[How To]: Installing OSX without access to a Mac

[r0m30]

So I think that my DVD is wrong.
I get it from a new MacBook. You can see it by the Attachment.

That looks like a system restore disk you get with a new Mac, you need a retail DVD like this
http://www.amazon.com/Mac-version-10-6-Snow-Leopard/dp/B001AMHWP8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1262202733&sr=1-1

I do not know how or if you can build a hack from a disk like that.  All of the retail install guides usually state that you need the retail disk not the restore disk.

[ewela]

Thanks for your answer.. and a happy new year

I´ve bought the Version you have Posted.
Now i can Mount the DVD.

When I Boot from the Harddisk the Cameleon Loader
I Enter rd=disk0s3 and the PC Boot from the DVD.

After some time the PC hangs. :-(

So i Think i must search für kext Files for my Asus p5Q Pro Board ?

Thank´s

[r0m30]

When I Boot from the Harddisk the Cameleon Loader
I Enter rd=disk0s3 and the PC Boot from the DVD.

After some time the PC hangs. :-(

So i Think i must search für kext Files for my Asus p5Q Pro Board ?

Happy New year to you as well.
I'm surprised that your DVD is disk0, disk0 is usually the first internal HDD, do you see/hear it reading the DVD?

Check that your BIOS has HDD mode set to AHCI, also try the -x option with the rd=disk?s3 to boot in safe mode.

If you google "Asus p5Q pro osx86 snow" there are several guides that should lead you to the correct kext combo for your board.

Good luck

[Gringo Vermelho]

Try booting with the CPUS=1 switch.

As far as I know, Asus P5Q series boards cannot boot OS X without a modified DSDT with the CPU aliases removed.

If CPUS=1 doesn't work, visit InsanelyMac and search for a patched P5Q Pro DSDT.aml that you can use with Chameleon. Or you can extract your own and remove the CPU aliases yourself. Google if you want to know more, there are tutorials out there.

There are modified BIOSes with the CPU aliases removed for just about the whole P5Q range available at Insanely too but I would only recommend flashing your motherboard with a modified BIOS as a last resort. It's a gamble, as you never know what else was modified. Decide for yourself if you trust a complete stranger or not.

[ewela]

Hy,
the rd=disk0s3 is correct, because during the boot from Harddisk
the PC mount´s the dvd and read´s something.

Then the PC switched into another Grafik Mode, it looks like a GUI
without entry´s. I only can see a Mouse Cursor, which I cannot move.

The PC hangs.

I´ve not patched the BIOS, I will test it with the patched  DSDT.aml. I am now
searching for it.
 Thanks

[gpnet]

Hi to all guys, Great work !.

I am a newbie, I stumble in this post accidentally , but it's just what I was looking for. I don't have a mac , just XP SP3, and I Want to try OSX for fun.  I Have an Acer aspire A0751H with no DVD , so I would like to install OSX using a USB Drive , specifically I Have an external 80GB HDD formatted HFS+ where I want to install the target OSX and a 8GB USB drive where I want to put  all the necessary stuff ( OSX Retail etcc..  ) to boot the installer.

I read about a PDF tutorial, But I didn't find  it , could me give the link to dounload it ? thanks.

Do you this I can do the work I would like  using an external USB HDD so that when I plug this drive I get OSX running  ?

Thank in advance for the help ?

^ r0m30's pdf is in the 1st post of this thread

[r0m30]

Hi to all guys, Great work !.

I am a newbie, I stumble in this post accidentally , but it's just what I was looking for. I don't have a mac , just XP SP3, and I Want to try OSX for fun.  I Have an Acer aspire A0751H with no DVD , so I would like to install OSX using a USB Drive , specifically I Have an external 80GB HDD formatted HFS+ where I want to install the target OSX and a 8GB USB drive where I want to put  all the necessary stuff ( OSX Retail etcc..  ) to boot the installer.

I read about a PDF tutorial, But I didn't find  it , could me give the link to dounload it ? thanks.

Do you this I can do the work I would like  using an external USB HDD so that when I plug this drive I get OSX running  ?

Thank in advance for the help ?

 

I tried to create a bootable USB installer using this method and while it booted and I got the language selection screen it would not run the install app, it told me to gently clean the DVD.....

I didn't mess with it a lot (it takes a long time to copy the DVD), but it won't be a certainty that this will work for your purposes. 

External USB DVD drives are less than $100, might save you a lot of pain.

Good luck

[gpnet]

Hi Guys, Thanks for replay.

I found the PDF thanks.

@r0m30 :  I read the whole guide. It is not a walking ! (form me ).  So my question is : Can you suggest me the right way to install the OSX on an External USB HDD so that when I plug in the external USB HDD I boot and Run the  OSX ?

State that I'll buy an external DVD device , do I follow this guide or what else ? I mean I don't want to clear or wipe anything on the current target but install on external USBHDD ?.

[r0m30]

@r0m30 :  I read the whole guide. It is not a walking ! (form me ).  So my question is : Can you suggest me the right way to install the OSX on an External USB HDD so that when I plug in the external USB HDD I boot and Run the  OSX ?

State that I'll buy an external DVD device , do I follow this guide or what else ? I mean I don't want to clear or wipe anything on the current target but install on external USBHDD ?.

Yes, you can use this guide to install to an external USB drive without wiping out your existing install, you just have to be careful that you point to the right drive whenever you partition, format or do anything that could destroy data.
 
If you buy the external DVD then you should be able to use this guide if your laptop will boot from external USB drives and you find the proper kexts to support your laptop.  I'd google your laptop model and "OSX86 snow" to see what issues you might run into before buying the USB DVD drive.

[JCSopko]

I went through the entire guide with no problems, however no matter what bios drive number i put in, it'll end up booting. This isn't necessarily a problem, I was just confused as to why it works no matter what I do, even if I don't stop the countdown bar by pressing a key and it countdown it'll automatically boot to the kernel panic. Is this normal out of curiosity?

[r0m30]

I went through the entire guide with no problems, however no matter what bios drive number i put in, it'll end up booting. This isn't necessarily a problem, I was just confused as to why it works no matter what I do, even if I don't stop the countdown bar by pressing a key and it countdown it'll automatically boot to the kernel panic. Is this normal out of curiosity?

I've never experienced it, so I'd say no it's not normal.  It sounds like your hard drives are not being recognized, do you have the proper kexts for your motherboard in /Extra/Extensions?

[JCSopko]

I don't believe so, I'm going to wipe my drive, reinstall Windows 7 and get full specs to get help. From memory I have a Toshiba Sattellite P300 laptop which specifies the motherboard as "Toshiba Satellite P300 Motherboard". I can't find a kext and have tried many system information applications to try and find out more about the Motherboard to maybe find anoter kext that'll work for it. Any suggestions? I've already googled and looked at several other forums, still no help. Thanks.

[r0m30]

The best suggestions I can give you on researching your hardware is to use lspci while booted from the pmagic disk.  You can use windows hardware manager and google the drivers to try and determine your mobo chipset and graphics card.

[kbear]

Hi r0m30,

I'm having trouble finding the correct rd=disk?s3. I've tried everything from disk0s3 through disk6s3, and Chameleon can't seem to find the DVD drive.

Is there a sure way to find out which number I must input? the BIOS does not assign a specific number to the drivers. It only lists them as IDE Channel 1 Master, IDE Channel 1 Slave, IDE Channel 2 Master, etc.

Is there a way to find the disk?s3 number through Windows or PartedMagic?

[r0m30]

Hi r0m30,
Is there a sure way to find out which number I must input? the BIOS does not assign a specific number to the drivers. It only lists them as IDE Channel 1 Master, IDE Channel 1 Slave, IDE Channel 2 Master, etc.

If there is I haven't figured it out 

I think it should be drive order (IDE1 Master, IDE1 Slave,IDE2 Master, IDE2 Slave or SATA port1...SATA portn) but it doesn't seems to be consistent across different motherboard configs and USB makes it even more interesting. If you're using an IDE board are you sure you have the correct kext (IOATAFamily), in my experience OSX is less IDE friendly.