Dan_Marshall

Hi Justin / Hervé: Just one other thing I remembered, regarding the device properties for the onboard ethernet controller for the Dell Optiplex 745. The reason I injected the properties for the device to the chameleon.Boot.plist is so the ethernet controller reads as a 'Mac controller - 'Ethernet' and not 'Ethernet Adaptor en0' in the System Preferences/Network prefpane. There was a few issues regarding the App Store / iMessages and Facetime with the en0 setting but 'tricking' the ethernet controller to read as a genuine Mac controller solved these. If your app store / facetime and imessages works as it should - then great! If not, below is the procedure I followed to make the on board Ethernet card read as 'Ethernet'. This was written by the guy who originally helped me set up this machine back in 2012. If Hervé or any other more knowledgable lads (than myself - and that's not hard lol ) on here can add anything in with this procedure be sure to chime in "It’s time to get the App Store fully working. The thing that does the trick was injecting the EFI string of the onboard ethernet controller in com.apple.Boot.plist (located in Library/Preferences/System Configuration) and org.chameleon.Boot.plist (located in /Extra). Use EFI studio 1.1 (http://www.mediafire.com/?xz14ytrmddo), select "Ethernet device", click on "Add Device" and ask it to write the string it found to com.apple.boot.plist (located in Library/Preferences/System Configuration). Then open the edited file with TextEdit and find: < key>device-properties</key> < string>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</string> (where x is the ethernet device EFI string) Copy the lines, open your org.chameleon.Boot.plist located in /Extra (with textedit), and paste the copied content along with these 2 lines: < key>EthernetBuiltIn</key> < string>Yes</string> and then close all open files. Delete all network connections displayed in System Preferences/Network prefpane and also trash the NetworkInterfaces.plist located in Library/Preferences/System Configuration. Reboot and manually add a new network service using the (+) button in System Preferences/Network; the system should auto-name it "Ethernet" (instead of "Ethernet adaptor en0") which implies that the network card/interface is seen as an original built in Mac connection. You should now be able to use Software Update to check for updates to the OS and any Mac Apps." And that's it - Here is what my org.chameleon.Boot.plist looks like (with the device properties for my Ethernet Card) as a reference: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>DSDT</key> <string>/Extra/DSDT.aml</string> <key>EthernetBuiltIn</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>ForceHPET</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>GenerateCStates</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>GeneratePStates</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>Kernel Flags</key> <string>npci=0x2000 darkwake=0</string> <key>SMBIOS</key> <string>/Extra/smbios.plist</string> <key>SystemType</key> <string>1</string> <key>Theme</key> <string>LoginToLion</string> <key>Timeout</key> <string>2</string> <key>USBBusFix</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>UseKernelCache</key> <string>Yes</string> <key>device-properties</key> <string>4b00000001000000010000003f0000000100000002010c00d041030a0400000001010600041c0101060000007fff0400160000006200750069006c0074002d0069006e0000000500000001</string> </dict> </plist> Hope this helps Regards, Dan

Hi Justin - Congratulations mate!! Gotta love the feeling when it all works great!! Re temps: Mine is the desktop version and it comfortably sits between 32 degrees C and 40 degrees C. Ups to 60-64 when using handbrake for rendering video. The graphics card does run quite hot as well as mine is passive cooling. From my understanding Graphics cards always run hotter, sometimes much hotter! My 8400 idles around 80 degrees C but I've never pushed the graphics capabilities. What I have found that helps cooling is that I take the machine apart approx every 6 months to clean down and clear out of all the dust. It is amazing how much dust gets picked up! This helps dramatically on these machines so I can only conclude the ventillation is not the best (especially ramping up that CPU from the stock one Congratulations on your new Hack! Glad we all could help out Dan

Hi Justin / Hervé, As Hervé said - the graphics card worked out the box for me (did not even have to set Graphics Enabler to yes as in my Chameleon boot plist file). As with Mavericks - On my machine it was not working properly with the 'Plex' (media server) software, so I had to rivert back to ML 10.8.5. In the Plex forums, Mavericks is not playing too well with the Plex Media Server on some systems (real macs and hackintoshes) and since the Dell 745 is 95% used for this I decided to go back till these are ironed out. The Plex devs are constantly releasing updates so I don't think these bugs will be around for long. For the little time I tried Mavericks on this machine it was running very smooth, 'snappier' even. I'm really looking forward to the full migration over to 10.9 as this gives this 'old' bit of kit another lease of life. Hope this helps, Dan

Hi Hervé, Thanks for the help mate - will change this around this evening. Still lots of learning to do and really appreciate the advice! Dan

VoodooHDA.kext.zipOops I forgot - To get onboard audio working, I used the voodooHDA Kext (2.7.3 - attached) and installed in my S/L/E folder. Don't forget to run myFix after every kext installation / removal to repair and set permissions. Regards, Dan

Hi Guys, Apologies for the delay in responding - I have attached my Extra folder used on my machine perfectly (including power management) I will write up a detailed install procedure but for now my specs are: Dell Optiplex 745 (desktop) Q6600 Core 2 Quad Core Processor Nvidia GeForce 8400GS 256mb 8GB (4 x 2GB) 667mhz RAM Main points BIOS: System BIOS is 2.6.4 SMART Reporting is 'off' Hard Drive in 'Legacy' In my Extra folder is the IOATAFamily.Kext. This allows the installer to see the internal hard drive and install the OS to it. In my Extra folder is the BCM5722D.Kext. This is for Internet Access using the onboard NIC. The Extra Folder also contains a DSDT file that was edited by a friend in the community specific to my machine so not too sure if / how it will help others on their system (still learning about DSDT and wish I could spend more time on it org.chameleon.Boot.plist contains the bootflags I use to help the machine purr nicely. All of these where through trial and error (some may not be needed but the system is running so well I have left them in). Using myHack to create the installer with the Extra Folder attached I have no issues for my machine on 10.8.5 (manual update). Hope this helps and more than happy to help out any more if I can Dan Extra Dell Optiplex 745.zip

Hi Herve, More than willing to help - but how do I add an attachment? total blank here I will list my specs too Dan

Hey mate - sent you a message there - I can upload my extra folder (working perfectly with Mountain Lion) that will help out quite a bit

Hi Hervé, Thanks for the suggestions - will definately try. As above - I am a stickler for clones / back ups so have a few options I can try. The biggest thing for me is my back up strategy does not work on Mavericks as it did in ML (Mostly due to a software issue with Carbon Copy Cloner but am sure it could easily be resolved with an update), so I will need to investigate this a bit more before I take the plunge to Mavericks for the Dell Optiplex 745. Will try a clean install and take it from there. Love this forum and the OSX Latitude / myHack combining together Dan

Tried the update (from the Darwin load page - select OSX myHack installer) and updated successfully to 10.9 on Dell Optiplex 745 Generally an improvement and snappiness 'feel' to the OS. Was a few issues with my back up apps not working as they should and since this is a media server (and I'm totally crazy for cloning / back ups) I have riverted back to 10.8.5 until these issues are resolved as I'm not confident to run the system without scheduled back ups working properly. On another Hackintosh (Dell Optiplex 990, i5 & Nvidia 8400GS) - Updated as above and the system is very sweet and running really well Dan

Hi all, As the title suggests - I am going to upgrade my Hackintosh 'Plex' Server this weekend to Mavericks (Dell Optiplex 745 DT, currently 10.8.5). I'm just curious, is it best to: a) Update to Mavericks with my 'myHack 3.3 Mavericks installer - If so, how can this be done? Clean instal Mavericks using the myHack 3.3 Mavericks installer All my hackintosh machines over the years were made with mHack so would no have no trouble doing the install clean using my extra folder. But, I have read a few people doing Mavericks as an upgrade and wanted to see if there is a specific way for this using myHack (all my OS progressional installs have been 'clean') The machine is running perfectly and have used myHack as my main installation procedure. Oh and by the way, many congrats to the team merging with Conti to bring some of the best (IMHO) Hackintosh minds and resources available to all of us under the one roof! Regards, Dan

Hi to all, Firstly, a great big thank you to Conti and the members of this forum for all the valuable info posted. With so many other hackintosh resources (and literally millions of different types of set-ups possible), this forum has been so much help to me to get my rigs working. I started using macs back when apple bought Emagic's 'Logic Audio' program (2004-2005 i think). Being a music producer, my affiliation with Emagic's software warranted the platform change to OS X to receive the lastest and greatest versions of the program, and since then have never looked back! At home I am running a mid 2007 2GHz Mac Mini as a media server running Plex (OSX Lion 10.7.5) for all our household's media files/downloads/ itunes etc. In the Studio I have an ageing iMac 3.06GHz (Snow Leopard 10.6.8) which is used for music production. I love these machines and both have been rock solid on these platforms. In October 2012, I aquired a Dell Optiplex 745 desktop that was going to be the 'new' home media server. I inteded it to run on Windows until I read a post regarding OS X Mountain Lion working on this particular Dell. I was intrigued and went about 'hackintoshing' this machine. Firstly with Snow Leopard (could never get 10.6.8, highest i could get but not perfect was 10.6.7). I am by no means 'computer hacking' literate, I understand basic settings and a little code but not to the extent of some of the people who have helped me in the past. Well after many months, 1000+ re-boots and different installation methods, I have a working Dell Optiplex 745 running 10.8.3 using myHack and some modified kexts for ethernet / audio / sleep & shutdown. I upgraded the CPU to a quad core and maxed out the RAM and now have a pretty sweet 'Hack Pro'!! There are a few very small issues that hopefully I can get some help with that I have not been able to find a resolution myself (like only sometimes black screen after apple logo screen, & I always have to double tap key/mouse to wake from sleep when the screen comes back on - if not it goes back to sleep - lazy!! lol). I also recently got a newer 'Dell Optiplex 990 SFF' desktop (not a dell fanboy - honest) and using the myHack install method, have 10.8.3 with absolutely no issues on it whatsoever. Sleep, shutdown, software update, restart all work perfectly. Ethernet and Audio was just as easy! I will write up a guide for this particular machine and submit shortly (with my hardware) as it was very simple using myhack + kexts that worked for this machine (total install to full working took 90 minutes!! - on a Dell!!). I am sure the experience working on the 745 helped in my understanding to get the 990 work flawlessly and it's mostly to do with the members on this and the other 'genuine' (tonycrap = boooooo) hackintosh forums. Looking forward to becoming part of this community and offer assistance where I can. Greetings from (not so sunny) Dublin, Ireland!! Dan