Running out of options

[fergo]

Hey everybody. I've posted a reply at the GFX String topic, but as I'm running out of options, I decided to create a thread to tell everything I've done so far to get my 9800GTX to work.

First, the specs:
Asus P5K Premium Wi-Fi/AP
XFX GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
2x2GB DDR2 800Mhz
Intel Core2Quad Q6600

I'm using Kalyway 10.5.2, installed with no customization. After the installation I started my looong (and not yet finished) journey to get the VGA to work.

The first thing I did was to use this "tweak"
aquamac.proboards106.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=528

The procedures I did:

• Delete any kext related to nVidia and GeForce inside the Extensions folder
  
• Copy the kext from aquamac and nvinject into the Extension folder
  
• The system shows three messages about kext not being correctly installed, so I ran "permissions.command", wait until the end, delete Extensions.mkext and reboot the system. During the boot I can see some messages about "display matching fails".
  

This procedure didn't worked.

The second thing I did was using the driver installer made by pcwiz:
forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=104282&hl=9800GTX

I removed the old GeForce and nVidia kext from Extension folder and then ran the installer. The installation goes OK and then I reboot my system. Now something interesting happens.

Until the 3rd or 4th reboot after the driver installation, the mouse freezes at the top-left corner of the screen (I can right click though). I don't know exactly what I did that released the mouse, but after that, I noticed that the "Dashboard" was running pretty fast (at that point I thought "yay, it worked") but, again, after some time or reboot (I can't remember), the system returned to the Software Rendering (and the OpenGL Tests were running at only 16fps).

At this point I was already extremely confused so it's quite hard to explain those things in here, because I don't remember exactly what happened.

The last thing I did was using GFX String:
aquamac.proboards106.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=509

I downloaded the 512MB template and changed the PciRoot() line to my own.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
<key>@0,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@0,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@0,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-A</string>
<key>@1,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@1,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@1,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-B</string>
<key>@2,#adress-cells</key>
<string>0x01000000</string>
<key>@2,#size-cells</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>@2,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,gpu-diode</string>
<key>@2,hwctrl-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,hwsensor-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,name</key>
<string>sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,reg</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>NVCAP</key>
<data>
BAAAAAAAAwAMAAAAAAAABwAAAAA=
</data>
<key>NVPM</key>
<data>
AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
</data>
<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>
<data>
AAAAIA==
</data>
<key>device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
<key>model</key>
<string>NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX DDL</string>
<key>name</key>
<string>NVDA,Parent</string>
<key>rom-revision</key>
<string>3172a</string>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>


Then I just saved the template as in.plist and ran gfxutil as described in the tutorial (generating an out.hex).


I've opened that file in the text editor, copied all its contents. Then I edited the com.apple.boot.plist, adding the "device-properties", the string and the option to boot at 1680x1050. After that I just deleted the old boot.plist with this new one and rebooted the system.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Kernel</key>
<string>mach_kernel</string>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string></string>
<key>Timeout</key>
<string>5</string>
<key>device-properties</key>
<string>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</string>
<key>Graphics Mode</key>
<string>1680x1050x32</string>
</dict>
</plist>

(the space in the string does not exists, seems to be just a little bug with the code tag). This method gives me "family specific matching fails" either.

Does anyone have a clue of what could be happening or have a detailed guide, step by step, about installing this driver? I enjoyed the system a lot, but it's impossible to use some softwares with the default drivers. Any suggestions of what to do and when to do are welcome, of course.

Thanks in advance and a nice weekend to everybody.
Sorry for my english too.

Regards,
Fergo

[aquamac]

Hi Fergo,

Right,

"Family specific matching fails" - don't worry about that, everyone gets it even when everything is working - OK.

Your gfx strings were working. Reinstall to get that correct info in system profiler. When you messed with 10.5.2, did you install the Apple graphics update for it. If not, you won't get CI or QE. Although you may have deleted all nv kexts, the graphics update also changes things like openGL.framework. Without the correct one of those you are hosed.

I suggest a fresh installation, then download the 10.5.2 graphics update from Apple downloads, then add the new com.apple.boot.plist. You should work but with white menus. Then swap my kexts in and the menus should be fine.

Try exactly as I say and report back.

[fergo]

First of all I want to thank you for everything you've done helping the community (and now, me), it's really nice from you.

Ok, I'll do a fresh install (I don't have anything important and OSX installation is pretty fast compared to Windows).
Just to check:

• Format and install MacOS X 10.5.2 again (without any additional kext)
  
• Download the graphics update from the link below and install:
  www.apple.com/support/downloads/leopardgraphicsupdate10.html
  
• Use the GFX String method as I described in this topic
  
• If I get white menus:
  
  • Download the NVinject and other kexts from this topic:
    aquamac.proboards106.com/index.cgi?board=hack1&action=display&thread=528
    
  • Delete the existing kext (if exists, I guess not)
    
  • Paste the downloaded kext in the extensions folder
    
  • Run the script to set permissions
    
  • Delete Extensions.kext and reboot
    
  
  

Is that right? Also, what is the best way to chck if the strings are working? In all my tests yesterday, I got the 1680x1050 resolution, but in the OpenGL Extension Viewer I always get "Apple Software Renderer". If the strings are working I should get something like "nVidia" in there?

Again, I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

Have a nice weekend,
Fergo

[aquamac]

Hi Fergo.

You do not want to install NVInject period! If it won't work with GFX strings, it is not going to work with NVInject.

Down to where you have written "If I get white menus" is fine. Forget the nvinject bit, then the rest of your details are in the right order too. I have got a 9800 GTX working on virtually identical motherboard and hardware to yours so it is going to work.

The only possible fly in the ointment is using Kalyway 10.5.2. I used Ritalin's adaptation of the 10.5 RETAIL disc. If this does not work, get a retail disc and make your own!!

Good Luck.

[fergo]

Oh, okay then. So when you said about swapping the kext with yours, it's just the aquamac.zip (http://rapidshare.com/files/106584355/aquamac.zip.html), not the NVinject. I guess that this is what I was doing wrong, as I was swapping the kexts including the NVinject.

Just for curiosity, the name of the VGA that you write inside in.plist makes some difference in the out.hex (<string>NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX DDL</string>)? I'm asking this because in the template there is a "DDL" at the end of the name, and I don't what that means.

I'm not home now, but I want to get there as soon as possible and try your tips. Thanks a lot again aquamac.

Fergo

[aquamac]

DDL = Dual Dual Link. Both DVI's are Dual Link DVI's.

In my initial post, I used NVInject, but it caused the same problem as yours for a few, no QE or CI. I will go back and edit the post.

[fergo]

I've got some progress. I did all the steps described and I got QE/CI. The problem is that I can't barely move a window because it's too laggy, almost frame by frame. Also, I can't run a bunch of applications. When I try to start one of them, the system displays that message asking if I want to Ignore/Retry. Any ideias about this issue?
I think I'm almost there, but I don't what is causing the whole lag (I can't open the "task manager" because MacOS displays the error described above).

One thing to mention:
After I did GFX Strings and rebooted, MacOS crashed when entering in the GUI (black screen). I entered in safe mode and replaced the kext from there and rebooted again. Now I can boot normally (despite my monitor showing some messages indicating "No Signal" when entering the GUI), but there's huge lag.

Regards,
Fergo

[aquamac]

Did you try putting in my kexts yet?

[fergo]

Yes I did. After I did the GFX Strings stuff and rebooted, the system crashed to a blackscreen before entering the GUI, so I restarted in safe mode and put your kexts in safemode, rebooted and then the system booted up correctly, but with that huge lag.
Any suggestion? I can't open the OpenGL Extension Viewer to make the test or to see if MacOS is still using "Apple Software Renderer" =/

Just to make sure: I don't have to change anything in the template.plist of the 512 MB card except that line that says PciRoot right?
I just grabbed this file (http://rapidshare.com/files/108522253/gfxutil_512_MB_9800_GTX.zip.html), extracted, used gfxutil to get the PciRoot stuff and modified the template.plist with my own PciRoot data. Then I saved as in.plist and did the rest of procedures.

Fergo