[GUIDE] ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA - Snow Leopard Retail

Imkantus · #1 04-21-2010, 01:16 PM

ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA (R.2.0)
Snow Leopard "all-round-comfortable-package"

This is an english repost of my recently write down - you can find german language version here.

I know this mainboard is a very cheap & not very far spreaded one, but it's working very great with OSx86 and has my absolute recommendation, for everyone who's looking for a good AM2-Snowboard.

This guide requieres an Snow Leopard 10.6.0 Retail DVD - go and buy one from your local Apple (re)seller.

My current configuration:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA
2GB DDR2-800
ATI Radeon HD 4650
BCM4318 PCI NIC
Mac OS X 10.6.3

lspci:

Quote:

00:00.0 RAM memory [0500]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller [10de:03ea] (rev a1)
00:01.0 ISA bridge [0601]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 LPC Bridge [10de:03e0] (rev a2)
00:01.1 SMBus [0c05]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 SMBus [10de:03eb] (rev a2)
00:01.2 RAM memory [0500]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller [10de:03f5] (rev a2)
00:02.0 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 USB Controller [10de:03f1] (rev a2)
00:02.1 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 USB Controller [10de:03f2] (rev a2)
00:04.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI bridge [10de:03f3] (rev a1)
00:05.0 Audio device [0403]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio [10de:03f0] (rev a2)
00:06.0 IDE interface [0101]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 IDE [10de:03ec] (rev a2)
00:07.0 Bridge [0680]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 Ethernet [10de:03ef] (rev a2)
00:08.0 IDE interface [0101]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 SATA Controller [10de:03f6] (rev a2)
00:09.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge [10de:03e8] (rev a2)
00:0b.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge [10de:03e9] (rev a2)
00:0c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge [10de:03e9] (rev a2)
01:08.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4318] (rev 02)
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc RV730 PRO [Radeon HD 4650] [1002:9498]
02:00.1 Audio device [0403]: ATI Technologies Inc R700 Audio Device [Radeon HD 4000 Series] [1002:aa38]

Before you start:

You need to apply a graphics card - there is no support for the onboard GFX - Using a compatible GeForce (see http://osx86.net/f7/list-of-nvidia-g...leopard-t4385/) won't cause you any problems using my package. ATI users might need to search for a solution by themself.
If you are using PATA device, make sure to have a proper Master / Slave configuration. Do not use Cable Select mode.
Apply the latest BIOS (v2.30).
Go to the BIOS and set it back to Optimized Defaults. Next go to "Advanced" - "ACPI Settings" and make the following settings:

"Suspend to RAM" to "AUTO"
"Repost Video on STR Resume" to "NO"
"Restore on AC/Powerloos" to "Power On" *
"ACPI HPET Table" to "Enabled"

Package content:

10.3.0 quoopz / nawcom Legacy Kernel
/Extra/com.apple.Boot.plist with GraphicsEnabler & HDEF EFI String
/Extra/Extensions: AppleNForceATA v1.0.4 (MeDevil / AnV - 32/64), fakesmc v2.0 & SleepEnabler
/System/Library/Extensions: nForceLAN, patched AppleHDA, AppleACPIPS2Nub & ApplePS2Controller
Marvin's AMD Utility + AserBLN 1.1.9 Bootloader

System Installation:
Grab this version of EmpireEFI http://www.mediafire.com/?m5wzzwyfg4m
Use it to boot the Retail DVD & to install your system.
Keep on using it to boot OS X for the first time & apply the 10.6.3 Combo Update.

Making the System working standalone:

Extract pack.dmg, mount it and copy all it's content directly to your Desktop.

Installation of the Bootloader:

Open the Disk-Utility let it display detailed informations about your Snow Leopard Partition and memorize the diskXsY value.
Open a Terminal Window and use the following syntax:

Code:

sudo -s
# Enter your Password
cd Desktop/Tools/Bootloader
fdisk -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdiskX
dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdiskXsY
cp boot /

Installation of the Kernel & the Extra folder:

Go to the Extra folder and addjust the following values in the smbios.plist file to match your configuration:

Code:

<key>SMexternalclock</key> 
<string>200</string>  
<key>SMmaximalclock</key>  
<string>2200</string>  
<key>SMmemspeed</key>  
<string>533</string>

(FSB, CPU- & memory freuenzy) - Just copy the Extra folder and "legacy_kernel" directly to the main folder of your Snow Leopard partition.

Adding SLE Kernel Extensions:

Go to /System/Library/Extensions and delete AppleHDA.kext
Grab the 4 SLE kexts from my package and drop them into /System/Library/Extensions folder by Finder (AppleACPIPS2Nub & ApplePS2Controller only if you need PS2 support - if you are using USB input devices, you won't need those)
Ignore upcoming error messages and open the Terminal again. Use the following Syntax to fix the file permissions & to delete the Kernel Extension Cache:

Code:

sudo -s
# Enter your Password
cd /System/Library/Extenions
chown -R root:wheel AppleHDA.kext
chmod -R 755 AppleHDA.kext
chown -R root:wheel AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext
[...]
rm -rf /System/Library/Chaches/com.apple.kext.chaches

Fixing CPUIDs:

Open Marvin's AMD Utility and create a "Patcher Package" for the /System/Library folder.
The Patcher Package will apear on your Desktop - copy patches folder to your Snow Leopard partition and reboot into Single User mode using -s bootflag.
Use "mount -uw /" to get write access on your partition, move to patches folder using "cd /patches", run the replace script to replace encrypted binaries with the decrypted ones using "./replace.sh" and patch CPUIDs using "./patcher -v ./cpuid.txt"
Allmost done.

If Sleep doesn't work yet, be sure to have the boxes present at Energy Saver Prefpane beeing enabled, if that doesn't help, open the Terminal again and enter:

Quote:

pmset -g | grep hibernatemode

It should return the value 0 (0 means Suspend to RAM, what we earlier have enabled in the BIOS settings) - if there is any other value likely 1 or 3 beeing set, correct it using:

Quote:

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0

DOWNLOAD

Enjoy!

* This will cause your computer to turn on automatically after power-loss, even if your PC wasn't powered at that time!
If you don't like it to be that way go ahead and install "LegacyAppleLPC.kext" by cVad to /S/L/E like descryped above. You will now get a fourth option at Energy Saver Prepane called "Restart automatically after power failure" enable that one, too.
Now you can disable the BIOS option without losing Sleep capability.

djdean1 · #2 06-07-2010, 04:47 AM

hi mate.. i have the same mobo and tried this method but it always hangs before i can install snow leopard.. says "still waiting for root device" and just doesn't move from there.. any ideas what would cause that

Imkantus · #3 06-08-2010, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djdean1

hi mate.. i have the same mobo and tried this method but it always hangs before i can install snow leopard.. says "still waiting for root device" and just doesn't move from there.. any ideas what would cause that

What kind of DVD drive are you using? IDE or SATA?
If you are using IDE & you are connecting two devices, be sure to set the device connected next to the Mainboard to be "Slave" and the outter one to be "Master" - having a wrong setup or using Cable Select mode caused my devices not to be identified by NForceATA driver in my case...

djdean1 · #4 06-08-2010, 09:47 PM

fixed it mate turned out to be the wrong disc.. 2 discs for amd. the legacy one worked best for me. but now i can't get the ethernet to work. had it working once then i restarted and got a double panic error. so i installed snow leopard again and can't get it working again.

Imkantus · #5 06-08-2010, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djdean1

but now i can't get the ethernet to work. had it working once then i restarted and got a double panic error. so i installed snow leopard again and can't get it working again.

Well the corresponding Kernel Extensions is nForceLAN.kext - be sure to have it placed in /System/Library/Extensions it won't work when it's beeing stored in /Extra/Extensions
Maybe try to boot using -f Flag once to rebuild the Kext Cache.

You can check if it has been loaded by using "kextstat | grep com.nvidia.driver.nForceLAN" on Terminal.

djdean1 · #6 06-09-2010, 02:56 AM

all working now. thanks for your help but i have another question tho. i have a geforce 8800gtx graphics card. is it impossible to get full use of it using mac os. as i would like to play games on the mac if possible. haven't seen any drivers or anything for mac tho

Imkantus · #7 06-09-2010, 02:11 PM

Are you using the "/Extra/com.apple.Boot.plist" from my Package?
Maybe the HDEF EFI String is in conflict with GraphicsEnabler - might be my fault as I am injecting my ATI Card via DSDT, and haven't tried it this way.

Try to remove

<key>device-properties</key>
<string>hex-data</string>

from /Extra/com.apple.Boot.plist and be sure to have

<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
<string>y</string>

Beeing added to the same file, afterwards your GeForce normaly should work.

If your Graphics will work afterwards, but you lost sound, just try to add HDAEnabler.kext by Kabyl.

nicko510 · #8 03-14-2011, 07:40 PM

Quote:

hi mate.. i have the same mobo and tried this method but it always hangs before i can install snow leopard.. says "still waiting for root device" and just doesn't move from there.. any ideas what would cause that

Hi, I have the same problem ... It's a IDE DVD drive, but it's alone. My 2 HDD are SATA.
I try all jumper position, all ide position, but nothing works ...

In this topic they suggest go to the bios, but I don't have the ATA/IDE Mode and Configure SATA as

Any idea ? Thanks.

Imkantus · #9 03-14-2011, 11:37 PM

Do you have same Mainboard / Chipset? The MCP61 Chipset doesn't have support for AHCI. You need to have AppleNForceATA.kext as chipset driver, are you sure it is getting loaded?

nicko510 · #10 03-15-2011, 11:59 AM

Yes I have the same motherboard.
But I don't have AppleNforceATA.kext. I have a original Snow leopard DVD. So I have to create a iso of my dvd, add AppleNforceATA.kext and burn it ?

Configuration :
AM2NF6G-VSTA (upgraded BIOS)
Athlon 64 3200+
2 Go Ram
Geforce 9400 GT
HDDs : HD161HJ / HD103UJ
DVD-ROM : LiteOn LTD-165H