. For all other UEFI-based systems such as ASUS 7, 8, and 9 Series motherboards, use UEFI Boot Mode to install to the EFI partition of the USB for UEFI booting only.
A few more changes need to be made to the default Clover installation:
20. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/ and replace default
config.plist with attached
config.plist*
21. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/ and create a folder called
10.10
22. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.10/ and add
FakeSMC.kext
23. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.10/ and add
your ethernet kext
24. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.10/ and add
NullCPUPowerManagement.kext
25. Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/drivers64UEFI/ remove
VBoxHfs-64.efi and add
HFSPlus.efi
26. (Optional) Navigate to
/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/ and add
DSDT.aml and
SSDT.aml
*See attached
config.plist for a working minimal configuration.
STEP 3: Install OS X Yosemite
Unlike UniBeast, this is a 3 part installation process. The system will reboot twice in order to finish the installation and the recovery partition.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
3. Choose
USB
If using a USB 3.0 port, the boot manager screen may appear, at which point proceed with steps a-b.
a. Choose Boot Manager
b. Choose EFI USB Device
4. When Clover boot screen is visible, choose
Boot OS X Install from OS X Install OS X Yosemite
5. The system will then boot into OS X Installer
6. For a new installation of OS X, you MUST erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing. If you are upgrading from Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion and you want to keep your files and apps, skip steps a-j.
a. Choose Disk Utility
b. Highlight your target hard drive for the Yosemite installation in left column.
c. Click Partition tab
d. Click Current and choose 1 Partition
e. Click Options...
f. Choose GUID Partition Table
g. Under Name: type Yosemite (You can rename it later)
h. Under Format: choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
i. Click Apply then Partition
j. Close Disk Utility
7. When the installer asks you where to install, choose
Yosemite, or your existing install.
8. Upon completion, system will restart a 1st time
9. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
10. Choose
USB
11. When Clover boot screen is visible, choose
Boot OS X Install from OS X Install OS X Yosemite
The system will boot into the new drive, create the recovery partition, and complete the installation. Upon completion, system will restart a 2nd time.
12. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
13. When Clover boot screen is visible, choose
Yosemite
14. The system will launch OS X Setup
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