Mountain Lion on E6400 in 5 Steps!

[stewiegriffin]

I just wanted to say thank you to everybody that contributed to this guide. I was able to load 10.8.3 on a Dell E6500 and everything has been working great for the 3 weeks that I have been using it. I did some minor adjustments from the original guide:

• Moved AppleACPIPlatform kext from S/L/E into the RemovedExtensions folder. Kextcache would unsuccessfully try to build kernelcache for about 25 times everytime after initial boot (error not having _acpihwread and _acpihwwrite). The version being used was the one from E/E (copied to myhack.kext) anyway.
• Changed UseKernelCache to "No" to avoid random KPs. I am ok with the slower boot time (~45sec on a 5400 rpm drive).
• I had to use voodoopstate.kext to enable speedstep. Unfortunately, GeneratePstates=Yes wasn't enough on my machine and clock speed was at max even when not doing much. I don't think I get Cstates enabled even after being able to load AppleLPC kext. But, this was better than nothing. This also helped with operating temps (idle cpu around 45-50c and the heatsink is the older one).

Wish list (very minor):

• Hibernation - Sleep has been working, but I am so used to hibernation on windows 7.
• MIDI setup preferences to save - I get crackling sound on higher volume levels unless I switch speaker output to 16-bit, but unfortunately it doesn't save and I have to adjust as needed.

Again, thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge!

[northernpal]

Just wanted to share a little bit of an update after some more use / testing.

 

I hooked up an external monitor to the VGA port and it worked !!

I hooked up a "Display port to HDMI adapter" to the the Display port and then used an HDMI cable to plug in my Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP (1900 x 1200) and it worked fine.

I even switched it over to be the main monitor and it was fine.

I hooked up my M-Audio FireWire Solo to the Firewire port and it seems to be working fine (device shows up in System information under the Firewire section)  and I just plugged in mic to the solo changed input in the sound pref pane (in system preferences) and it seems to be working fine.  Very nice!!

 

Off hand does anyone know if there is an easy way to disable or remove the "Restart" option (hitting it by mistake is not good...) as we should only be doing shutdown or sleep.

[FireFire]

Just wanted to share a little bit of an update after some more use / testing.

 

I hooked up an external monitor to the VGA port and it worked !!

I hooked up a "Display port to HDMI adapter" to the the Display port and then used an HDMI cable to plug in my Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP (1900 x 1200) and it worked fine.

I even switched it over to be the main monitor and it was fine.

I hooked up my M-Audio FireWire Solo to the Firewire port and it seems to be working fine (device shows up in System information under the Firewire section)  and I just plugged in mic to the solo changed input in the sound pref pane (in system preferences) and it seems to be working fine.  Very nice!!

 

Off hand does anyone know if there is an easy way to disable or remove the "Restart" option (hitting it by mistake is not good...) as we should only be doing shutdown or sleep.

 

 

Which DSDT.aml file are you using? I use the OP's one but can't get DP port working...

 

THanks

 

[northernpal]

Yes, I used the Extra.zip from op and did a clean install of with 10.8.3

[FireFire]

Yes, I used the Extra.zip from op and did a clean install of with 10.8.3

 

So you do get dual external screen working? I can only get 1 external monitor working at same time. Either internal LCD and VGA or internal LCD and DVI or internal LCD with DP.

[northernpal]

So you do get dual external screen working? I can only get 1 external monitor working at same time. Either internal LCD and VGA or internal LCD and DVI or internal LCD with DP.

Sorry I was not clear in my post, I only tried what you mention (only 1 external port working at a time).

I will try to see if both external ports work at the same time and if by some miracle they do I will report back

[FireFire]

Sorry I was not clear in my post, I only tried what you mention (only 1 external port working at a time).

I will try to see if both external ports work at the same time and if by some miracle they do I will report back

 

Thanks a lot, waiting for your report since my dual external monitors are not working at same time.

[DaFOB]

I've been playing w/ the new FakeSMC/SMBios mods based on Herve's instructions.  

 

I modified the SMC version in FakeSMC to 1.48f2, based on what I could find for the MacBookPro5,3.  It might be the placebo effect, but the E6400 system seems to run a bit cooler than before.  HWMonitor shows that the CPU speeds are adjusting, as are temps.  The graphics also seem to be snappier (again, might be the placebo effect).

 

I'm not using NullCPUPowerManagement.kext or SleepEnabler.kext, but I'm one of the few that have sleep working. 

 

Anyways, if anyone else is brave enough, please test and report back.

 

1. Backup FakeSMC.kext in /Extra/Extensions.  Replace with the attached FakeSMC.kext.

2. Backup smbios.plist in /Extra. Replace with the attached smblios.plist.

3. Run myFix

 

FakeSMC-E6400.zip

[northernpal]

*** Reader warning ***  This is a bit long and not very interesting and mostly has to do with Shutdown behavior / issues (and is not necessarily related to the FakeSMC posted above)

 

Ok, I updated FakeSMC and smbios.plst (and did a myfix quick)

I then shutdown and start up and had no apparent issues (no real testing done though), so I do a shutdown again and here is where the fun begins...

As happens frequently it does not shut down but eventually goes to the login screen (with mouse frozen). i type my password (although no characters are displayed in the password box) and hit enter and as usual nothing happens.  So instead of hard powering off as usual I decided to wait and see if it will sleep (planning to do a cold boot when it is asleep by holding down the power button).  BUT after a while I look back at my screen and I am at the desktop and mouse is working !?!?!   WTH !?!? I have never tried this before or had this happen before so I don't think or know if it is related to the FakeSMC change (but who knows).  Anyway, I try shutdown again and it starts taking a along time again.. so I just wait.  Eventually it "appears to go to sleep" as the screen goes black but it is still on (fan on, hd light flashing occasionally, bluetooth light on, power button light solid).  I wait about a minute and then move mouse and click mouse button,  screens comes on and shows grey, mouse pointer is gone but now the "grey apple spinning wheel" is displayed and then after about a minute the logon screen appears.  Again with frozen mouse.   I type in my password and hit enter (even though no characters are displayed when typing the password) and wait.  After about 3 or 4 minutes, guess what, I am back at the desktop and all appears to be fine.  This time I do a myfix full and then try shutdown again.  It is taking a long time again and eventually (as usual) screen goes blank but it is still on.  I decide to try one more time and click the mouse button.  The screens comes on full grey with no mouse pointer and grey spinning wheel as usual, after a minute the logon screen appears and I type my password, hit enter and wait.   As usual after 3 or 4 minutes I am back on my desktop.  This time I try a myfix quick, then try Sleep BUT Sleep does not work (nothing appears to happen) I twice more with the same result.  Having had a enough I say what the heck and try "Restart".  I can barely believe it but It shuts down quickly !!!   BUT on restart the "Dell BIOS check" goes very slowly so I hit F12 to check out the BIOS settings (which all look fine as far as I can remember except for Lan which is on PXE and I disable this, apply and exit)  One other thing, my USB mouse was not working / allowing me to navigate the BIOS setup screens which I remember working in the past...

Anyway after saving the Bios change I let it boot and It appears to start normally and I logon as usual and it all appears fine.  I do sleep, it works so I wake it with usb mouse click after 10 seconds, I then wait about another minute (for HD activity to slow/stop) and do a shutdown.  Ugg, It takes a long time... but it eventually shuts down !! yea!! 

 

This is a standard "Mountain Lion on E6400 in 5 Steps" build direct to 10.8.3 (with Dell Bios A32)

 

I will continue to do testing (especially of the Restart) and see if I can come to any solid conclusions.

[Hervé]

Do you have AppleACPIPlatform kext in /E/E and in /S/L/E?

 

Does your kextcache get re-created when you do a myFix (full)? Look at the file timestamp. The kext cache is normally in /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup folder.

 

I would also do a "repair permissions" for your OS X partition in Disk Utility. You could have issues there.