猴子

Hackintosh - Mac OS X update to 10.8.3

I waited a few weeks to update my Hackintosh from Mac OS X 10.8.2 to 10.8.3 in order to make sure any issues were dealt with by others. Instead of using Software Update from the App Store, I downloaded the Combo Update package from Apple. Using the Combo Update is the recommended way of updating Hackintoshes. However, there were quite a few reports of successful updates applied by using the App Store updater.

In any case, after applying the update, my Hackintosh would not boot. I basically had to go through the entire build process again. I actually "doubled up" because there is a new version of Unibeast for 10.8.3. So:

1. Remove graphics card
2. Use Unibeast 1.5.3 to reinstall Mountain Lion 10.8.2
3. Boot safe mode (-x) from HD using Unibeast, then re-download Mac OS X installer from App Store.
4. Download new Unibeast 1.7.0 from Tonymacx86, and create new USB Unibeast flash drive.
5. Boot from Unibeast 1.7.0 to reinstall Mountain Lion 10.8.3
6. Reboot from HD using Unibeast, and run Multibeast. At this point, I still couldn't boot from the HD without Unibeast.
7. Reboot from HD using Unibeast, and install Chimera 2.0.1
8. Reboot from HD without Unibeast. (Success, finally.)
9. Turn machine off, reinstall graphics card, and reboot a final time.

Holy smokes. That only took me a week to figure out, after going through many iterations. Well, at least I'm still saving 30% or more compared to a Mac Pro.

My Hackintosh

I guess I never posted a picture. The bunny is Frank Kozik’s Smorkin’ Labbit.

New gin. A review.

demands from drauh on 8tracks Radio.

Lombard Twins & Fernando Otero-SUBLEVADOS-Dance Scene by Martin & Facundo Lombard - 2009

My analog gear

My 35mm film cameras. The first is the all-mechanical Nikon FM2n, acquired from a professional photographer who had long stopped shooting film. I actually bought two bodies from her, but sold one on eBay. The other is a Canonet QL17 G-III rangefinder. (Also here.) This has a nice and fast 40mm f/1.7 lens.

Nikon FM2n

Canonet G-III QL17

My Polaroids (and one Minolta)

In addition to the Polaroid Models 240 and 350 pack-film cameras that I bought, I also acquired three other Polaroids. (Well, technically, two Polaroids and one Minolta.) They are all integral film cameras, i.e. there is no peel-away layer.

The first below is a Spectra QPS, then a Minolta Instant Pro which shot on Spectra film. Minolta licensed the technology to produce the camera, which featured more image controls than the original Spectras. Later, Polaroid would produce its own version called the Spectra Pro. Finally, the SLR 680, a descendant of the groundbreaking SX-70 (also see the Wikipedia article). The SLR 680 used a different type of film, which was not gel-based and thus was not amenable to manipulations after exposure. On the positive side, the film is faster, allowing for more flexibility in taking conditions.

Film is available from The Impossible Project.

Polaroid Spectra QPS

Minolta Instant Pro

Polaroid SLR 680

Power outage last night from the snow, Hackintosh can't boot up this morning. *sigh*

Hackintosh build experience

Hardware, following the recommendations in tonymacx86's Customac mini 2012 Deluxe build:

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77N-wifi
• CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K (over-clockable)
• GPU: EVGA GeForce GT 640, with 2GB RAM
• RAM: 2 x 8GB
• Case: BitFenix Prodigy (white)

I don't get a kickback, but I bought everything from Newegg. They have great service, and prompt delivery.

UEFI settings: Use the default set. Might want to make sure that the first graphics device to be activated is the on-board HD4000. Very important setting: Leave the "execute bit" setting alone, i.e. activated.

Procedure:

1. Use Unibeast and Mac OS X Lion (10.7) installer from the App Store
2. Do not use GPU card, just the on-board graphics
3. Hard drive plugged into SATA 3Gbps port on motherboard. The OS can hang if using the 6 Gbps ports.
4. Use Ethernet
5. Boot options -v PCIRootUID=0 GraphicsEnabler=No
6. Once Lion is installed and boots up, use Multibeast to put in these settings:
   1. UserDSDT or DSDT-Free installation (true for any UEFI board)
   2. Audio: Realtek ALCcxx - ALC892 (see Gigabyte link in hardware list above)
   3. Network: Lnx2Mac's Realtek driver
   4. Miscellaneous: FakeSMC (mandatory)
   5. Bootloader: Chimera (mandatory) -- this will be updated to a newer version later
7. Create a new admin user, and then run the Migration Assistant to restore data from a Time Machine backup

Reboot from the hard drive using the bootloader on the Unibeast USB drive. Boot options: -v GraphicsEnabler=Yes

Once it seems to be working, power down. Plug in the graphics card, and boot. Now, change the UEFI settings to turn on PEG instead (that's the graphics card). Save settings, and continue booting. I still used the Unibeast bootloader to do this. Boot from the hard drive. Boot settings: -v GraphicsEnabler=No

Once OS is running, open the App Store and buy the Mountain Lion upgrade. Cancel the installation, though. Create a new Unibeast USB drive with Mountain Lion, and repeat the above with rebooting and Multibeast.

Edit the boot settings file /Extra/org.chameleon.Boot.plist so that there is the following pair of lines (Multibeast should have done it, but it's good to check):

 

    <key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
    <string>No</string>

 

The graphics card needs to have that setting, otherwise it will boot to a blank grey screen. From now on, it should boot from the hard drive without needing the Unibeast USB drive.

If it does not boot from the hard drive directly, where it shows error messages like "boot0: GPT, boot0: test", follow the procedure here (Solution 1) to fix it. It involves booting to Unibeast, unmounting the hard drive, and then modifying the hard drive.

So far, one thing does not work, and that is playing iTunes-bought (or free) videos and trailers. These are "protected" videos. It doesn't work within iTunes, nor does it work opening the files with Quicktime Player. So, it seems to be something to do with the DRM.

I also updated the Chimera bootloader to version 2.0.1, availble at tonymacx86.

UPDATE:

The fix for the protected video problem is to run iTunes in 32-bit mode. Quit iTunes, and then right-click the iTunes app icon, and select "Get Info". In the info window, there is a checkbox for "Open in 32-bit mode". Check it on, and there you go.

I found also that my Time Machine backups stopped working. It would attempt to do a backup and then stall after a random amount had been saved. The fix is odd: delete the file /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist, and then reboot. Mine had contained old data, artifacts of several reinstallations of the OS. After the reboot, only the two actual Ethernet interfaces were listed. That, for reasons unknown to me, seemed to enable Time Machine to perform backups as expected.

UPDATE 2:

Updated the OS to 10.8.3 and documented the process.

Hackintosh - black rectangle

I've been trying to build my own Hackintosh, and it's almost functional. Still not stable: it may or may not boot. But one thing is consistent: this black rectangle around the mouse cursor.

UPDATE: It's an Accessibility setting. In the Accessibility control panel, go to the Zoom settings, and then click on the More Options… button. Uncheck "Show preview rectangle…".

Bandwidth usage

So, this is what happens when I catch up with 6 past seasons of Doctor Who on Netflix. I'm on Time Warner and it has been great.

Summer Reading

I did, after all, put all that Polaroid gear that I acquired to use this past summer. A friend graciously posed for me for this series on my favorite summer pastime: reading. Locations are mostly recognizable places in Winston-Salem, NC.

Fujifilm FP-100C negative reclamation

I have been doing a fair bit of shooting with my Polaroid Land Camera, on Fujifilm FP-100C color instant film, and also FP-3000B monochrome film. I just found out that one can, with a little bit of bleach and work, reclaim the negative. This post at New55 Film provides instructions. (Of note is that New55 are going to produce a 4x5 instant film that gives a good negative as well as a print.) Picture of a reclaimed negative from there.