- Joined
- Oct 31, 2014
- Messages
- 135
- Motherboard
- Lenovo LNVNB161216
- CPU
- i7-8550U
- Graphics
- UHD 620 (3840x2160)
- Mobile Phone
Thanks so much, I didn't know Hackintool existed! By the way, is there a list of kexts that MUST be in Clover>kexts>Other? Because I keep reading only essential kexts should be there, but I am yet to find a list of essential kexts. Currently I have three Voodoo kexts, FakeSMC, IntelGraphicsDVMTFixup, USBInjectAll in there. The rest are in /L/E.
Edit: Hackintool sadly didn't help with anything and I had to patch config.plist manually.
Below are notes for myself for when I am making a guide, in case I don't get to ever doing that, the notes will be here already.
Hardware
The installed PM981 will NOT WORK. Don't try. Replace it with 970 EVO for amazing read/write speeds.
The installed Intel 9260 wifi will NOT WORK and neither will bluetooth. Don't try. Replace it with a Broadcom card. (Mine is on its way and I am a bit scared it's not whitelisted, but I will see. For now I don't need Bluetooth and I have a USB Archer T1U dongle.)
Software needed
Other than the install stick, you need Clover (duh), Clover Configurator, iasl (RehabMan's) and MaciASL (RehabMan's). I found Kext Utility very useful as well for installing kexts and fixing the permissions. For sound I needed to get AppleHDA from 10.13.3 before they changed the inject methods, will be discussing this with its maker later. My EFI will be uploaded when I am done with it, but DSDT has to be patched manually (patches will be uploaded or described below).
Install
As per RehabMan's guide for laptops. Plist is 620_630_spoof.plist, EXCEPT before installing anything replace the piatform-id with 0x12345678 and be prepared to need either very good eyesight for the install or a magnifying glass. A USB mouse is needed as neither bluetooth nor trackpad will work. System I use is Mojave .2. Must be installed on an external drive for obvious reasons as the internal doesn't work unless it's already been replaced with another one that's macOS compatible.
I only use RehabMan's forks of everything and frankly I have no idea when he sleeps. I used to think "that copy-paste about reporting files is irritating" until I realised HOW much work RehabMan puts into everything including helping people on one-one basis. Thank you, RehabMan.
Post-install
To be honest, I couldn't get it running post-install, even though it worked previously in the same way. So I ended up cloning my test drive, then restoring everything from Time Machine copy of my Big Hac. I had to delete about two desktop-specific apps, but the laptop-specific apps were kept on the laptop. This is why I install macOS (among many other reasons).
EFI will need to be replaced by mine, which I will upload when I am done with it. Patching DSDT will be required. USB3 works with USBInjectAll. No Thunderbolt from what I see, I'll get to it later. For now I don't need it.
I was able to replace graphics platform/device ids with 5916*. I can't say I see any difference versus 1916* which I originally tried, but hey, it works.
Out of the box
Keyboard (luckily!!!), non-accelerated QE/CI, USB-C 2.0 + USB-A 3.1 – just enough to continue working. Also camera, which is cool, and fans are hardware-controlled. The laptop is much cooler than with Windows. I think with Windows it goes on charging when the cable is connected, and macOS disables that once power is up to 95% or so. With Windows to stop the fans from being loud(ish) I had to keep the laptop disconnected from power.
USB/Thunderbolt
USB-C ports work. Unfortunately, USB-C 3.0/3.1 hotplug doesn't work. Therefore in order to use a USB-C 3.0/3.1 device it must be connected *before Clover boot*, it will then appear in the registry and everywhere else, once disconnected it can't be reconnected. It looks like this is "normal".
When connecting USB-C 2.0 hub/device hotplug works.
Touchscreen
With 5916* device/platform-id all works with full acceleration (once right kexts are installed). Fn+F11/Fn+F12 don't generate any events, probably ACPI ones, but 1) I never use those keys anyway, and 2) F11/F12 are detected, so now BetterTouchTool handles brightness for me.
Interestingly, brightness slider worked without *any* of the *Backlight*.kexts – I added AppleBacklightFixup and relevant SSDT, but I can't say I see any difference. Still, hoping it will help me resolve the no backlight on wake problem somehow.
Touchpad
As an additional perk, the laptop stays much cooler under macOS than it ever really gets in Windows. The fans seem to be controlled fully by hardware, but the laptop is barely warm. In Windows I had Chrome and Device Management open and the fans went off, and the laptop was properly hot. In Windows this is caused by charging – as long as the charger is connected, and I have a habit of having it connected almost all the time, the fans will work. In macOS it just stops charging. The end.
Sound
AppleALC is now being used. Below my journey (that took many hours...)
I am using the latest AppleALC, Lilu, WhateverGreen, CodecCommander. BUT! The only way I got them to work was by replacing original Mojave AppleHDA with High Sierra 10.13.3 version! I found out about this solution through reading a very long thread at another forum. I needed to use a rather inelegant hack as well:
Without manually inserting alc-layout-id ALC refused to actually set it, either from boot parameter alcid, or from just layout-id, whether added using Hackintool or just set as "Inject Audio". The layouts that work are 29 (best), 3, 66. Layouts 3 and 66 do not detect internal microphone. Layout 29 detects it and shows it, but it doesn't actually work.
Paired with Boom 3D the speakers sound very much acceptable. Unfortunately when I connect headphones Boom 3D doesn't get the hint that it needs to switch off and I end up with, aye, booming audio.
I tried to use RehabMan's SSDT-ALC298 and SSDT-ALC298a patches, but they don't seem to change anything (compiled to .aml using RehabMan's fork of MaciASL). Listening to Spotify now and I could actually turn down the volume, because it was a bit on the deafening sound of things. Strangely enough, it's still perhaps half the loudness achieved under Windows, but then, this laptop has Dolby Atmos which I am giving up for macOS. (Fair exchange if you ask me.)
F1/F2/F3 work as volume keys once the audio works at all. F6 disables touchpad (hardware). Keyboard backlight (Fn+Space) works (hardware).
Not working
Closing the lid permanently disables backlight no matter what I do with EDID (95 = hang on open, A5 = no backlight, B5 = won't boot – black screen, 80 = hang on open). Therefore wake doesn't work in any useful way, as an external display doesn't switch on either. I wonder whether what is being disabled is the display or the UHD 620? According to IOJones EDID is correctly identified without injecting anything, but it doesn't help.
Battery is ****, to be honest, possibly because I need to work on energy management. But I use it connected to the charger most of the time.
Neither internal nor external mic work.
Hotplugging USB 3.1 to USB-C doesn't work.
Summary
Geekbench 4:
single core 4564
multicore 15330
Blackmagic Disk Test with 970 EVO:
write: 2418 MB/s
read: 2879 MB/s
I was hoping it would be possible to Hack this laptop, but never expected almost everything including touchscreen to work!
Sadly, none of this work would be necessary if MBP 2018 keyboards didn't break on me within around two weeks.
Edit: Hackintool sadly didn't help with anything and I had to patch config.plist manually.
Below are notes for myself for when I am making a guide, in case I don't get to ever doing that, the notes will be here already.
Hardware
The installed PM981 will NOT WORK. Don't try. Replace it with 970 EVO for amazing read/write speeds.
The installed Intel 9260 wifi will NOT WORK and neither will bluetooth. Don't try. Replace it with a Broadcom card. (Mine is on its way and I am a bit scared it's not whitelisted, but I will see. For now I don't need Bluetooth and I have a USB Archer T1U dongle.)
Software needed
Other than the install stick, you need Clover (duh), Clover Configurator, iasl (RehabMan's) and MaciASL (RehabMan's). I found Kext Utility very useful as well for installing kexts and fixing the permissions. For sound I needed to get AppleHDA from 10.13.3 before they changed the inject methods, will be discussing this with its maker later. My EFI will be uploaded when I am done with it, but DSDT has to be patched manually (patches will be uploaded or described below).
Install
As per RehabMan's guide for laptops. Plist is 620_630_spoof.plist, EXCEPT before installing anything replace the piatform-id with 0x12345678 and be prepared to need either very good eyesight for the install or a magnifying glass. A USB mouse is needed as neither bluetooth nor trackpad will work. System I use is Mojave .2. Must be installed on an external drive for obvious reasons as the internal doesn't work unless it's already been replaced with another one that's macOS compatible.
I only use RehabMan's forks of everything and frankly I have no idea when he sleeps. I used to think "that copy-paste about reporting files is irritating" until I realised HOW much work RehabMan puts into everything including helping people on one-one basis. Thank you, RehabMan.
Post-install
To be honest, I couldn't get it running post-install, even though it worked previously in the same way. So I ended up cloning my test drive, then restoring everything from Time Machine copy of my Big Hac. I had to delete about two desktop-specific apps, but the laptop-specific apps were kept on the laptop. This is why I install macOS (among many other reasons).
EFI will need to be replaced by mine, which I will upload when I am done with it. Patching DSDT will be required. USB3 works with USBInjectAll. No Thunderbolt from what I see, I'll get to it later. For now I don't need it.
I was able to replace graphics platform/device ids with 5916*. I can't say I see any difference versus 1916* which I originally tried, but hey, it works.
Out of the box
Keyboard (luckily!!!), non-accelerated QE/CI, USB-C 2.0 + USB-A 3.1 – just enough to continue working. Also camera, which is cool, and fans are hardware-controlled. The laptop is much cooler than with Windows. I think with Windows it goes on charging when the cable is connected, and macOS disables that once power is up to 95% or so. With Windows to stop the fans from being loud(ish) I had to keep the laptop disconnected from power.
USB/Thunderbolt
USB-C ports work. Unfortunately, USB-C 3.0/3.1 hotplug doesn't work. Therefore in order to use a USB-C 3.0/3.1 device it must be connected *before Clover boot*, it will then appear in the registry and everywhere else, once disconnected it can't be reconnected. It looks like this is "normal".
When connecting USB-C 2.0 hub/device hotplug works.Touchscreen
With 5916* device/platform-id all works with full acceleration (once right kexts are installed). Fn+F11/Fn+F12 don't generate any events, probably ACPI ones, but 1) I never use those keys anyway, and 2) F11/F12 are detected, so now BetterTouchTool handles brightness for me.
Interestingly, brightness slider worked without *any* of the *Backlight*.kexts – I added AppleBacklightFixup and relevant SSDT, but I can't say I see any difference. Still, hoping it will help me resolve the no backlight on wake problem somehow.
'LOL'
Wacom Touchscreen is identified as WCOM5196, HID I2C device, under TPD0. The pen works as a mouse, possibly it does more than that, but so far I simply haven't checked.
The following DSDT patch is required:
1. Find _CRS method in TPD0
2. Replace
with
Now the funny bit:
3. After the reboot the touchscreen works already, but in order to use the pen it's necessary to first touch the screen once with your finger. This activates something (possibly the screen itself). I tried poking it with a pen, because I hate fingerprints, then suddenly it was working and I was completely confused. Pen works as mouse. One button seems to disable it, the other as right-click. No pressure levels are detected despite Wacom Tablet software being installed.
Additional exciting thing (for me):
I bought this laptop partly because I needed a large tablet to read PDFs on. I thought Hackintoshing it is going to remove this possibility. Not at all. A little program called Display Rotation works perfectly. Possibly there even is a way to read the sensor in the laptop, but I really can't be bothered.
1. Turn the laptop into tablet mode, keyboard and trackpad switch off automagically.
2. Use the pen to dab Display Rotation in the menu, click on "Portrait".
3. Enjoy.
4. When you're done, switch back to "Landscape". Bear in mind this is easier to do with the pen, because once you return to laptop mode your trackpad essentially works sideways. This can be fun as a party game with a friend who had one too much, but irritating while you're actually trying it out six times in a row like me yesterday.
Wacom Touchscreen is identified as WCOM5196, HID I2C device, under TPD0. The pen works as a mouse, possibly it does more than that, but so far I simply haven't checked.
The following DSDT patch is required:
1. Find _CRS method in TPD0
2. Replace
Method (_CRS, 0, NotSerialized) // _CRS: Current Resource Settings
{
If (LLess (OSYS, 0x07DC))
{
Return (SBFI)
}
If (LEqual (SDM1, Zero))
{
Return (ConcatenateResTemplate (SBFB, SBFG))
}
Return (ConcatenateResTemplate (SBFB, SBFI))
}
with
Method (_CRS, 0, NotSerialized) // _CRS: Current Resource Settings
{
Return (ConcatenateResTemplate (SBFB, SBFG))
}Now the funny bit:
3. After the reboot the touchscreen works already, but in order to use the pen it's necessary to first touch the screen once with your finger. This activates something (possibly the screen itself). I tried poking it with a pen, because I hate fingerprints, then suddenly it was working and I was completely confused. Pen works as mouse. One button seems to disable it, the other as right-click. No pressure levels are detected despite Wacom Tablet software being installed.
Additional exciting thing (for me):
I bought this laptop partly because I needed a large tablet to read PDFs on. I thought Hackintoshing it is going to remove this possibility. Not at all. A little program called Display Rotation works perfectly. Possibly there even is a way to read the sensor in the laptop, but I really can't be bothered.
1. Turn the laptop into tablet mode, keyboard and trackpad switch off automagically.
2. Use the pen to dab Display Rotation in the menu, click on "Portrait".
3. Enjoy.
4. When you're done, switch back to "Landscape". Bear in mind this is easier to do with the pen, because once you return to laptop mode your trackpad essentially works sideways. This can be fun as a party game with a friend who had one too much, but irritating while you're actually trying it out six times in a row like me yesterday.
Touchpad
1. Pinning as reported by IOJones is perhaps correct, but doesn't work, so the whole GPIO Pinning article, while interesting, didn't help and I had to go for "other values".
2. Touchpad is the device TPL1 (SYNA2B31). In DSDT in TPL1 section replace pin with 0x55:
3. At the end, find the _CRS method in the TPL1 section and replace it with the same as above:
Kexts used are VoodooI2C and VoodooI2CHID. Touchpad works with gestures, multitouch, right-click in right-bottom, scrolling (isn't it interesting how macOS scrolling on a Windows laptop works so much better than Windows gestures?) works.
2. Touchpad is the device TPL1 (SYNA2B31). In DSDT in TPL1 section replace pin with 0x55:
Name (SBFG, ResourceTemplate ()
{
GpioInt (Level, ActiveLow, Exclusive, PullDefault, 0x0000,
"\\_SB.PCI0.GPI0", 0x00, ResourceConsumer, ,
)
{ // Pin list
0x55 // this was 0x00
}
})
3. At the end, find the _CRS method in the TPL1 section and replace it with the same as above:
Method (_CRS, 0, NotSerialized) // _CRS: Current Resource Settings
{
Return (ConcatenateResTemplate (SBFB, SBFG))
}Kexts used are VoodooI2C and VoodooI2CHID. Touchpad works with gestures, multitouch, right-click in right-bottom, scrolling (isn't it interesting how macOS scrolling on a Windows laptop works so much better than Windows gestures?) works.
As an additional perk, the laptop stays much cooler under macOS than it ever really gets in Windows. The fans seem to be controlled fully by hardware, but the laptop is barely warm. In Windows I had Chrome and Device Management open and the fans went off, and the laptop was properly hot. In Windows this is caused by charging – as long as the charger is connected, and I have a habit of having it connected almost all the time, the fans will work. In macOS it just stops charging. The end.
Sound
AppleALC is now being used. Below my journey (that took many hours...)
I am using the latest AppleALC, Lilu, WhateverGreen, CodecCommander. BUT! The only way I got them to work was by replacing original Mojave AppleHDA with High Sierra 10.13.3 version! I found out about this solution through reading a very long thread at another forum. I needed to use a rather inelegant hack as well:
<dict>
<key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1f,0x3)</key>
<dict>
<key>alc-layout-id</key>
<data>
HQAAAA==
</data>
<key>layout-id</key>
<data>
HQAAAA==
</data>
</dict>
</dict>
<key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1f,0x3)</key>
<dict>
<key>alc-layout-id</key>
<data>
HQAAAA==
</data>
<key>layout-id</key>
<data>
HQAAAA==
</data>
</dict>
</dict>
Paired with Boom 3D the speakers sound very much acceptable. Unfortunately when I connect headphones Boom 3D doesn't get the hint that it needs to switch off and I end up with, aye, booming audio.
I tried to use RehabMan's SSDT-ALC298 and SSDT-ALC298a patches, but they don't seem to change anything (compiled to .aml using RehabMan's fork of MaciASL). Listening to Spotify now and I could actually turn down the volume, because it was a bit on the deafening sound of things. Strangely enough, it's still perhaps half the loudness achieved under Windows, but then, this laptop has Dolby Atmos which I am giving up for macOS. (Fair exchange if you ask me.)
F1/F2/F3 work as volume keys once the audio works at all. F6 disables touchpad (hardware). Keyboard backlight (Fn+Space) works (hardware).
Not working
Closing the lid permanently disables backlight no matter what I do with EDID (95 = hang on open, A5 = no backlight, B5 = won't boot – black screen, 80 = hang on open). Therefore wake doesn't work in any useful way, as an external display doesn't switch on either. I wonder whether what is being disabled is the display or the UHD 620? According to IOJones EDID is correctly identified without injecting anything, but it doesn't help.
Battery is ****, to be honest, possibly because I need to work on energy management. But I use it connected to the charger most of the time.
Neither internal nor external mic work.
Hotplugging USB 3.1 to USB-C doesn't work.
Summary
Geekbench 4:
single core 4564
multicore 15330
Blackmagic Disk Test with 970 EVO:
write: 2418 MB/s
read: 2879 MB/s
I was hoping it would be possible to Hack this laptop, but never expected almost everything including touchscreen to work!
Sadly, none of this work would be necessary if MBP 2018 keyboards didn't break on me within around two weeks.
Last edited:
