10.6.3 Update for X61
 

I managed to get some time to update my OSX installation today. Here are the steps:

1. Download the OSX 10.6.3 Update and the new kext bundle attached.
2. Mount it and double-click the .pkg inside.
3. Run the installation as you would normally.
4. After it has finished don't click the restart button. Instead, open a terminal and type:
   
   Code:

   ---

   sudo mv /System/Library/Extensions/AppleHDA.kext /System/Library/Extensions/AppleHDA.kext.del
sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/SleepEnabler.kext

   ---

5. Copy the SleepEnabler.kext from the bundle, wait for OSX to finish updating the kext caches (you can see this happen if you watch All Messages in Console).
6. Reboot to 10.6.3 using the -f kernel switch in Chameleon (just to make sure :)).

Remember to backup your installation before doing this!

I've removed VoodooPS2.PrefPane from the attached bundle because it wasn't working. Also removed VoodooBattery.kext since it hasn't worked for a while (10.6.2 and 10.6.3). Updated VoodooHDA.kext to the 256 release from VoodooProjects and it uses AppleClip. It's WAY better than the one I was using before and now the microphone is working properly for Skype. Woohoo! Hope you all have success with this stuff.

Known Issues

• Adjusting display brightness using the keyboard does not work. The slider in Displays Preferences works though.
• SDHC card insertion locks up the system (untested since update to 10.6.3). No workaround yet.
• Sleep and radio disable switch result in bluetooth being unavailable in following boots. Boot to Linux or Windows to bring bluetooth chip back online. Might be fixable with a DSDT change.
• Display brightness is uneven when not at 95% or 100%. No workaround yet.

Wow, this is a great thread. I'd more or less given up on using my X61 for OSX, but following Sammy's instructions for 10.6.3, things are working pretty well. A few questions though:
1) Has anybody managed to get Atheros wireless working with K64? It doesn't seem to load for me.
2) Any suggestions for a battery meter that will work with VoodooPowerMini?
3) There's something a bit peculiar going on with the built-in LCD. Colors seem unusually purple. For a maybe 1/2 a second, the blue OS X background looks correct on booting, and then it turns purplish. Any ideas, or monitor profiles to work around this?

Thanks!

Battery Life
 

Hi,

This is a great instruction. I'm very tempted to install snow leopard on my x61 now.
Just wondering what kind of battery life are people getting?

Cheers,

Uneven Display
 

I use an EFI String combined with the AppleIntelX3100FB.kext vers. 1.5.18 and i have proper brightness control.

Links:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/ind...howtopic=87574

see attached files: X61_BrightnessPack.zip

By the way, i got Vanilla speedstepping working too, and many other fixes in my dsdt.

10.6.4 Update for X61
 

Eager to get your X61 laptop updated with Snow Leopard 10.6.4? This is for you! Here are the steps:

1. Download the OSX 10.6.4 Update and the new kext bundle (attached).
2. Mount it and double-click the .pkg inside.
3. Run the installation as you would normally.
4. After it has finished don't click the restart button. Instead, open a terminal and type:
   
   Code:

   ---

   sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/SleepEnabler.kext

   ---

5. Copy the SleepEnabler.kext from the bundle, wait for OSX to finish updating the kext caches (you can see this happen if you watch All Messages in Console).
6. Reboot to 10.6.4 using the -f kernel switch in Chameleon (just to make sure :)).

Remember to backup your installation before doing this!

This kext bundle has an updated DSDT that now allows the AppleHDA kext to stay in place and vanilla. Happy times. :)

Known issues:

• SDHC card insertion locks up the system (untested since 10.6.2). No workaround yet.
• Sleep and radio disable switch result in bluetooth being unavailable in subsequent boots. Boot to Linux or Windows to bring bluetooth chip back online. Might be fixable with a DSDT change.
• Display brightness is uneven when not at 95% or 100%. Only workaround is to install non-vanilla framebuffer kext as shown in previous post by @grandflash. More about the solution by @grandflash et al next.

Have fun with the update!
Notes about solution referenced and provided by @grandflash
I actually started my X61 OSX days using a hybrid mix of SnowOSX and the solution described by @grandflash. I read that @grandflash had done some amazing work on getting OSX running on non-Apple hardware so I was glad to find their solutions did work. Unfortunately, the solutions stop the install being Vanilla for the following reasons (there could be more):

• AppleHDA must be disabled. You can do this using the command shown in the 10.6.3 instructions earlier in this thread.
• AppleIntelX3100FB.kext must be replaced with an earlier version of it that has been patched.

Another thing to note about everything referenced by @grandflash. The DSDT is not for an X61 but instead for either an X61s or X61 Tablet. Also, I can't recall if some speedstep customizations are placed both in the DSDT and the LegacyX61*.kext or just in the legacy kext. Whatever the case, DO NOT use the Legacy X61*.kext from the post referenced by @grandflash if you have an X61 (without 's' or 'tablet') as speedstep customizations are hardware specific (CPU-specific to be precise). I have been building a legacy kext for my X61 (7676-3PM) but it has been slow going. I will definitely post it here when it's ready.

So by all means use the solution provided by @grandflash but be aware of the above notes. :)

You did a quick and amazing work, thanks man! :D

several problems
 

1. Sleep well, even with lid close. however it wakes up right away if bluetooth turned on, especially with HPET fix in DSDT.
2. My CPU clock speed is not recognized correctly, i have 2.2 Ghz C2D, but the system shows just 1.47Ghz. Wired!

Everything else works fine. I used Myhack for the installation. Please let me know if you know how to fix these problems.

Dear all,
I come back to my x61, so I now would like to install a fresh SnowLeo on it.
So Sammys, I saw your tuto but does it work for a fresh install?
What would you recommend me?
Thanks a lot
adrimaxi

Instructions in #22 should still work
 

@adrimaxi: The instructions in #22 are still correct for 10.6.4 as you have to start with 10.6.0 SnowOSX disc. I've been keeping them updated as we go. I haven't tried installing using a vanilla install disc yet because I haven't needed to. :)

If anyone does try using a vanilla disc with the kext bundle (and/or DSDT) I've provided I'd like to hear about it so I can try it myself and update the instructions.

@mightycrown: Not sure about bluetooth wakeup and my X61 is showing CPU clock speed lower than it is meant to be. System still works and I can Mac it up. :) It's a low priority for me to fix that. In my spare time, which there isn't much of right now, I've been working on speedstep. It's a little hit and miss because it is specific to the CPU. Hopefully I'll be able to get it working sometime soon so it can run on batteries more efficiently.