MacOS Sierra - ASRock x99 Extreme4 - Mini Guide

[Cruxado]

Yes, I have successfully installed MacOS Sierra and I'm currently running a personal file server (with Server.app) on this build. Let's get started, shall we?

Disclaimer: This is a small how-to on getting the Clover Bootloader to run on this particular motherboard. I'm using this build as a server and hence I have HD Audio DISABLED in my BIOS. Below are simple specs on my build:

• ASRock x99 Extreme 4 LGA 2011-3, BIOS version 3.4
• Xeon Broadwell E5-2609 V4
• 32 GB DDR4 Quad Channel (8GB x4 sticks)
• GeForce 210 1GB DDR3

I'm assuming you know some basics on setting up a UniBeast drive, so I'm not going into those details.

Before anything, please setup your BIOS preferences to have the following. For localization of these items and submenu navigation refer to the user manuals (online or physical copy):

• Vt-D : Disable (You can enable it after OS install if you wish)
• Intel Virtualization Technology : Disable (You can enable it after OS install if you wish, if you do you musr REMOVE dart=0 on your plist)
• Aboce 4G Decoding : Disable
• Serial Port : Disable
• C6 State : Disable (You can enable it after OS install if you wish)

After you've setup your BIOS, create your UniBeast EFI USB

* Optionally, you can get the latest Clover installer (attached) and update your EFI Bootloader USB after using UniBeast *

Once that's done, you are going to have to EDIT that USB you've created. Download Tonymacx86 EFI Mounter v3 and Mount your USB's EFI partition.

Now, navigate into EFI > Clover > Driver64UEFI folders and remove the OsxAptioFixDrv-64.efi and OsxAptioFix2Drv-64.efi and add the OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi (attached below). Optionally you can add a HFSPlus.efi if you like.
* This assumes that you are doing a UEFI setup in UniBeast, if you activated the CMS mode on the BIOS then you need to do a Legacy setup at UniBeast. In that case the folder you want to edit is Drivers64 *

Then you are going to navigate into EFI > Clover > KEXT folder and add a folder named 10.12. Here you will add a FakeSMC.kext from RehabMan-FakeSMC-2016-0908. Also add NullCPUPowerManagement.kext, AppleIntelE1000e.kext and X99_Injector USB 3.kext.
Optionally you can add a VoodooTSCSync.kext for multi-core CPUs. (Tonymacx86 kext download page has a few)

The above kext? They are attached below as well.

Since you're inside the EFI partition, let's add a few bootflags into the Config.plist file located at the EFI > CLOVER folder.
You'll need to add the flags -v, dart=0, darkwake=0, npci=0x03000

<key>Arguments</key>
<string>-v dart=0 darkwake=0 npci=0x3000</string>

* I did a lot of CPU modifications to my Config.plist so I won't post it up here *

That should be it. With this, you should be able to Boot the installer and get Sierra Installed.

Afterwards use MultiBeast as you normally would. IMPORTANT I was getting boot errors after the installed. I saw that the EFI folder in the HDD (or in my case SSD) where I installed MacOS Sierra had a no kext in the EFI > Clover > KEXT folder. Again I created a 10.12 folder and added the previously mentioned kext. This resolved any Kernel Panics I had.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cruxado]

If by chance you get the dreaded PLUS SIGN ERROR then you may have an 'unsupported' CPU. You may need another FakeSMC.kext for your system. You can get around this by Enabling the KernelCPU fix included in clover. Found under the KernelAndKextPatches section.

        <key>KernelCpu</key>
        <true/>

 

[Cruxado]

FYI: Some of the CPUs modification I made are with Pike R Alpha's ssdtprgen.sh and freqVectorsedit.sh located at Piker's Github pages linked below:

• https://github.com/Piker-Alpha/ssdtPRGen.sh
• https://github.com/Piker-Alpha/freqVectorsEdit.sh

Essentially (to my understanding) you are putting your CPUs innate values (freq, base clock, etc) as a SSDT.aml and SMBIOS files which the scripts will generate to tell OSX what it's dealing with

 

[lcoff]

I followed your guide and successfully installed Sierra on my Asrock X99 Extreme4 and 5820k. I have two issues remaining that hopefully you can help with.

1. I have my CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz but Sierra is only showing it maxing out to 3.3GHz. By looking at HWMonitor it looks as though the CPU is cycling between 2 multipliers depending on load, 12 and 33. I tried using the guide here: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/quick-guide-to-generate-a-ssdt-for-cpu-power-management.177456/ and placed the SSDT file in my patched folder, but on reboot there were no changes at all. Hoping for a little direction on where to start.

2. The computer appears to sleep fine but when I go to wake it up it simply reboots. Not a big issue here since I rarely use sleep, but perhaps you have some insight.

 

[trevorftard]

Icoff, your mobo and CPU that you mentioned are the exact same as mine. I cannot get past the +++++++++++++++++ on initial boot of the installer. Can you tell me what you did to get a successful install?

 

[trevorftard]

I followed your guide and successfully installed Sierra on my Asrock X99 Extreme4 and 5820k. I have two issues remaining that hopefully you can help with.

1. I have my CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz but Sierra is only showing it maxing out to 3.3GHz. By looking at HWMonitor it looks as though the CPU is cycling between 2 multipliers depending on load, 12 and 33. I tried using the guide here: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/quick-guide-to-generate-a-ssdt-for-cpu-power-management.177456/ and placed the SSDT file in my patched folder, but on reboot there were no changes at all. Hoping for a little direction on where to start.

2. The computer appears to sleep fine but when I go to wake it up it simply reboots. Not a big issue here since I rarely use sleep, but perhaps you have some insight.

Icoff, your mobo and CPU that you mentioned are the exact same as mine. I cannot get past the +++++++++++++++++ on initial boot of the installer. Can you tell me what you did to get a successful install?

 

[lcoff]

Icoff, your mobo and CPU that you mentioned are the exact same as mine. I cannot get past the +++++++++++++++++ on initial boot of the installer. Can you tell me what you did to get a successful install?

I simply followed this mini-guide. You may want to double check your BIOS settings. As a note, I was never able to get this install working as well as I wanted, so I have since gone back to using my 6700k.

 

[Ephung93]

Sorry to bump a (relatively) old thread, but I'm also encountering the ++++++++++++ issue following this guide.

It gets stuck on "legacy shim 2" for a moment, and then turns into the madness that you see attached to this post. I've looked at a ton of different guides, and this seems to be one of the few Extreme4 X99 builds that has a guide to it, so I was wondering if there was any chance you could help me troubleshoot. I can run with -v in the bootflags if that would be helpful.

 

[nicolatun995]

Hi everyone.
First of all, thanks a lot to Cruxado for this guide. Through this, I managed to install Sierra on my Workstation. I only have an issue: I can't make USB 2,0 working. USB 3,0 are working perfectly and fast through X99-USB3,0 kext but the 2,0s seem to be dead: if I plug an USB stick nor the LED on it switches on and isn't recognized by the system. Does someone know how to overcome this problem?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Cruxado]

Hi all! I'm sorry for not reply earlier! I never received the e-mail notifications to replies to this post. My apologies.

I'm glad many of you have been able to boot your systems up and have it at least 90% functional. As I stated on my original post I have this computer as a server which NEVER sleeps and is ALWAYS on. As such I disabled the audio and also never really tested the USB port performances. Currently, the server is 2000 miles away from me so I can't help you guys out.

I followed your guide and successfully installed Sierra on my Asrock X99 Extreme4 and 5820k. I have two issues remaining that hopefully you can help with.

1. I have my CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz but Sierra is only showing it maxing out to 3.3GHz. By looking at HWMonitor it looks as though the CPU is cycling between 2 multipliers depending on load, 12 and 33. I tried using the guide here: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/quick-guide-to-generate-a-ssdt-for-cpu-power-management.177456/ and placed the SSDT file in my patched folder, but on reboot there were no changes at all. Hoping for a little direction on where to start.

2. The computer appears to sleep fine but when I go to wake it up it simply reboots. Not a big issue here since I rarely use sleep, but perhaps you have some insight.

I have a Xeon E5-2609 which is detected as UNKNOWN but shows the correct clock speed of 1.7ghz and all 8 cores on iStat Menus APP. Try searching for your specific CPU on MacOS and how others have been able to get it showing working properly.

As for the Sleep,make sure you have the correct P-state C5 or C6 in the BIOS. Just google it up and see what shows up.

Hi everyone.
First of all, thanks a lot to Cruxado for this guide. Through this, I managed to install Sierra on my Workstation. I only have an issue: I can't make USB 2,0 working. USB 3,0 are working perfectly and fast through X99-USB3,0 kext but the 2,0s seem to be dead: if I plug an USB stick nor the LED on it switches on and isn't recognized by the system. Does someone know how to overcome this problem?
Thanks in advance.

I had a similar issue with the USB 2.0 at the time of install. The BIOS has a legacy option for the USB so make sure that is enabled! I had to have it enabled in order to get a RocketRAID card to start up as well, just and FYI

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Again I'm no expert but I wrote this in order to give you guys a system that would at least bootup! Good luck to you all!!