[NVIDIA] Stuck on OS X Default Graphics Driver

[jimmyco2008]

I've had success enabling NVidia Web Drivers in the past, with the exact same build, but now I cannot seem to get it working. Every time I reboot, the OS X Default Graphics Driver option is selected in the NVidia Drivers prefpane, and I do not have hardware acceleration.

In Clover Settings I see "Use NVIDIA WEB drivers" is checked, Ports is 00 and NVCAP has a non-zero value.

I have followed the guide here https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...er-on-high-sierra-black-screen-panics.234390/ which helped me in the past.


- Latest versions of Lilu.kext and NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext are in the Kexts/Other folder in Clover EFI partition
- Removed the NVDAStartupWeb.kext from /System/Library/Extensions and /Library/Extensions
- Installed the applicable-for-my-macOS-build NVidia Web Drivers and CUDA drivers.
- NvidiaWeb checked in System Parameters tab of Clover Config
- nvda_drv=1 UNCHECKED in Boot tab of Clover Config
- EmuVariableUefi.efi also installed on Clover


So every time I reboot after clicking NVIDIA Web Driver in the prefpane, it starts to boot fine, and then I get a black screen (no boot loop though) and after a minute or two of nothing happening, I just hard reset the computer. After that, it boots but at login screen I can already tell hardware acceleration is a no-go. After logging in, I find that the option is back to OS X Default Graphics Driver.

I have only one partition/clover install (no USB installers with Clover that could conflict), and Clover is on the latest version 4411.



SOLUTION:
Per the guide, delete the NVDAStartupWeb.kext from S/L/E and L/E and then run the Nvidia driver installer pkg. This will reinstall the NVDAStartupWeb.kext, but the version that we want, so DO NOT DELETE the NVDAStartupWeb.kext installed by that Nvidia installer.

 

[P1LGRIM]

EmuVariableUefi.efi also installed on Clover

Did you also install the RC Scripts ?

 

[jimmyco2008]

Did you also install the RC Scripts ?

Yes! I booted in Verbose to get what actually happens... So it won't boot because it gets stuck on "considerRebuildOfPrelinkedkernel as.vit9696.Lilu ... triggered rebuild". I see Lilu in there... I wonder if I need a different version, I will double-check that it's the latest.

 

[jimmyco2008]

I have narrowed it down to an issue with Clover. When I use my Unibeast USB installer to boot the macOS Install partition on the boot SSD (for the 10.13.3 update), it works with no issue, while I could not get the installer (update) partition to boot even after removing Lilu.kext and NvidiaFixup.kext from the SSD's Clover /Kexts/Other folder and unchecking the NvidiaWebDrivers box in Clover Config (which should have made it equal to the Unibeast installer in the way of GPU config).

Paired with the fact that vit9696 doubts Lilu.kext to be the actual issue (https://github.com/vit9696/Lilu/issues/17), I would say we aren't dealing with an Nvidia graphics issue, rather something else...

 

[jimmyco2008]

Got it. So following that guide, which says to delete the NVDAStartupWeb.kexts from S/L/E and L/E I assumed those were bad kexts that needed to be gotten rid of. It turns out that apparently you delete the installed-with-macOS version of that kext, and then the Nvidia driver installer pkg installs its version (but won't overwrite, hence the need to delete the old ones first?).

I didn't realize NVDAStartupWeb.kext is REQUIRED.