Snow Leopard on GA-P55A-UD4P

[tofuconfetti]

I thought I would document this install. Using Tony and Macman's iBoot+Multibeast method made this infinitely easier. Those are great tools.

My Hardware list is:

Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P Motherboard F10 BIOS
Intel Core i7 860 Processor
4x2 Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Memory
EVGA GeForce GTX 260 896 MB Video Card

Before you need to:

1] Get a retail Copy of Snow Leopard 10.6.0
2] Upgrade your BIOS to the latest version so it will match a downloadable DSDT file. I first installed Windows 7 (was going to dual boot anyway) and upgraded it via Gigabyte's tool. My BIOS is at F10. You may upgrade the BIOS any way you wish, but I would do before you install!
3] A copy of the DSDT.aml file that matches your motherboard AND your BIOS! Get it from here --
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/ ... oards.html
4] Grab a copy of Multibeast 2.0.3 (or the newest version, which I presume would also work).
5] Download the Snow Leopard 10.6.4 combo update (link in the instructions below).
5] Save the DSDT for your motherboard, Multibeast 2.0.3, and the combo update to an external or thumb drive.

To save me some typing, go to this iBoot+Multibeast install page

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/ ... -x-on.html

Follow it to the letter with the options I outline here. Use the iBoot+Nvidia iso image as the boot disk (provided you are using an Nvidia card, and apparently almost all modern Nvidia cards are recognized -- The Nvidia Geforce 9800 GT/GTX cards are well loved by OSX apparently).

Set your BIOS settings as per the instructions. Install OSX the usual way. Make sure to format as a GUID partition using the disk utilty. At the end you will get the "install failed" message at the end, but don't worry as per the instructions. Go ahead and reboot into OSX Snow Leopard by switching out the OSX disk for the iBoot+Nvidia disk while rebooting.

Once rebooted, copy the DSDT*.aml file, Multibeast, and the combo update to your desktop. Rename the DSDT file to DSDT.aml (not really sure this is necessary, but I did it and it worked. Also keep a copy, you may mess up). Install the combo update.

In order for the VoodooHDA drivers to work for your audio, you should delete the AppleHDA.kext from the /System/Libraries/Extensions folder of your new install AFTER you do the combo update!

Start Multibeast, and this is where you should choose these options exactly as noted.

1] Check User DSDT (I hope you put the DSDT.aml renamed file on your desktop)
2] Expand the "Advanced Options" section
3] Expand Kexts and check

----- Audio --> VoodooHDA 0.2.1
----- Disk --> IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector (so your drives don't show up yellow, that bugs me!)
----- Network --> RealtekR1000SL
----- com.apple.boot.plist --> 64-bit Apple Boot Screen
----- OSx86 Software, so everything under it is installed, optional, but these are useful utilities!

Review the list to make sure. Click install. Eject the iBoot disk. Reboot and you should have a fully functional and VERY FAST system. It's way faster than my MacPro!

In my opinion, that is about as easy as it gets. Thanks to Tonymacx86 and Macman for an excellent blog, forum, and wiki and to everyone on this forum who have carved out a great chuck of knowledge!

To add a few niceties, I put a Belkin USB bluetooth dongle in the computer and OSX loves it. I connected my Apple Magic mouse and it works like a dream. So far it runs Logic Studio and Final Cut Pro like a dream.

NOTE: Thanks to Macman for straightening out the "A" part. This board has the ALC889 audio chip.

 

[MacMan]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

Start Multibeast, and this is where you should choose these options exactly as noted.

1] Check User DSDT (I hope you put the DSDT.aml renamed file on your desktop)
2] Expand the "Advanced Options" section
3] Expand Kexts and check

----- Audio --> VoodooHDA 0.2.1
----- Disk --> IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector (so your drives don't show up yellow, that bugs me!)
----- Network --> RealtekR1000SL
----- com.apple.boot.plist --> 64-bit Apple Boot Screen
----- OSx86 Software, so everything under it is installed, optional, but these are useful utilities!

Since you are using a motherboard that is still supported by Apple out of the box when using a DSDT use the following options in MultiBeast:

3] Expand Kexts and check

----- Audio --> Legacy889aHDA
----- Disk --> IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector (so your drives don't show up orange, that bugs me!)
----- Network --> RealtekR1000SL
----- com.apple.boot.plist --> 64-bit Apple Boot Screen
----- OSx86 Software, so everything under it is installed, optional, but these are useful utilities!

You also need to check System Utilities to ensure that permissions and caches are correct.

 

[tofuconfetti]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

I had audio at first, however, when I upgraded to 10.6.4 the audio disappeared. The audio chip on my board is a ALC889, not an ALC889a. So is that chip still supported? I thought it was just the ALC889a.

Anyway, the audio works great so far. I did not try the other way, and have a "test install" that I can experiment with that setup. I'll do it tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[MacMan]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

I had audio at first, however, when I upgraded to 10.6.4 the audio disappeared. The audio chip on my board is a ALC889, not an ALC889a. So is that chip still supported? I thought it was just the ALC889a.

Anyway, the audio works great so far. I did not try the other way, and have a "test install" that I can experiment with that setup. I'll do it tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip.

I was basing this on the Subject which states you have a GA-P55-UD4P.

So in MultiBeast 2.0.3 select Legacy889HDA and you will be OK as it includes the AppleHDA 10.6.2 rollback.

 

[tofuconfetti]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

Macman,

It is my understanding that the new GA-P55-UD4P motherboards don't have the ALC889a chipset. As I understand it, they have the ACL889 audio chipset. I have version 1.0 of the board. I was working on that assumption. Am I wrong? Is it only the v2.0 motherboards that have the ALC889 chipset? If so, that is good news for me.

Would the bug affect my install IF I had the ALC889a audio chip as in the previous poster?

I have a "test install" that I can experiment with. When I rerun Multibeast on it, I presume I should choose the Legacy889aHDA if that is my chipset. I'd like to make sure I don't give people bad advice!

Thanks for the answers.

 

[MacMan]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

Macman,

It is my understanding that the new GA-P55-UD4P motherboards don't have the ALC889a chipset. As I understand it, they have the ACL889 audio chipset. I have version 1.0 of the board. I was working on that assumption. Am I wrong? Is it only the v2.0 motherboards that have the ALC889 chipset? If so, that is good news for me.

Would the bug affect my install IF I had the ALC889a audio chip as in the previous poster?

I have a "test install" that I can experiment with. When I rerun Multibeast on it, I presume I should choose the Legacy889aHDA if that is my chipset. I'd like to make sure I don't give people bad advice!

Thanks for the answers.

There is no new GA-P55-UD4P motherboards, this board has been discontinued by Gigabyte.

Both version of the GA-P55A-UD4P motherboards uses the 889 codec. So yes, either one would have been affected by the HDAEnabler bug in MultiBeast 2.0.3.

If you have a GA-P55-UD4P, then there never was a problem.

 

[tofuconfetti]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

Ah, that little "A" makes a huge difference. That IS the board I have. I'm trying to rebuilt 5 computers simultaneously after a lightning strike to my batcave and I have many details floating around in my head. I sure missed that one.

Thanks. I'll revise the original post if you don't mind.

 

[MacMan]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55-UD4P

Ah, that little "A" makes a huge difference. That IS the board I have. I'm trying to rebuilt 5 computers simultaneously after a lightning strike to my batcave and I have many details floating around in my head. I sure missed that one.

Thanks. I'll revise the original post if you don't mind.

No problem, it's very easy to confuse the P55 with the P55A. I've done it

 

[rxracer]

HI,

I was pleased to come across this guide as I have the exact same motherboard & CPU. The only real difference is I have a Palit ATI HD4850 Sonic and Geil 2133 RAM. I didn't think it would effect the outcome, but maybe it has.

Initially I couldn't get the install screen by booting the CD normally. After seeing the apple logo and spinning circle thingy for a short while I ended up with a completely white, blank screen. The tonymac guide you referred to said I should try safe mode, which worked and got me to the install screen. After partitioning as recommended I successfully installed the OS (I used iboot-supported). It was all looking good.

However, I can only boot into the OS in safe mode. Trying to boot normally ends with the same blank white screen. I've removed everything from my PC but the HDD with Snow Leopard on it and the mouse and keyboard. There seems to be something with my system preventing me from booting outside of safe mode.

Can you think of anything I should disable that Snow Leopard doesn't like? The USB 3.0 controller, multithreading, esata, gsata? Anything like that? Would trying iboot-ati make a difference? Or am I beyond the point of iboot being an issue? I did notice that in safe mode no network adapters were detected. But windows safe mode does a similar thing unless you specifically choose 'network enabled' safe mode.

Sorry for the lengthy post/quiz. I've spent my whole life around, and even worked in the PC arena, but my Mac experience is sadly lacking (kinda the reason I wanted to get Snow Leopard up and running. I want to learn all about it). I'd greatly value any advice or further resources you might have to offer.

Thanks,
Brad.

 

[jreeve0805]

Re: Snow Leopard on GA-P55A-UD4P 889 clarification please.

I had audio at first, however, when I upgraded to 10.6.4 the audio disappeared. The audio chip on my board is a ALC889, not an ALC889a. So is that chip still supported? I thought it was just the ALC889a.

Anyway, the audio works great so far. I did not try the other way, and have a "test install" that I can experiment with that setup. I'll do it tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip.

tofuconfetti / MacMan,

With respect to the 889 (not 889a) are you saying that audio is broken in 10.6.4?

I am planning a system build based on the GA-P55A-UDP4 and I am looking for a straight answer about how to get the 889 (not 889a) working out of the box with 10.6.4 but I can't find it anywhere. I am searching the bowls of the threads and this is the closest I have gotten to someone who is up and running with an 889 (not 889a) without having issues.

If the audio will work in 10.6.4 using the guide you have posted here, could you let me know? With all the back and forth I am reading about the 889 (not 889a) I am unsure if the method you originally posted will work in 10.6.4.

Thanks so much for taking the time to clarify.

THanks,

-John