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ericfulmer
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EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:49 pm

How serious do you guys think the compatibility limits are for these devices? Their website has very specific model numbers for motherboards, but would any board with an identical or related chipset (G41 vs G43) work?

Just asking because I am contemplating scavenging my old C2D PC parts and rigging them in the better half's old G4 case...
-Eric

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derFunkenstein
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:19 pm

No GMA 4500 drivers for a G41 or G43 board, but if you stick to Gigabyte it should otherwise be OK - they're popular for Hackintoshes because they have Realtek audio/LAN and the BIOS doesn't try to play any "compatibility" games with the AHCI functionality of the ICH9.
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ericfulmer
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:32 pm

I have an old 8800GTS sitting around that I am planning to use, so I assume the GMA4500 will remain unused. Is it reasonable to assume that only Intel chipsets are compatible?
-Eric



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derFunkenstein
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:13 pm

Yes, I believe that's a reasonable assumption - the only chipsets that can boot a "vanilla" install with whatever drivers are included on the EFIx dongle are Intel chipsets. NOthing from AMD or nVidia can boot OS X without some serious modifications that would come with a modified install disc.
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ericfulmer
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:17 pm

Thanks for the info!
-Eric



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Kurotetsu
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:45 pm

EFI-X looks very interesting. I was reading through their website though and I saw this on the F.A.Q. page:

Q: Can multiple Operating Systems be installed on EFI-X™?
A: Of course! You may use any popular Operating system including Linux, Windows Vista™, or Windows XP™ (FAT32) or Apple® Mac OSX™ The EFI-X™ Interactive Boot Selector allows you to seamlessly switch between your Operating Systems.

From what I understand, EFI-X just emulates EFI correct? You don't literally install anything on the device right?
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ericfulmer
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:16 pm

That's what I gather, that it emulates the EFI so no modification of code to install and configure. Technically a violation of the EULA because the hardware isn't labeled with fruit, but my plan is to build the system inside an old box labeled with fruit...
-Eric



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Kurotetsu
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:52 pm

ericfulmer wrote:
That's what I gather, that it emulates the EFI so no modification of code to install and configure. Technically a violation of the EULA because the hardware isn't labeled with fruit, but my plan is to build the system inside an old box labeled with fruit...


Hmhm, I have a spare EP35-DS3R and, once I upgrade my CPU this winter, a spare Core 2 Duo. I may use this to try and build a Hackintosh, just for kicks. Any idea how much it costs? I can't find a price list.

EDIT:

Nevermind, found it on ExpressHD.
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derFunkenstein
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:05 am

If you don't want to spend the money on a dongle, there's also apparently a new bit of software available. I think it's a fancy boot132 CD that's been updated to work with Snow Leopard. It also apparently has some sort of DSDT.aml patcher, as I doubt they'd sell it if it forced a reset your CMOS every time you rebooted the computer. :lol:

http://store.psystar.com/home/rebel-efi-preview.html

If I had Core 2 Duo hardware, I'd try it out...but I don't, so I won't.
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Scrotos
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:33 am

Actually, from what I read, EFI-x is just a USB flash drive with epoxy to hide that fact. Apparently they just rip off the osx86 project and resell it for an insanely great amount of money:

http://www.osnews.com/story/22198
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asem-e ... ,8617.html
http://www.macintouch.com/reviews/efix/

As the learned ones on Ars say from time to time, caveat emptor.
 
derFunkenstein
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:40 am

yeah, I'm definitely not a fan of the EFI-X stuff. Psystar has actually given back some open-source projects so I wouldn't mind giving money for Rebel-EFI. They make and distribute freely the OpenHaltRestart kext that smoothed out the ability to reboot/shut down without a kernel panic, and a handful of other kexts. Psystar is definitely the "good guys" here, as far as corporate OSx86 goes.
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Scrotos
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:41 am

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/ ... -to-be.ars

Psystar's $50 hackintosh tool not all it's cracked up to be

"Giving Psystar $50 buys you repackaged open source software but doesn't guarantee a fully-functional hackintosh. Rebel EFI appears to be just another attempt to profit from others' work."
 
derFunkenstein
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Re: EFI-X dongle Hardware Compatibility

Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:04 pm

Yeah, I came here to post the same link. I take it back - all of it. Psystar is not the good guys. Forget it. You're better off getting the myhack installer and prepping a USB flash drive if you want to run Snow Leopard, and put that $50 towards a nicer processor if you're making a new build.

this almost makes me want to download the eval and pirate a license key, just makes me mad. :evil: The only thing is, freely-available software does a better job. :lol:
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Twittering away the day at @TVsBen

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