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Post #1
A "Hackintosh" is any non-Apple computer that runs Apple's OS X operating system. This is advantageous to actually purchasing an Apple computer because it's cheaper and more customizable. Is this legal? To be honest, I have no idea. However, to avoid tempting any Apple lawyers that happen to also browse Facepunch, this is for educational purposes only. Yeah.
If you have the right hardware, it's pretty simple to install OS X on your computer. If you don't (like me), it can be extremely confusing and frustrating. I only reccomend attempting this if you have a lot of free time, and only if you really want to run OS X. I would also reccomend you have a strong understanding of computer hardware before you attempt this. In the end, as frustrating as it can be, I think it's worth it. It definitely saves you a lot of money, and using OS X is definitely a unique experience.
If you're planning on installing OS X on your current machine, keep in mind that there's a decent chance that OS X won't work entirely with it, especially if you have an AMD processor. However, anything is possible! If you're looking into purchasing a new computer just for OS X, or want to know if your current hardware will work with it, have a look at the OSx86 Wiki Hardware Compatibility List. In general, it's a good idea to stick to Intel processors, Gigabyte motherboards, and AMD/ATi video cards.
Once you're sure that OS X will work on your hardware, you're ready to install OS X. If you don't already have OS X Snow Leopard, you can purchase it here. It's only $30! Once you have the OS X Snow Leopard Installation DVD, you'll need a "boot CD" to install it on your system. You need this because non-Apple computers can't just boot up any OS X Installation DVD like you would do to install another OS. Common boot CD's include iBoot and Nawcom's ModCD.
Once you have OS X installed, you'll more than likely need to install kexts for your system. "Kext" is short for "kernel extension", and is the equivalent of a driver in Windows. You might need a kext for things like your video card, USB ports, audio, or even for system-critical parts like SATA controllers. You might even use a modified DSDT - a Differentiated System Description Table. In general, a modified DSDT can help you get your hardware working with OS X the same way kexts can. Kexts, however, are easier to find and use, and there's no need to modify your DSDT. However, if you can find a DSDT for your particular build, it's a quick way to get your system working perfectly in a short time.
There's a lot to getting OS X running, and I've only covered the basics. I'll try to include as many resources as possible about the creation and configuration of a Hackintosh. If you haven't tried this yet, and you feel capable, I'd absolutely reccommend it. It's a very interesting experience, and if you can get OS X working, it's a very nice change from Windows!
Resources:
The OSx86 Project - Probably the largest resource of information regarding making a Hackintosh.
OSx86 Project Installation Guides - A very large collection of various OS X installation guides for various hardware.
tonymacx86 Forum - A Hackintosh forum with a large and active community. However, they provide support for Intel processors only.
Kakewalk - An extremely easy way to install OS X, but only on their small list of supported hardware.
OSx86.net - Probably the largest source of downloads for your Hackintosh, including Kexts, boot CD's, and more.
UniBeast - The most successful method I know of for installing OS X on almost any Intel-based computer. I definitely recommend this!
Bonus:
This informative graph found on Google Image Search describes the experience pretty well.
Post your questions, experiences with a Hackintosh, or the specs of your current Hackintosh builds!
My build:
Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8
Cooler Master HAF 912
RAIDMAX 700W PSU
GIGABYTE GA-Z77-DS3H
Intel i7-3770
MSI Nvidia GTX 460 768MB
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1333
I have no idea how to make a megathread
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I almost got my netbook working ok, it was only missing the networking and graphics. I'm on the hunt for trying to fix both of these. I almost fixed the screen resolution by using Netbookinstaller. It showed the correct resolution when booting up but then had a kernel panic (however I had fucked around with some files beforehand.)
The graphics is a GMA 3150, the wireless adapter is an Atheros AR938x, but it'd be nice to just get it displaying in the correct resolution, since I can still connect to the internet through tethering my iPhone
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I know OS X is very picky when it comes to wireless adapters, but what you can do is look for a generic Atheros wireless kext, and then add your device ID to the info.plist file in the kext (kexts are literally just folders with the drivers inside - you can browse them). Here's a guide on doing that.
Your GMA 3150 is actually a variant of the GMA X3100, which you can find a kext for that might work here. Again, you might have to add your device ID to the kext's info.plist. Another thing you can try to get your graphics working is to add this line when you boot your system from the Chameleon bootloader. Simply type this:
Change that to your desired resolution, of course - it might work. Good luck!Code:"Graphics Mode"="1024x768x32"
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Does it matter what Optical drive and power supply you use? I'm not a 100 percent if my power supply is i3,i5, or 7i compatible. If it is I feel that power is power and should be fine.
Edited:
I just found my power supply is compatible with i7 processors. So thats something I don't need.
I am still not sure on the optical drive I have.
Its a SAMSUNG 22X Half-Height DVD Writer Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support.
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I'm pretty sure you'd be fine, I've never had any DVD-related problems with any hackintoshes.
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sweet thanks makes my build so much less
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Here's a project for my laptop this weekend
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I really want to hackintosh my laptop. It has an AMD CPU though and an HD 4250 as an onboard video card. As far as I know I can't do much with that combo :(
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You'd only be able to try iPC which supports some AMD processors but only runs OSX 10.5
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I've had good luck using Nawcom's ModCD 0.3.2 with my AMD build. I copied the kernel from the CD to the root of my install and it booted fine. It's the only kernel that has worked for me, and I've tried quite a few. When you're running AMD, your main concern is the kernel. I've never tried any modded OS X install discs - I just used the retail Snow Leopard install DVD and Nawcom's ModCD.
Edited:
DVD support generally depends on your chipset. Many users who have nForce chipsets on their motherboards have reported that their DVD drives randomly seek as if there were a disc in them, when there isn't. Mine did this until I found a new AppleNForceATA.kext on osx86.net.
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I picked up a free copy of Snow Leopard because I've got an old MobileMe account, so I might have to do this when I get my PC set back up next week.
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Good post, OP. May come back to this as more people contribute. I tried this out years ago, unfortunately my system, the distributions available at the time, and the then-latest edition of OS X played nicely only up until graphics drivers. :(
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Posting from a Hackintosh!
I've been using this install since February last year and it's been very stable
Edited:
One word of warning: If you decide to start using Hackintosh, don't be surprised if you end up converting to a real macfag (like I did!)
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I really like my Hackintosh but one thing that grinds my gears is the godawful mouse acceleration. Apple doesn't let you disable it!
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I just turned up the mouse acceleration and I got used to the different acceleration curves. I quite like it now
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This was one thing that really bothered me, and I spent days trying to figure it out. I happen to have a Razer mouse, and if you install the drivers for it on OS X, the mouse acceleration is removed. As far as I know, there is no other way to do this. I absolutely cannot stand mouse acceleration and I know how frustrating it is, and I wish I knew how to globally disable it.
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disable mouse acceleration?
then your mouse wouldn't move
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Mouse acceleration is hard to explain, but it essentially gives your cursor momentum. The faster you move your physical mouse, the more speed the cursor is moved with. This leads to inconsistent mouse movement. When you move your mouse from point A to point B, you'd expect it to move the same exact distance each time. However, with mouse acceleration, that distance will depend on the speed with which you move the mouse. This can be a huge annoyance for some.
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well no, the mouse reports the movement delta to the computer, and it's up to the OS what it does with that information.
The reason people dislike Mac OS X's mouse acceleration curves is because it's different to Windows' and they're not used to it. One isn't necessarily better than the other - they just different.
Edited:
if this was true, you'd have to move your mouse across the mousepad like 10 times to get the cursor from one side of the screen to the other
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If anyone can search long and hard for a solution to get an AMD (XFX) 6770 card working with snow leopard or lion please let me know, at the moment no solutions other than flashing the graphics card exists, which I don't wanna do. Will hackintosh drivers for the 6770 ever exist?
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I just meant I prefer static movement with no acceleration, but not necessarily to scale. To get from the left side of my screen to the right side, I always have to move my mouse about 6 inches.
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that's problematic when you're trying to move the mouse small distances
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I can see acceleration being helpful there, if you're used to it. I just use a low sensitivity and I feel comfortable with it. Everybody's different, though.
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oh and you guys should reupload the pictures from imagur to another site seeing that its blocked for now
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Oh wow. Will do.
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turns out I have a Gigabyte mobo, i5-2500k and AMD video card
I'm gonna try hackintoshing because why not
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Turns out my coworker has a Kakewalk USB
I'll borrow that if I can't get Snow Leopard onto my USB (I have a retail DVD and doing the eject->swap in iBoot causes a KP)
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Do you have a gigabyte motherboard that's on the list on the kakewalk website?
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Z68X-UD3H-B3
have a HD 6850 as well.
I would like to try without the Kakewalk first. I enjoy a bit of a challenge
Edited:
Oops I uploaded a 4gb DVD for 8GB of data with a torrent
It was iAtkos, since my retail DVD is like "nah not installing on this"
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Is it possible to do this with a MA770T-UD3P, a Phenom II X4 955 and a HD6870?
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I believe so. AMD CPUs are a tad tricky, but doable.
In other news, got iAtkos installed. Instantly reboots once Chameleon boots the OS. So... nice.
I'm not wasting bandwidth on any more .Isos to burn, so I'm trying for that Kakewalk from my coworker.
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Cool, how should I start?
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Start off by locating a DVD that supports your processor. I believe, though I'm not sure, that iDeneb supports AMD processors. Be prepared for plenty of bootflag fuckery to get the installer to actually run.
This guy seems to have been successful, take a look at his stuff.
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/ind...owtopic=183466
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Just a quick update check, Sapphire 6770 Cards are fully supported on Mountain Lion! Dunno about XFX though, just got my fingers crossed the brand doesn't make a difference.
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suddenly my Kakewalk bootloader decided to work.
So, now I have
>Working OSX (all kexts included)
>Working Kakewalk USB
>Working Bootloader
Fuck yeah. OS X is pretty cool.
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-snippeedoo never mind-
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Well shit can I use an USB drive to install? I don't have a DVD
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I want to hackintosh my HP 6730S
Where do i start?
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As long as your motherboard has a boot from USB function, yes.Well shit can I use an USB drive to install? I don't have a DVD
An 8GB USB drive is enough.
Edited:
I would recommend iATKOS L1.
Download an iATKOS L1 DVD (your favorite torrent site has it) and burn it, it should have a bootloader on the ISO so it's basically an easy DVD install.
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Cool, thanks
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![[EG] Pepper's Avatar](image.php?s=85858b8aec147d3e68a32574d18feee8&u=236138&dateline=1305757841 "[EG] Pepper's Avatar")