Install OS X Snow Leopard Directly from Retail DVD Using Chameleon Boot CD for P55 Motherboards

NOTE: This guide is not current anymore: iBoot + MultiBeast is the recommended method for installation.

Using Chameleon's cdboot functionality, it's now possible to install OS X Snow Leopard using the actual OS X Snow Leopard Retail DVD! You won't need access to a working install of Mac OS X. All you need is a Chameleon Boot CD- and a SATA CD/DVD drive. The method couldn't be simpler.

STEP 1: INSTALL MAC OS X
You will need to set your BIOS for ACHI and your Boot Priority to boot from CD-ROM first. For details and screenshots, check out this previously posted USB Install Method.

1. Download and unzip tonymacx86-P55BootCD.iso
   
2. Burn to CD.
3. Restart computer with tonymacx86-P55BootCD
   
4. At Chameleon prompt, replace CD with your Mac OS X Install Retail DVD and press F5.
5. (OPTIONAL) If you have ATI 48xx graphics, type -x. This will boot using safe mode- the only way for you to install currently.
   
6. When you get to the installation screen, open Utilities/Disk Utility.
   
7. Format your hard drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using the OS X Installer's Disk Utility. For the purposes of this guide, name it Snow Leopard.
   
8. Install Mac OS X. If you get an error message at the end of the install- this is normal. Just continue with the guide- if you can't continue, reboot, erase the drive, and try the install again.
   

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR SNOW LEOPARD DRIVE BOOTABLE
At this point, you have a working install, but you won't be able to boot it without the CD. To make your new installation bootable without the CD, you must install Chameleon and necessary support files to your Snow Leopard drive.

1. Boot back into tonymacx86-P55BootCD
2. Select Snow Leopard drive.
3. Complete OS X Setup Routine.
4. When you get to the desktop, open tonymacx86-P55BootCD in finder.
5. Navigate to tonymacx86-snowleopard folder.
6. Open Apps and open PC EFI 10.1
7. Select Snow Leopard and click Continue.
8. Click Install, and then type your password.
9. Open Applications/Utilities/Terminal
10. Type: sudo rm /Volumes/Snow\ Leopard/boot and type your password. (this deletes the boot file installed from PC EFI 10.1)
11. Close Terminal.
12. Open tonymacx86-snowleopard
13. Click and drag boot, DSDT.aml, and Extra from tonymacx86-snowleopard to Snow Leopard. NOTE: Check the DSDT Database to find a system-specific DSDT.aml for your motherboard.

STEP 3: INSTALL ADDITIONAL KEXTS TO SYSTEM/LIBRARY/EXTENSIONS
There are a few kexts that you can’t use in /Extra/Extensions. These include Ethernet kexts. Also, you’ll need to create new cache files any time you remove or replace kexts. There are a few invaluable programs to allow you to do these tasks effortlessly. They are Kext Utility and Kext Helper b7. You can do all of the things in Terminal, but these apps make it easy and foolproof.

1. Open tonymacx86-snowleopard Apps folder.
2. Drag Kext Utility and Kext Helper b7 to your Applications folder.
3. Open Kext Helper b7.
4. Drag RealtekR1000SL.kext (or Intel82566MM.kext if you have an Intel Motherboard) from System – Library – Extensions into Kext Helper b7.
5. Type your password and click EASY INSTALL.
6. Close Kext Helper b7.
7. Open Snow Leopard drive.
8. Drag /Extra/Extensions folder onto Kext Utility application. (This will repair permissions on the folder, backup your cache file, and replace cache file with an updated one.)
9. Drag /System/Library/Extensions folder onto Kext Utility application.
10. Open Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
11. Highlight Snow Leopard in the left column.
12. Click Repair Permissions. You should now have Ethernet access.
    

STEP 4: UPDATE TO 10.6.2
Upon the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2, and the 27" Intel Core i5 and i7 iMacs, OS X Snow Leopard supports P55 based systems. The update will install the 10.2.0 Vanilla Kernel, as well as a host of security and stability fixes. Details are available on Apple’s website.

1. Download the Mac OS X 10.6.2 Combo Update.
2. Drag your /System/Library/Extensions folder to the desktop. You may need some of the 10.6.0 Extensions later. It’s always good to have a backup before any ‘point’ system update.
3. Right click and rename the folder 10.6.0 Extensions.
4. Mount MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.2.dmg
5. Install MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.2.pkg
6. Reboot.

You're done! You should now have a stable, fully updated, bootable OS X Snow Leopard installation booting the 64-bit kernel.

OPTIONAL INSTALLS:
The following step is optional- you may now be finished!

STEP 5: ENABLE QUARTZ EXTREME AND CORE IMAGE (QE/CI)
This step is necessary only if you don't have the full power of your graphics card already. By default, the com.apple.boot.plist has GraphicsEnabler=Yes is selected, and should work for most cards. You can test if you have QE/CI enabled by pressing F12 (Dashboard) and trying to add a widget. If you see ripples, you have QE/CI enabled.
This step allows OS X to fully recognize and enable the power of your graphics card, like a driver. If you have an nVidia graphics card, you can also use NVEnabler 64.kext which is located on the tonymacx86-snowleopard folder in System-Library-Extensions. This kext is known to solve issues with TV-out.

1. Open tonymacx86-snowleopard.
2. Drag NVEnabler 64.kext from System – Library – Extensions into Kext Helper b7.
3. Type your password and click EASY INSTALL.
4. Close Kext Helper b7.
5. Open Snow Leopard drive.
6. Drag /Extra/Extensions folder onto Kext Utility application.
7. Drag /System/Library/Extensions folder onto Kext Utility application.
8. Open Extra folder
9. Drag com.apple.boot.plist to desktop.
10. Double click to open in TextEdit
11. Remove the GraphicsEnabler=yes line.
12. Drag the edited com.apple.boot.plist back to Extra folder.
    
13. Open Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
14. Highlight Snow Leopard in the left column.
15. Click Repair Permissions.
16. Restart computer.

The supplied tonymacx86-P55BootCD uses the same files as tonymacx86-snowleopard.zip. This means it has a GA-P55M-UD2 DSDT.aml, all necessary Extensions, the Qoopz 10.6 kernel, and a modified PC-EFI 10.5 cdboot for P55 motherboards. This CD will probably work fine for most P55 boards, but if you have any issues with it, use a system-specific DSDT. You can find a list of working edited DSDTs in the DSDT Database.

To roll your own Chameleon boot CD using custom files, follow these steps.

1. Download tonymacx86-P55BootCD.iso.
2. Create a folder in your home directory called newiso.
3. Copy and paste all contents of tonymacx86-P55BootCD into your new folder.
4. Navigate in your newiso folder to Preboot.dmg.
5. Replace files in Extra with your system's DSDT.aml.
6. Open Terminal.
7. Type: sudo hdiutil makehybrid -o tonymacx86-P55BootCD.iso newiso/ -iso -hfs -joliet -eltorito-boot newiso/usr/standalone/i386/cdboot -no-emul-boot -hfs-volume-name "tonymacx86-P55BootCD" -joliet-volume-name "tonymacx86-P55BootCD"

There you have it- a system-specific Chameleon Boot CD that will allow you to boot and install OS X Snow Leopard directly from the Retail DVD. The easiest and best way to install OS X Snow Leopard! Props to Chameleon, netkas, Prasys, and the entire OSx86 community for all their hard work on Chameleon Boot CD development. Good luck!

-tonymacx86

PS: If you want to enable the Apple Boot Screen on startup, read this post:
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/11/enable-apple-boot-screen.html

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
For troubleshooting tips and general recommendations, I've created this topic in the forum. Make sure you've reviewed all of these!
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=524

For discussions on this and other topics, register today at tonymacx86.com!

Enable High Definition Audio on P55 Motherboards

Enabling High Definition Audio (HDEF) on your Hackintosh can be accomplished a number of different ways. My personal preference is to modify DSDT.aml with hardware-specific information, and install a LegacyHDA.kext in /Extra/Extensions. You must replace all references of AZAL in your DSDT with HDEF, then insert code that references your specific ins and outs.

Alternately, a solution that works for many people is to use HDAEnabler.kext combined with a modified AppleHDA.kext. There are drawbacks to this solution, as each time Apple pushes an update, Apple's AppleHDA.kext is overwritten, and will have to be replaced in System/Library/Extensions.

The most universal audio fix is VoodooHDA.kext- it is an enabler which at startup uses brute force to probe your system and get any kind of audio output. Most often it is not optimized, and can leave you with audio artifacts, stuttering, volume issues and popping sounds.

I added a new set of DSDT fixes to tonymacx86-DSDT-fixes.zip with instructions on how to enable the HDEF fix in DSDT.aml to use a LegacyHDA.kext. I also optimized each DSDT in the DSDT Database to include hardware-specific HDEF fixes. Good luck!

NOTE: Here are the currently recommended LegacyHDA.kexts for P55 motherboards. For use in combination with HDEF DSDT edits.
Legacy888bHDA.kext.zip
Legacy888HDA.kext.zip
Legacy889HDA.kext.zip
Legacy889aHDA.kext.zip

For discussions on this and other topics, register today at tonymacx86.com!

DSDT Database for P55 Motherboards

NOTE: The DSDT Database has been redesigned, expanded and relocated to tonymacx86.com/dsdt

For discussions on this and other topics, register today at tonymacx86.com!

Advanced DSDT Fixes: Enable Native Intel SpeedStep on P55 Motherboards

NOTE: This guide is somewhat outdated- in order to enable SpeedStep for Core i5 750 and Core i7 860, all you need to do is use iMac11,1 smbios.plist.  It's available in Multibeast.  

By adding correct SSDT.aml code to your DSDT, you can enable the native Intel SpeedStep technology of your CPU in Mac OS X. According to Wikipedia, "SpeedStep is a trademark for a series of dynamic frequency scaling technologies (including SpeedStep, SpeedStep II, and SpeedStep III) built into some Intel microprocessors that allow the clock speed of the processor to be dynamically changed by software. This allows the processor to meet the instantaneous performance needs of the operation being performed, while minimizing power draw and heat dissipation."

This is not a necessary fix, but you can gain noticeable power savings and/or performance gains. This fix may also extend the life of your hardware by enabling OS X to use advanced features that your Intel CPU was made for.

I added a new set of edits to the tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.dsl with speedstep information for the Core i5 750 and Core i7 860. Simply download the updated tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.zip, search for SpeedStep, and you'll find code additions for your CPU. You can copy and paste the CPU information from there. The example P55M-UD2 DSDT included has SpeedStep fixes, as well as every other edit that is referenced.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can check the values of your own CPU and make the edits yourself. The easiest way to view this information is to-open DSDTSE, go into the sidebar, and choose SSDT.aml, For example, the edits are made as in the pictures below. The left hand code is from the UD2 SSDT.aml, and the fixed code is on the right. You can then see the values to use when editing. Use the DSDT-FIXES guide for the rest of the code block.

You can check to see if your DSDT is working correctly by using the free application MSR Tools. In order for it to run, you must start up Snow Leopard in 32-Bit mode. Restart your computer, pause the Chameleon countdown and type arch=i386. Download it here.

WARNING: Improper use of SpeedStep code in your DSDT can cause major problems with your system including hardware damage and failure. Again, you do not need to do this fix for a stable system. If you're having any issues, take the SpeedStep code out immediately and reboot. Also, do NOT overclock with SpeedStep- it's known to cause performance decreases. Use with care!

Special thanks to the Insanelymac P55 Thread for the Core i7 edits!

SPEEDSTEP EXAMPLES: Due to popular demand, here is a zip of 2 versions of the GA-P55M-UD2 DSDT- 1 with Core i5 750 SpeedStep and the other with i7 860 SpeedStep. Use these as an example to modify your own DSDT, or if you have a GA-P55M-UD2, you can use this, but be sure to use the correct version! Have fun!
tonymacx86 DSDT-P55M-UD2 - SpeedStep

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Advanced DSDT Fixes: Enable Sleep on P55 Motherboards

This guide assumes you have done the previously posted DSDT guide, Create and Modify Your DSDT.aml

If you have managed to extract and edit your own DSDT already, and have applied DGTP and CMOS Reset fixes, then you're ready for this guide. If you properly edit your DSDT to make these changes, you can:

• Enable Sleep without the use of SleepEnabler.kext
• Remove IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector.kext & NullCPUPowerManagement.kext from /Extra/Extensions.
• Enable your Hackintosh to recognize your USB devices as Built-In.
• Enable your Hackintosh to recognize your Intel SATA devices as Built-In.

If you own a GA-P55M-UD2, you're in luck! I've already made all of the edits. You can use my DSDT! The attached DSDT.aml has fixes applied for CMOS Reset, HDEF (for use with LegacyHDA_ALC888B, UHCI/EHCI, SATA, HPET, and SMBUS. I wouldn't recommend using my DSDT on your non-Gigabyte Motherboard, but the corrections that you make should be very similar in all P55 boards.

FORMAT FOR TEXT BASED FIXES
Because DSDT editing is text/code based, I created a tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.dsl file that you can open and copy/paste from in DSDTSE. You can also open it in any standard text editor, but you won't be able to copy/paste multiple lines. Copying from standard text files or web pages inserts hidden characters, making the DSDT.aml unable to compile.

METHOD FOR DSDT EDITING

1. Download the latest version of DSDTSE
   
2. Download tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.zip
3. Open DSDTSE.
4. Open your DSDT.aml file.
5. Your DSDT.aml will decompile into an editable DSDT.dsl and open in the editor.
   
6. Open tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.dsl
7. Search for the first part of the code you're attempting to edit, i.e. _WAK or HPET.
8. Scan down your DSDT to make changes as referenced in the each example.
9. When you are finished making changes, click Tools and choose Compile.
10. If you don't get any errors, click Tools and choose DSDT files folder.
11. Your DSDT files folder (/Library/Application Support/EvOSoftware/DSDT) will open in Finder. Helpful Hint: you can pull this folder into the sidebar to bookmark it.
12. Copy your dsdt.aml.
13. Paste your dsdt.aml into the root / of your hard drive.
14. Capitalize DSDT.aml
15. Remove IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector.kext, NullCPUPowerManagement.kext from /Extra/Extensions.
16. Drag /Extra/Extensions to Kext Utility.
    
17. Make backups of your working/test DSDT and restart.

tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.zip includes tonymacx86-DSDT-FIXES.dsl and my latest GA-P55M-UD2 DSDT.aml utilizing all of the following fixes plus HDEF which I leave out for an upcoming guide on LegacyHDA.

• 00 - Add DTGP (Need for all Fixes)
  
• 01 - Fix CMOS reset
  
• 02 - Edit USB UHCI/EHCI - Part 1 (Enables Sleep & USB Ports Built In)
• 03 - Edit USB UHCI/EHCI - Part 2 (Enables Sleep & USB Ports Built In)
  
• 04 - Edit IDE (SATA) (Enables SATA ports Built-In and Internal)
  
• 05 - Edit PIC, TMR and HPET (Enables you to get rid of extra kexts)
  
• 06 - Add SBUS (Need for Sleep)
  

A few words about DSDTSE. I've had some issues opening this program up- I've had an error come up and the program shut down on launch. Something about Nil Exception. You need to launch it from another location. Just keep trying if you get an error- it's not the program, it's the location. The reason I use it is because it's hands down the best tool out there for editing DSDTs. Got to give it up to The Evosx86 Team for making such an awesome app.

Your /Extra/Extensions folder now should only contain:
EvOReboot.kext
fakesmc.kext
JMicronATA.kext
LegacyHDA_ALC888B.kext
PlatformUUID.kext

Good luck and have fun editing! Feel free to post links to fully updated and sleep compatible DSDTs for review- it would be great to have a collection of them all in one place. I'll keep researching and doing fixes for my specific board and adding them to this site.

Special thanks to The Evosx86 Team for DSDTSE, The Insanelymac P55 Thread and Rekursor and Bansaku's GA-P55-UD3R DSDT edits.

-tonymacx86

EDIT: To enable sleep, make sure to remove the necessary kexts and check all of the checkboxes in System Preferences/Energy Saver as shown in the picture below.

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