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View Full Version : Booting from external HD, the 8600GT, and HDTV


cgsheen
01-23-2008, 06:17 AM
Sorry, I'll warn you upfront this post will likely be longish...
Some unusual things I've learned fooling around with Zephyroth 10.5.1:

A. Installing on an EXTERNAL hard drive:

I've tried several installs on spare hardware I have lying around. I've avoided trying to install OSx86 on any of my main computers (mostly running Vista, and mainly HTPC's running Vista Media Center (Home Theater Computers - we have three))
I also wanted to try installing it on my AMD laptop (which ISN'T very OSx86 friendly), but NOT on the internal drive.

Anyway, I did an install to a USB 2.5" hard drive - from a computer that was already running Zephyroth. Once the install was done, I DIDN'T boot from it on that computer (not that it would matter, I found out later). I attached it to my laptop and booted the laptop from the USB drive. Much to my surprise, it actually worked! (I still had problems that would keep the laptop from being fully usable, but it got me into the desktop and many functions worked)

OK, that didn't work so well & I've got OSX sitting on the USB drive - I decided to plug it into ANOTHER computer, boot up, and see what happened. Ya, it worked. I started in safe mode and it actually ran on completely different hardware. I did this with a couple of computers to verify. Best part is: YOU NEVER have to go through "account creation" again!

MORAL:
1. External drives are cooler than I thought.
2. Having problems with a particular install? Install to an external drive on ANY computer and use the external drive to boot your "problem child"...
3. It's a lot like Linux! You can carry your OS around with you (almost...)!

B. OSx86, The 8600GT, and HDTV
One of the computers I hadn't heretofore touched was our main HTPC - a newish AMD AM2 setup with a 690G motherboard, an LG Combo HD-DVD / Blu-ray drive, the nvidia 8600GT video card, and DVI to a 55" Mitsubishi 1080i widescreen rear-projection HDTV.

Yup, I hooked up my little USB drive and rebooted! And it worked... After I was in the Desktop, I loaded the 10.5.2 nvidia kexts with 8600 support and rebooted.

Danged if it didn't come back up with the Desktop at 1920x1080! I hurried and checked: FULL QE/CI support! AND: In the Display Settings, not only were multiple resolutions enabled, TV SUPPORT was also active - AND overscan compensation! The Mits is a CRT rear-projector and it overscans - badly... Initially ALL edges of the Desktop were cut off. I unchecked "overscan" and the display came back to normal!

Dude!

I still haven't fixed the chipset kexts or checked the sound codec, but it's running FAST, video support is awesome, the Realtek RTL8110 Gigabit LAN is purring right along, and my wireless multimedia keyboard is working great!

Anyone interested - here's the hardware specs:

Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H 690G AM2 Motherboard (onboard Radeon x1250 video is disabled)
Realtek RTL8110 - Max LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps - working (supported natively)
Realtek ALC889A HD Audio (working! with digital audio output!)
Athlon64 x2 4200+ AM2
2GB Dual Ch RAM
Gigabyte fanless 8600GT PCIe (WORKS with all features supported!)
Maxtor 320GB SATA HD (SATA enabled with the VIAATA kexts!)
LG GGC-H20L Combo Blu-ray & HD-DVD drive (SATA & working! Wish OSx could play HD-DVD's! )
FusionHDTV5 Gold & FusionHDTV3 Gold QAM PCI ATSC tuners
PowerColor 550 Pro PCIe NTSC Tuner
Mitsubishi WS-55813 55" RP HDTV - DVI

nfoav8or
01-23-2008, 02:27 PM
hey can you pass on any hints to making your drive work from the external drive. I'm thinking I'm just forgetting a tiny step that keeps coming back to haunt me. I'm having trouble with my nForce chipset and the SATA config with it so my SATA drives are read-only for now and I have to install to an external HD connected via a USB-to-SATA converter cable so I can then use the chain0 method to boot. I'm going to list the steps I've taken and maybe you or somebody can point out where I've gone wrong.

1) running the install DVD, I open diskutil
2) repartition the whole external hard drive and also change the bootloader to MBR and format the drive to HFS+
3) install the OS
4) reboot from the DVD, open the Terminal
5) using <b>diskutil list</b>, I locate my disk
6) using <b>fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX</b> where X is the disk I've installed to
7) <b>p</b> to list the partitions
8) assuming the partition I installed to is partition 1, I type <b>f 1</b>
9) <b>w</b> or <b>write</b> to rewrite the bootloader to this partition
10) <b>y</b>
11) <b>exit</b>
12) <b>reboot</b>, I then take out the DVD, wait for the bios to load and I press <b>f12</b> to select the boot device.

When I select the external HD, the computer comes to a black screen with a single cursor flashing in the upper left corner... nothing.
I'm lost with what I am doing wrong.

(I know this was long and more drawn out than it needed to be, but I am still new to this and am hoping to get the problem nailed soon.)

Thanks.

braindead803
01-23-2008, 02:59 PM
was this amd or intel. and does it matter for the external if you install intel or amd leopard? i was gonna try the JaS install on my external and if that works then i'm gonna use the Zephyroth install...

im using a Western Digital 160 gig external usb hard drive

wd1600do15 -rn

braindead803
01-23-2008, 05:05 PM
can i just say WOW DID THIS REALLY HELP A LOT!!!

installed the JaS 10.4.8 release and works perfect. comes wit all kexts necessary just to boot the system. just need to find a kext for my sound card and for my wireless internet card. if anyone could help that would be great....

my wireless card is a realtek and sound card is....? not really positive what my sound card is

cgsheen
01-24-2008, 01:09 AM
@nfoav8or:

It looks like you skipped the "update" command while using fdisk...
Here's what they taught me, and it's generally worked:

fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX (X=disk number)
update
f X (X=partition number)
w
q
reboot

Here's what that is actually doing:

fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX = starts fdisk utility in "interavtive" mode and selects the HD to use

update = "updates" the MBR ( Master Boot Record ) of the selected disk

f X = makes the indicated partition active

w = write = writes the updated MBR
(if it says here something like "cannot ... interactively, a reboot will be required... (Y/N)", choose Y, but you'll have a 50/50 chance that it'll actually work to make the partition bootable...)

q = quit = exits fdisk AND makes changes permanent

(you're now OUT of fdisk and back to a different command prompt)

reboot = just restarts your computer...

cgsheen
01-24-2008, 01:20 AM
braindead803:can i just say WOW DID THIS REALLY HELP A LOT!!!

installed the JaS 10.4.8 release and works perfect. comes wit all kexts necessary just to boot the system. just need to find a kext for my sound card and for my wireless internet card. if anyone could help that would be great....

my wireless card is a realtek and sound card is....? not really positive what my sound card is

Did you also try the Zephyroth 10.5.1? No matter, I'm glad it got you started.

For help with "non-responsive" hardware, you're going to need to supply EXACT hardware info... It's always really helpful to provide a link to the manufacturers website if you've got a pre-built computer or laptop. For instance: HP's website usually has DETAILED info on all the HP and Compaq machines. So, even if you don't know the exact sound chip or codec they've used in your machine, it's listed on their site.

You probably don't want to be "generic" about this - you usually need the .kexts for your EXACT hardware.

cgsheen
01-24-2008, 08:45 AM
I've just got the sound codec (Realtek ALC899a) working - there's a great alc889a .kext!
AND, the SATA drives in this computer are now working with the "SB600_SATA_ATA .kexts" !!!

The moral is: don't fight with the nvidia (or AMD) SATA drive problem... Use an external drive and have a successful install!
This makes my 3rd working Zephyroth 10.5.1 AMD installation. Who has more Zephy installs than me?

braindead803
01-24-2008, 10:26 AM
hardware difficulties are as follows:

no sound (soundcard): Sigmatel Audio Driver version: 6.10.5337.0

no wireless internet (broadcom): Broadcom Wireless Network Driver version: 4.102.15.61

i need to find the kext files

cgsheen
01-24-2008, 10:32 AM
braindead803:hardware difficulties are as follows:

no sound (soundcard): Sigmatel Audio Driver version: 6.10.5337.0

no wireless internet (broadcom): Broadcom Wireless Network Driver version: 4.102.15.61

i need to find the kext files

Windows driver versions aren't going to help much I don't think... We need to know the CHIPS (exact hardware) being used. It's a laptop? Who builds it? What model is it? (I don't remember if you listed that somewhere else...)

braindead803
01-24-2008, 10:41 AM
its a laptop. gateway mt3422

cgsheen
01-24-2008, 11:20 AM
According to the Gateway website, it's probably a Broadcom BCM4318E...

I thought the Broadcom wireless cards were all well-supported in 10.5.1. My Compaq laptop has a Broadcom BCM94318MPG wireless mini-pci card and it worked right of the bat with Zephy...

Here's the URL for the motherboard specs:
http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Q106/Bishop/4001189R/4001189Rsp4.shtml

The onboard LAN adapter is the infamous PHY8201 ( Realtek RTL8201CL ) that may be tricky - I haven't been able to get mine to work...

The audio is a SigmaTel 9200 - I've never heard of it. You'll probably have to search InsanelyMac...

Gateway.com has all sorts of interesting information...
http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/2007/Apache/1014552R/1014552Rnv.shtml

braindead803
01-24-2008, 01:08 PM
im going to install 10.5.1 right now
hopefully it works just as easy

nfoav8or
01-26-2008, 02:08 PM
I read in another post that the PCIe Broadcom (BCM) Wi-Fi cards aren't working through any kexts (some may have gotten it, but I haven't seen how).
I have the regular BCM4318 as is listed in my system profile and it works natively... I'm typing from my Hacintosh now.