Lion on Asus U36

[jamajamajama]

I'm sure a lot of people will be interested in having Lion on this laptop, since it offers great value for money spent. The specs are:

• i5 2410 2.3 GHz[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• 4 GB memory[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Intel HD3000 and GT520M graphics[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• 2xUSB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA and Ethernet ports[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• 500 GB harddrive[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• No optical drive[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Weight 1.66 kg (3.7 lb)[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]

For those interested, below is the installation method I used. It's probably not the best way but worked for me. You'll need a 8gb or more flash disk, working 10.6.8 and retail osx lion image. USB mouse and keyboard are needed for installation.

I made a bootable USB stick following this guide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E68QVFq4-c and ran multibeast on the installation drive to have system definition macbook pro 8,1. The installation would not work without the 8,1 definition.

After installation I ran Multibeast with Easybeast, system definition macbook pro 8,1, 32bit boot and GraphicsEnabler yes and PS2 kexts to enable trackpad and keyboard. However, Chimera would not install correctly resulting in boot0 error and Lion was only bootable with install drive. I found out that the problem lies probably in the harddrive and installing chimera manually onto an unmounted partition worked like a charm. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=31085&start=10

What's working and kexts used:

• Battery: Voodoo Battery Lion (works, but slows down boot)[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Audio: VoodooHDA 0.2.72 modified with device ID to avoid KP and iGain=0, IMix=70, Mic=70 to avoid feedback. See this post http://olarila.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=454[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Graphics: Intel HDMI and laptop display. Native support.[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Cardreader: AnyCardReader.kext (does not show in system profiler bu works)[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• USB3: PXCHD.kext works (have not tested with a USB3 device)[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Ethernet: Atheros 8151 with L1cEthernet.kext[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Wireless: Atheros 9825 with IO8211Family.kext[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Bluetooth: Atheros 3011. Natively, but requires a reboot via windows to turn it on[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Scrolling: use ScrollReverser to reverse direction[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Hotkeys for screen brightness[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• Hotkeys for volume: use Spark[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]

• Not working:
• Sleep, shutdown and proper power management[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• GT 520M is recognized but not used[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• HDMI audio[/*:m:2rjxo8x4]
• VGA: only recognized if external display is attached before boot and the picture is very bad [/*:m:2rjxo8x4]

In summary, I have a (mostly) working dual boot with Win 7 and Lion. I tried to look at the DSDT to enable sleep, since that and Bluetooth are the only things I would really like to have working. I had no success in the edits and it's actually way too advanced for me. I attached the kexts I used and my unmodified DSDT in hope that they benefit someone else and/or someone with DSDT editing skills would have a look at the DSDT.

 

[Xeeynamo]

Your laptop is U36SD right? I'm asking this because I tried the MacBook Pro 8,1 definition, but I get a kernel panic on boot. To be able to install Lion from a USB drive, I need these two kexts: http://www.kexts.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1537. What "submodel" do you have? Mine is RX002V. Your HD3000 is 0x01168086 as ID and 0x00000009 as revision? I get the other things works without problems, like audio, bluetooth, wifi, ethernet and battery

 

[PainBlade]

Finally more users with the U36! I have a U36SD-A1 from amazon. I wanted to make a thread about the laptop but never got around it. In reply to your working:

VooodooHDA 0.2.7.3 - Can't get iGain to save to 0
Cardreader: Worked with the SD card i keeped in there without any kexts.
USB3: Used the NEC/Renesas kext in Multibeast, it works but i get KP when i disconnect

This might sound stupid, but for the scroller, it is reversed by default in Lion. They made it more iOS-like. It can be set to standard by going to System Preferences>Trackpad and unchecking "When using gestures...." at the top of the window.

The only problems I mainly have are booting with the hard drive (i rely on a usb drive to boot osx), and getting sleep,shutdown to work properly. Sleep is the biggest issue i have. Without it, OSX on this laptop seems pointless.

-Also, i wouldn't worry about the GT 520. It's not that much greater then the Intel HD3000, which = better battery life with Intel HD3000

 

[jamajamajama]

Your laptop is U36SD right? What "submodel" do you have? Mine is RX002V. Your HD3000 is 0x01168086 as ID and 0x00000009 as revision? I get the other things works without problems, like audio, bluetooth, wifi, ethernet and battery

Yes my laptop is U36SD-RX200V with HD3000 0x01168086 as ID and 0x00000009 as revision. Haven't used any kexts for graphics and I'm quite sure all my previous KP's have been related to VodooHDA without device id 0x1c208086.

What did you do to get bluetooth working?

 

[jamajamajama]

This might sound stupid, but for the scroller, it is reversed by default in Lion. They made it more iOS-like. It can be set to standard by going to System Preferences>Trackpad and unchecking "When using gestures...." at the top of the window.

Good to know. Didn't bother checking beyond googling "reverse scrolling Lion".

The only problems I mainly have are booting with the hard drive (i rely on a usb drive to boot osx), and getting sleep,shutdown to work properly. Sleep is the biggest issue i have. Without it, OSX on this laptop seems pointless.

I actually installed chimera on the EFI partition while it was unmounted and it did the trick. I agree that without sleep, there's no point using Lion.

 

[james_is_15_88]

Did you have to do anything special to get the screen brightness keys working?

 

[PainBlade]

Did you have to do anything special to get the screen brightness keys working?

All the FN keys work except the volume, which can be mapped with Spark as posted earlier.

 

[Xeeynamo]

Okay, after a lot of tries, finally QE/CI works with full resolution! Everything works but I'm unable to getting works the Bluetooth (works without MacBook Pro 8,1 definitions) and VoodooHDA that causes kernel panic (the one kexts posted by the user jamajamajama). With the previous installation I tried another VoodooHDA and it works but now I need to search it around the web. From retail 10.7.0 I updated the system to 10.7.2 and everything works like the retail version, the only thing is that I reinstalled IO80211Family. Sometimes I'm getting strange lines on the monitor, but works fine

 

[amurphy345]

Has anyone had any luck getting sleep to work?

 

[nachete1985]

Hello, I'm a asus u36sd user. I'm trying to install Lion on the same way that jamajamajama did (like the youtube video i mean). I have made a bootable usb with lion, and I can boot the chamaleon but after that I cant access to the installation. I have try -v -x -f and everything I have read, but no way.

Another thing that I don't konw if I doing right is that I have install the macbook pro 8,1 system definition with multibeast on the installation usb. Is it how I have to do it?

Do i have to install the kext before installation (I'm really lost in that)? If is that... how should I do it?

Another thing is that I only can access to a Leopard Laptop (Not snow leopard), is it important?

Please help!!