Can we add the Precision M6500 as a supported model in EDP?

[Mark]

Is there any interest in working out the issues involved in setting up a Dell Precision M6500 to run OS X Mavericks and get it into EDP as a supported model? 

 

My Dell precision M6500 has an i5 M520 processor, 4GB of RAM, 250GB HD, nVidia graphics (NB10E-GLM according to the bios), a 17" XGA+ screen (1440x900), IDT 92HD81 sound and will have a Broadcom based Dell 1490 mini-PCI card once I install it in a bit.

 

Here is what I have done so far:

 

I created a boot key for 10.9.1 using the normal process and selected the generic Extra folder.  I booted my M6500 with this key and installed OS X 10.9.1 successfully.  I rebooted and attempted to boot from the HD and got a kernel panic.  No worries, I rebooted from the boot key and selected the HD.  Mavericks started properly and I completed the initial setup.  Now I am looking at the Mavericks desktop with QE/CI.  Looks great and is very responsive.  As you would expect, I have no sound or network and no battery information available.

 

To me, this seems like a good candidate to be added as a supported model.  If anyone would like to guide me through providing what is needed to make this happen, I am happy to do the leg work.

 

Thanks!

 

Mark Weitemeyer

 

[Jake Lo]

From terminal, run lspci -nn and paste the specs here. I believe it has a broadcom lan card. 

[Mark]

Here you go:

pcilib: 0000:01:00.0 64-bit device address ignored.

pcilib: 0000:00:1f.6 64-bit device address ignored.

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller [8086:0044] (rev 02)

00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Core Processor PCI Express x16 Root Port [8086:0045] (rev 02)

00:1a.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b3c] (rev 05)

00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio [8086:3b56] (rev 05)

00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:3b42] (rev 05)

00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:3b44] (rev 05)

00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3 [8086:3b46] (rev 05)

00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 4 [8086:3b48] (rev 05)

00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 5 [8086:3b4a] (rev 05)

00:1c.5 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 6 [8086:3b4c] (rev 05)

00:1c.6 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 7 [8086:3b4e] (rev 05)

00:1c.7 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 8 [8086:3b50] (rev 05)

00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b34] (rev 05)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev a5)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller [8086:3b03] (rev 05)

00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [8086:3b2f] (rev 05)

00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller [8086:3b30] (rev 05)

00:1f.6 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem [8086:3b32] (rev 05)

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G92 [Quadro FX 2800M] [10de:061d] (rev a2)

03:01.0 CardBus bridge [0607]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller [104c:8039]

03:01.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller [104c:803a]

03:01.2 Mass storage controller [0180]: Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD) [104c:803b]

03:01.3 SD Host controller [0805]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller [104c:803c]

09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5761e Gigabit Ethernet PCIe [14e4:1680] (rev 10)

0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11a/b/g [14e4:4312] (rev 01)

0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:432b] (rev 01)

[Jake Lo]

Do you have 2 wireless card? are they working OTB?

 

Try these kexts for lan and audio M6500.zip. Place them in E/E and run myfix(quick).

[Mark]

I had added a second wireless NIC, but have removed it.  Wireless *is* working OOTB, and I got Wired LAN and Audio working before I saw this post.  I also have Voodoo Battery installed and working.  So at the moment, I have a working "Mac" running well on my M6500.  I will replace my current LAN and Audio Kexts with what you have provided and see what differences there are.  

 

Mark

[lcortez]

Hi Mark,

 

I have a Dell M6500 (see specs below), I have been trying to install OS X mavericks for about a month now without success, I have tried various methods listed on the net (could not fing many guides for the M6500), I can get the machine to boot but it either hangs or keeps rebooting.

 

Are you able to post what your bios settings are, and what method you used to get mavericks installed.

How did you create the boot key ? is there a guide i can follow somewhere ?

 

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

 

Luis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intel Core i7 Q740 1.73GHz 
8GB RAM 
500GB Hard Drive 
Blu Ray Player / Burner 
nVidia QUADRO FX 2800M Graphics 
High Definition Display Port 
WiFi 
FIREWIRE Port 
ESATA Port 
3 x USB Ports 
VGA Port 
Ethernet Port 
Smart Card Reader Slot 

[Mark]

Hello Luis,

 

First the boot key.  I used the MyHack method found on this site.  I have a mid-2011 iMac running 10.9.1 so I have both the Mavericks .app as well as the environment to create the boot key.  I used the generic Extra and the system came right up when booting from the USB key.  Installation was completely normal and finished cleanly.   At that point, the system would not boot on its own but would from the boot key, so  I rebooted from the boot key, choosing the HD from the Chameleon boot screen and used -f -v switches.  I installed the Chameleon Wizard application and tried creating a dsdt.aml file.  I put this in the Extra folder and set the options in Chameleon Wizard to use the file and saved the config.  I had no real expectations for that making a difference, but after that I was able to boot from the HD directly.  I am still experimenting with what kexts work best, but at the moment, I have working audio using VooDoo HDA 2.8.4, working Wireless LAN out of the box, and a functional battery monitor using VooDoo Battery.

 

This machine is still very much a work in progress but is very stable so far with no kernel panics at all.  My e6220 (10.9.1 configured with EDP) will KP during boot now and then, the M6500 appears to be much more stable.

 

I hope that helps a bit.

 

Mark

[Hervé]

For your info, extracting the DSDT from OS X with Cham wizard to subsequently use it "as is" after placing the extracted .aml file in /Extra makes absolutely no difference at all: it's exactly the same as the table available in BIOS.

 

DSDT files are only useful if patched.

[lcortez]

Hi Mark,

 

Thanks for posting a reply. I have managed to get OS X installed, however I have run into the same problem which you did in regards to the system not booting up on its own. I have to use the usb key and the -f and -v switches. 

 

Can you expand on your comment   "I installed the Chameleon Wizard application and tried creating a dsdt.aml file.  I put this in the Extra folder and set the options in Chameleon Wizard to use the file and saved the config"

 

I have been trying out how to figure this out but have been unsuccessful, my plan of attack is to get the system to boot on its own and then try and fix my audio / wireless and network.

 

Once again thanks in advance

 

Luis.

[Mark]

Herve,

 

Yes, I am aware that producing a DSDT in that way will have no effect, I only mentioned it because prior to that the system would not boot from the HD and afterward it would.  Most likely a coincidence, but I figured it was best to state everything I had done.  

 

The system is working well other than needing to figure out the "Could not sign in to iMessage.  An error occurred during activation. Try again." issue.