As much as I’d wanted to be clear, it seems that my EFI guide fails to live to my (and others’) expectations.
I’ll be back with a new one EFI guide, hopefully this one’s less of a pain in the @$$ as the current one.
And while I do that, I think it’s time I cleared up my act and stick to a single site and stop confusing my own already befuddled brain.
My MacBook Mini
C. Tweaks and Stuff
Download >>TextWrangler and install it.
♥ Enable Sleep.
-While still on sudo inside Terminal:
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/DSDT
./update.sh
> This installs dspassmor’s dsdt.aml that enables sleep on the Mini.
♥ Cnfigure your UUID.
- Get your ethernet’s MAC address via System Profiler > Network (in Leopard). Cmd+C to copy the MAC address.
- In Finder, open /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts, right click UUID.kext > Show package contents. In the resulting window, in Contents folder, open info.plist with TextWrangler.
- In TextWrangler, locate “UUID-key” and replace the last set of numbers in the string below by pasting your MAC address over. Delete all the “:” colons. Save changes to info.plist.
- Go back to Terminal:
sudo -s (again and re-enter password if you hadn’t left it open)
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts
./update.sh
> This loads your newly edited UUID.kext onto EFI.
♥ Configure Boot plist
- Get your “Macintosh HD” partition’s Universal Unique Identifier via Disk Utility > right click “Macintosh HD” > Information. Cmd+C to copy the number.
- In Finder, go to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/Bootplist and open com.apple.Boot.plist with TextWrangler. Then create a new key after the “device-properties” in the file. Save the changes to com.apple.Boot.plist.
- Go back to Terminal:
sudo -s (again and re-enter password if you hadn’t left it open)
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/Bootplist
./update.sh
> This updates your com.apple.Boot.plist on your EFI partition.
♥ Trackpad (Default; ApplePS2Controller).
- Go to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/PrefPanes/Synaptics and “Synaptics Trackpad.prefPane” to /Library/PreferencePanes/
> This ensures that you get a Trackpad pref pane in System Preferences if you decided to stick with the default ApplePS2Controllers.
♥ Trackpad (VoodooPS2Controller).If you wanna switch to VoodooPS2Controllers, then
- Go to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/OtherKexts and copy VoodooPS2Controller and VoodooPS2Trackpad kexts to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts. Put ApplePS2Controller and AppleACPIPS2Nub kexts to into /SnowLeo_EFIboot/_disabled/ folder. Go back to Terminal:
sudo -s
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts
./update.sh
- Go to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/PrefPanes/VoodooPrefs and double click on VoodooPS2.prefPane to install it.
♥ Tweak VoodooHDA.
- Install by double-clickng VoodooHDA.prefPane in /SnowLeo_EFIboot/PrefPanes/VoodooPrefs
- Install by double-clicking voodoohdahelper in /SnowLeo_EFIboot/PrefPanes/VoodooPrefs/helper
♥ Transform your Mini into a MacBook Air.
sudo -s
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/MBAsmbiosplsit
./update.sh
♥ Install ClamshellDisplay.
- In Finder, go to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/ClamShellDisplay and copy ClamshellDisplay.kext to /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts.
sudo -s
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts
./update.sh
> This loads this kext to EFI to keep your 100% Vanilla setup.
- Or you can directly install it to /System/Library/Extensions. That’ll leave you with a 99.9% Vanilla install.
♥ Update to 10.6.1
- >> Download 10.6.1, install the updater and before restarting, go to Terminal:
sudo -s
cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts
./27ae.sh
> This re-patches the video drivers – only as a precautionary measure in case something happens after the point update; we just wanna be sure.
Now what?
You’ve got a working MacBook Mini with Snow Leopard. You’re also EFI booting so if you wanna make changes – swap kexts, etc – you don’t have to muck with the /System/Library/Extensions folder anymore, leaving you with a solid, stable system. All changes are made in the EFI partition.
Also the update scripts are very handy (again kudos to 18seven for making them). Should you wanna change a component in EFI, go and dump the new kext in the “HPMiniKexts” folder, moving any conflicting kexts in the “_disabled” folder within, and finally, in Terminal, cd /SnowLeo_EFIboot/HPMiniKexts and ./update.sh.
For the other components, it’s basically the same principle – copy/edit the component in the appropriate folder and then update in Terminal.
Ex. dsdt’s go to the “DSDT” folder, com.apple.Boot.plist goes to the “Biosplist” folder in the SnowLeo_EFIboot main.
And then if you’re quite up to it, get to the DSDT patching/hacking route. Make the jump to this link to read up on the topic.
It’s faster than Leopard.
It’s got new hot technologies like Grand Central and OpenCL.
It’s incorporating 64-bit experience right into the core.
In short, I want it. No, scratch that. I desire it.
But putting Leopard on x86 beige PC boxes and Atom netbooks hasn’t been without issues and lots of talented hackers reigning supreme in geekdom have invested time and sweat or even blood so that lower-tier geek wannabe’s like me can get a little taste of OS heaven. And now comes Snow Leopard.
Now why would someone whose only consumer electronic that comes from Apple is her 80 gig iPod classic and whose netbook is the only computer that could be classified as latest tech, dare to dream of an OS that’s clearly out of her league?
Dock Exposé.
Finder totally re-written in Cocoa.
Ability to scroll within a stacks grid.
Ability to browse through a pdf/document file and play media right in Finder’s icon view.
But most importantly; significantly reduced installation foot print.
That 6 GB of HDD space savings alone got me misty-eyed as I listened to Bertrand Serlet’s accented English (being a francophone, I’d rather he spoke in French) as he unveiled Snow Leopard’s finest points to the audience in this year’s WWDC.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that little bitsy promise by netkas : Snow Kitty Will Like It
