D420 Video Issues w/ multiple OSX versions - what am I doing wrong here?

[CorBryant]

OSX86.NET allows 1 download, then they demand a donation.  Blocked by IP.   I *think* I found it on an old FTP..

[Hervé]

Downloading without login in (i.e. as Guest) works just fine: I've done several consecutive downloads from different machines without any issue... 

 

Also, I'm pretty sure we have various links to Nawcom's repository (for direct access to files) on this forum. You have to do a search though.

[CorBryant]

Went through everything for Nawcom method and ended up with a kernel panic when booting with Nawcom and a tried quite a few different OS DVDs.  Always got the same error caused by ElliottForceLegacyLegacyRTC.kext .. Found a thread on how to remove it but again, had to have a newer Mac running to do so because Chameleon had to be used. 

[Hervé]

Look at my D430 post and proceed in the exact same way: https://osxlatitude.com/index.php?/topic/147-dell-latitude-d430-thread/page-7&do=findComment&comment=9243

 

You should be ok if you do not select that ElliotLegacyRTCfix in the offered options before you proceed with actual installation. Also, remember to set your BIOS according to the recommended parameters in the pinned thread of the D4xx section.

[Hervé]

Just installed retail 10.6.3 on my D430 notebook following that method... I used:

• my Core2Duo 1.33GHz D430 (obviously)
• its external USB CD/DVD drive
• my ModCD DVD
• my 8Go USB key with image of retail SL 10.6.3 restored to it

NB: in your case, use your SL 10.6.0/10.6.3/10.6.8 retail DVD (any other version or CD/DVD that came with a Mac will not do) unless you can make an image of it on your PPC Mac G5, then restore that image to a USB key. If that is feasible, try to install the ModUSB package to that key too; that'll basically make it bootable with the equivalent of ModCD. You'll have everything on that key to directly install SL from scratch without the need of anything else. If you use that "ModUSB" media, replace the terms "ModCD ..." by "ModUSB" in the following guide.

 

Here's what I did:

Phase 1 - installation

1. plugged-in my USB key with restored image of retail SL
2. booted ModCD off CD/DVD drive
3. at ModCD main bootloader screen, selected my USB key with right arrow and booted with -v bootflag. The system boots with legacy kernel by default, which is fine initially (enter boot option mach_kernel to boot Vanilla kernel and get full graphics support)
4. got me straight to SL 10.6.3 installer screen
5. in Utilities->Disk Utility, selected my HDD and formatted a new GUID partition for SL
6. exited DU and installed 10.6.3 on newly created SL partition with the following Customize options:

• Printer support = ticked off
• Additional fonts = ticked off
• Languages translations = ticked off
• Custom Options -> left as default, but make sure ElliotLegacyRTCfix remains unselected (so that you avoid subsequent KP at boot time)

NB: in your case, at #3, if you use the retail SL DVD, eject the ModCD disc, insert the SL one, press F5, select the SL disc and boot with -v bootflag. You may opt for mach_kernel too.

 

Phase2 - 1st boot and installation completion

1. restarted off ModCD disc again.
2. at ModCD main bootloader screen, selected my freshly made SL installation and booted with -v bootflag. It booted Mach kernel which gives full graphics support (whereas Legacy kernel does not, but it's not installed if you keep default Customs options). Naturally, your Yonah-based D420 supports Mach kernel too.
3. -> an alternative is to boot off the freshly created SL partition directly with bootflag -v and option cpus=1
4. once SL loaded, got the 1st boot music and went through the installation completion screens to reach SL 10.6.3 desktop

 

If you follow the above rigorously, I can garantee that you'll get to the SL desktop without any issue. You LAN port may not be recognized (mine isn't straight away), but my DW1390 is (because that cards works OOB)! Since that is what you have too, you will be able to download myHack v3.1.2 (don't use v3.2, it does not support SL) + OSXL bootpack so that you can proceed to creating your myHack USB installer and re-install a full Vanilla version of Snow Leopard on your D420 (you can overwrite your initial SL installation).

 

If your particular Wireless card needs a kext, download the appropriate kext off a PC, place it on a FAT-formatted USB key and copy if from that key to /Extra/Extensions. Alternatively, copy the LAN kext from the OSXL bootpack to get your NIC supported and use that to get connected. Whatever you do, once you've copied the kext(s) to /Extra/Extensions, open up a Terminal window and type the following:

sudo chmod -R 755 /Extra

sudo chown -R 0:0 /Extra

sudo kextcache -v 1 -a i386 -a x86_64 /Extra/Extensions.mkext /Extra/Extensions

Then reboot into SL off your ModCD disc again as per Phase2 #1-2 or #3.

 

Granted that you may not want to restart a brand new installation again, run myHack to:

1. install Extra (using the OSXL D420 (duo core) bootpack, either directly downloaded or copied across by USB key)
2. install Chameleon
3. install myHack utilities
4. remove problematic extensions

You will then be able to download, install and run EDP and proceed with System Build.

 

You may also download and run the SL 10.6.8 Combo update prior to doing the EDP System Build. To be safe, I'd recommend that you do not reboot when prompted to do so on Combo update completion, but do your EDP System Build and then reboot.

 

Good luck.

[Trunyce]

Where can i find the Extra boot pack for snow leopard for the D420? It's a bummer to know that this little machine wont take Lion 

[Hervé]

I'll see tonight if I have a copy somewhere at home. Meantime, you safely use myHack's generic bootpack.

[Trunyce]

No worries Hervé, I found a copy which I had a while back from my optiplex gx280 days. Forgot I had it. I made the thumb drive via my hack and I can't even see the install partition at the chameleon boot. I'll make it over again on a different usb.