Hackintosh 10.5.5 Retail Rig - Starting at $305

[TheStu]

I remember trying Paragon back in the day (probably right around the time that Leopard came out) and it did not work at all. MacFUSE was not much better but worked enough.

Since then MacFUSE has been updated, but you are right there is a definite speed hit that I can notice.

Depending on what version of Paragon is current I can get 6.5 on amazon for $12, so I may go that route.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I remember trying Paragon back in the day (probably right around the time that Leopard came out) and it did not work at all. MacFUSE was not much better but worked enough.

Since then MacFUSE has been updated, but you are right there is a definite speed hit that I can notice.

Depending on what version of Paragon is current I can get 6.5 on amazon for $12, so I may go that route.

I use Paragon, and it's fabulous! The new version of MacFUSE works pretty well, although I haven't done any speed tests.

 

[mohkahn]

GA-EP35-DS3L: 10.5.7 update went smooth straight from apple. Sound and Lan working, no tinkering was needed. Have not done extensive checking / testing yet.

By the way Kaido, the final kit will be ready soon to download? cos the recent package i got was a little weired. It has a dropBurn.app. Is that the new BootCD?
and rest of the progs are gone like Uiinstalle? etc? Sorry just being lazy I know I should read the full guide first and you might have it explained everything over there?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mohkahn
GA-EP35-DS3L: 10.5.7 update went smooth straight from apple. Sound and Lan working, no tinkering was needed. Have not done extensive checking / testing yet.

By the way Kaido, the final kit will be ready soon to download? cos the recent package i got was a little weired. It has a dropBurn.app. Is that the new BootCD?
and rest of the progs are gone like Uiinstalle? etc? Sorry just being lazy I know I should read the full guide first and you might have it explained everything over there?

DropBurn is for burning ISO files. I renamed the BootCD to "Magic Boot Disc" because people were getting confused. Uinstaller etc. are all on the Magic Boot Disc now for convenience. I'll have the Wiki & new thread up later this week 🙂

 

[mohkahn]

Kool, thanks mate.. though I didn't find the Magic Boot Disc's image on the kit that I downloaded from your wiki site. Don't need it for now, as so far it's been smooth sailing.. Only you guys made it possible. As always can't thank you enough. On the side note. damn that ideapad netbook is so sexy..

@thepieces: thanks for the paragon tip. I have had my fingers burnt once with macfuse.. so won't be touching it anytime soon..

@mosslack: Yo, Cheap ol guy 🙂 spend yourself some money and get GT6600, it's almost the same price as those 7300 and 8400 cards. it's working like a dream on my hack.. my 8400gs is on a Ubuntu machine now as my applehack system was starting to give more and more problem to this card on 10.5.5. but just reading kaido's latest solution and seems you might not have to spend any money after all... Well you can send me those savings for xmas, by then 9800gt might be a lot cheaper. 😉 though would love to get my hands on gt250, but that would mean will also have to buy new case.. damn.... 🙁 The never ending story of Hackintoshers continues......

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mohkahn
Kool, thanks mate.. though I didn't find the Magic Boot Disc's image on the kit that I downloaded from your wiki site. Don't need it for now, as so far it's been smooth sailing.. Only you guys made it possible. As always can't thank you enough.

Did you get this one?

http://leopardsoup.pbworks.com/ds3l_v10

I just downloaded it to verify, it's right in the main folder - "MagicBootDisc_DS3L.iso".

 

[Kaido]

Cool site for Kexts:

http://www.kexts.com/

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Cool site for Kexts:

http://www.kexts.com/

Yeah I found that some time ago, but they never had the ones I needed. Perhaps it has gotten better since then.

@mohkahn: Yeah I should spend a little money and get a better card, but I already have an EVGA 8400 GS coming and I want to test it first. Should be here tomorrow, I already have the side off my UD3P case ready to test it! Glad to see your rig is working good! :thumbsup:

 

[mosslack]

Okay, I've asked this question on several other forums with no response, so might as well let it rip here also as there are some knowledgeable people here. I have this Compaq DL320 Proliant P4 Xeon 2.6 Ghz rack server ordered and it will be here 5/29. Has anyone ever attempted to run OS X on something like this? My present file server is a G4 DA with a 1.6 Ghz upgrade CPU in it. It is very flaky and I need to replace it, hence the DL320. Originally I had planned to run a Linux distro on it, but I would much rather use OS X as this would make the transition a breeze. My server drives are 1 Tb SATA units and I already found a Syba PCI-X SATAII controller card that will work with either OS. I have Kalyway 10.5.0, 10.5.2, iAtKOS and iDeneb distros and was wondering if one of these might work or should I try to find another? Any comments or suggestions will be most welcome, and sorry for the completely OT question. If you would rather respond to me personally my email is hackintosh@embarqmail.com

 

[Zaap]

Hey Mosslack, it certainly can't hurt to give it a shot. First I'd try the distros you have, and failing that, try the latest iPC or iDeneb on it.

I build a ton of computers for clients, friends, family, etc. and whenever I'm not up against a hard deadline for delivery, I always try 'Hackintoshing' odd hardware just to see what happens, and its surprising how often it works. Not long ago, I had a dual Xeon 771 SuperMicro server installed and working amazingly well with 10.5.5; it was probably a match for the real dual 771 Xeon MacPro had it been mine to really mess with. Of course right after Hackintoshing it, I had to nuke the install and put Windows Server on it for the client. It's odd- I've seen hardware that seemed perfect on paper completely fail, but then weird oddball hardware that I thought "not a chance" works fine. Heck, my first Hackintosh was a really oddball socket 939 AMD running OSX 10.5.2. It still amazes me how well that system worked for such odd 'Mac' hardware.

As long as the drive controller is supported, OSX will run on just about anything. The problem as I'm sure you know, is all the system components. You might find that OSX runs great on that hardware, but then something like the LAN won't work. That'd be a real deal killer for a server unless you can use a PCI card- not always easy if it's a slim height chassis. Find out what the board components are and if there are known kexts for them.

Also- how well does the non server version of OSX work as a server? Is your G4 flakiness recent, just a software thing, or has it never worked all that great as a server? If Hackintoshing the new server doesn't work, I'd highly recommend clarkconnect linux. I've got a NAS box running that that's been going strong for years, serving up files to both Macs and PC without fail, with nearly zero downtime.

 

[metzler555]

Anyone get a bug where the computer doesn't shut down? The OS seems to shut down and my monitor stops getting signal but my fans continue to spin and the motherboard keeps going. Any ideas?

Edit: I have noticed that sometimes it shuts down other times it doesn't... Should I just fresh install? THis is a brand new system.

q6600, 8gb ram, ud3p

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: metzler555
Anyone get a bug where the computer doesn't shut down? The OS seems to shut down and my monitor stops getting signal but my fans continue to spin and the motherboard keeps going. Any ideas?

Edit: I have noticed that sometimes it shuts down other times it doesn't... Should I just fresh install? THis is a brand new system.

q6600, 8gb ram, ud3p

Nope, mine shuts down perfectly every time. Two questions:

1. What BIOS version do you have?

2. Which package are you using?

 

[metzler555]

bios f8 and 10.5.6

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: Zaap
<SNIP>
PC without fail, with nearly zero downtime.

Thanks for the reply Zaap, that's pretty much my plan, will try what I have first and then try to find another distro that might work. I actually bought an older dual PIII server first, cause it was cheap and I have it now, but unless I want to invest in some SCSI drives there isn't much I can do with it. If I can't get the one that is coming tomorrow to work I may just buy one of those 4U rack cases that will allow a standard ATX board and build my own.

Actually the DA is running on good ol' 10.4.11 at the moment. Thought about investing in a server version but it works so well this way I saw no reason. I originally bought 2 DA 533 Mhz systems, one for the file server and the other for my own personal computer. (Then the Hackintosh revolution hit!) I had a perfectly good running 533 Mhz file server and then someone needed it for a project they were working on and I donated it to them. Left with the one that I upgraded to the 1.6 Ghz, I thought I could just switch everything over and it would work, but the 1.6 KP's if I leave it on all the time. Saw these deals for rack servers and I was hooked on that idea. I'm sure I could remove the upgraded CPU and the 533 would be fine, but now I'm already off in a different direction. :shocked:

 

[Zaap]

Originally posted by: mosslack
If I can't get the one that is coming tomorrow to work I may just buy one of those 4U rack cases that will allow a standard ATX board and build my own.

If you go that route, I must recommend the ARK 4U 500 cases from newegg. I love these- they're sturdy, way better looking than many more expensive cases, sturdy as a tank, roomy (you can cram like 10 hard drives in these things), quiet, cool, and cheap. Nothing but plusses. I'm eventually going to rackmount my entire AV cabinet of HTPCs and servers using these.

I used the longer eATX version of this for a dual 771 system I built, but discovered to my dismay that it didn't have mount screw holes for the dual-socket CPUs- I had to drill 4 holes myself through a metal plate and mount the 2nd CPU using case risers! Worked beautifully though.

Some pics of it:
4TB RAID

Front closed

Front open

Rack Mounted for the client with a NewTek VT 5, controller, plus power and patchbay The cost of this system as a turnkey directly from NewTek would be *hold on to your hat* $22k. From me, for my client? Less than $6k 😀

Saw these deals for rack servers and I was hooked on that idea. I'm sure I could remove the upgraded CPU and the 533 would be fine, but now I'm already off in a different direction. :shocked:

Just curious: geeks.com? I notice they have a bunch of super-cheap Xeon servers in the $200-$500 range.

 

[HappyJack96]

@mosslack:
Another shout out for the Power Mac G4 DA! Still wish I'd kept mine.
Maxed out with 1.5GB of RAM, plus a FirmTek SeriTek/1S2 PCI card for 320GB SATA drive.
Even with stock 533MHz processor it was a NICE machine!

Just had to go and get a G5 😀

Russell

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: Zaap

Originally posted by: mosslack
If I can't get the one that is coming tomorrow to work I may just buy one of those 4U rack cases that will allow a standard ATX board and build my own.

If you go that route, I must recommend the ARK 4U 500 cases from newegg. I love these- they're sturdy, way better looking than many more expensive cases, sturdy as a tank, roomy (you can cram like 10 hard drives in these things), quiet, cool, and cheap. Nothing but plusses. I'm eventually going to rackmount my entire AV cabinet of HTPCs and servers using these.

I used the longer eATX version of this for a dual 771 system I built, but discovered to my dismay that it didn't have mount screw holes for the dual-socket CPUs- I had to drill 4 holes myself through a metal plate and mount the 2nd CPU using case risers! Worked beautifully though.

Some pics of it:
4TB RAID

Front closed

Front open

Rack Mounted for the client with a NewTek VT 5, controller, plus power and patchbay The cost of this system as a turnkey directly from NewTek would be *hold on to your hat* $22k. From me, for my client? Less than $6k 😀

Saw these deals for rack servers and I was hooked on that idea. I'm sure I could remove the upgraded CPU and the 533 would be fine, but now I'm already off in a different direction. :shocked:

Just curious: geeks.com? I notice they have a bunch of super-cheap Xeon servers in the $200-$500 range.

First off, awesome system, very professional looking too. Have not checked prices on NewEgg, but I can get the same case shipped to me off Ebay for about $75, which is my plan if the HP Proliant DL320 P4 Xeon 2.6 Ghz server I bought off Surplus computers doesn't work out. I also have a dual PIII Compaq Proliant DL360 and a local friend has one also. He has his up and running but I don't have any SCSI drives to use with mine yet. We got the DL360's at weirdstuff.com as they were only $39.95. Something to play with, you know the drill.

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: HappyJack96
@mosslack:
Another shout out for the Power Mac G4 DA! Still wish I'd kept mine.
Maxed out with 1.5GB of RAM, plus a FirmTek SeriTek/1S2 PCI card for 320GB SATA drive.
Even with stock 533MHz processor it was a NICE machine!

Just had to go and get a G5 😀

Russell

Yeah the DA is an excellent machine. I chose it for the server because of it's faster bus speed and gig-E. I wish I would have left my original alone and gave up the other one. The 1.6 Ghz upgrade was not worth it. I also have a dual 867 MDD, but I really like the DA better.

 

[metzler555]

Originally posted by: metzler555
bios f8 and 10.5.6

I found out this was caused by my over clock issues. I have found I can't OC my q6600 past 2.88, so matter what voltage. The MOBO just doesn't like it I guess? The other problem I was having is that when I hard shut off my power supply then turned it back on the UD3P would start then shut down then start again and post. Very weird, but if I dropped my OC down to 2.88 everything is fine. Looks like I just got an OKAY chip, bummer. It shuts down flawlessly if I drop the clock back down. It shuts down about 5/10 times if I up it back to 3.2. I am thinking something is wrong with my mobo bios settings?

 

[mosslack]

It's a no go with the EVGA 8400 gs as well on my UD3P, so hopefully the 7200 gs will work okay. I'll find out tomorrow evening after work. I need to find a way around this work thing, it keeps getting in the way of my fun time! 😀

 

[volcs0]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: volcs0
OK. Thanks for your insight. I've done extensive reading about this (though perhaps I should have done that pre-purchase). The SiL 3132 drivers only work with 10.5.1 and below (grrr is right). I don't' really want to downgrade. So, I will either buy the Firmtek Seritek/2SE2-E PCI Express (PCIe) Serial ATA Adapter link, which is supposed to work, or I will hook it to my PC, which I know will work.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious with my motherboard, and it does not appear that I am.

Thanks again.

Ooh, nice card! If you pick one up, let us know how it works! 😀

Am happy to report that this works like a charm!

Installed the driver, shutdown, installed the card, rebooted and voila - all four drives sitting there on the desktop (non-spanning JBOD). And fast as hell.

This is terrific.

Just to reiterate, I'm using the Sans Digital TowerRaid TR4M Link
but the included SiL-3132-based SATA card does not work with > 10.5.1.

I purchased the Seritek card mentioned above from Macsales, and it works flawlessly so far.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: volcs0
Am happy to report that this works like a charm!

Installed the driver, shutdown, installed the card, rebooted and voila - all four drives sitting there on the desktop (non-spanning JBOD). And fast as hell.

This is terrific.

Just to reiterate, I'm using the Sans Digital TowerRaid TR4M Link
but the included SiL-3132-based SATA card does not work with > 10.5.1.

I purchased the Seritek card mentioned above from Macsales, and it works flawlessly so far.

Great, added to the Wiki, thanks!

http://leopardsoup.pbworks.com/peripherals

Does the SiL software let you do RAID 5 on a Mac perchance?

 

[volcs0]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: volcs0
Am happy to report that this works like a charm!

Installed the driver, shutdown, installed the card, rebooted and voila - all four drives sitting there on the desktop (non-spanning JBOD). And fast as hell.

This is terrific.

Just to reiterate, I'm using the Sans Digital TowerRaid TR4M Link
but the included SiL-3132-based SATA card does not work with > 10.5.1.

I purchased the Seritek card mentioned above from Macsales, and it works flawlessly so far.

Great, added to the Wiki, thanks!

http://leopardsoup.pbworks.com/peripherals

Does the SiL software let you do RAID 5 on a Mac perchance?

Can't find that info. Here is the product page: link
But no mention of the possible RAID configurations.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Zaap

Originally posted by: mosslack
If I can't get the one that is coming tomorrow to work I may just buy one of those 4U rack cases that will allow a standard ATX board and build my own.

If you go that route, I must recommend the ARK 4U 500 cases from newegg. I love these- they're sturdy, way better looking than many more expensive cases, sturdy as a tank, roomy (you can cram like 10 hard drives in these things), quiet, cool, and cheap. Nothing but plusses. I'm eventually going to rackmount my entire AV cabinet of HTPCs and servers using these.

Do you have any thoughts on the Norco RPC-470? I've been reading a lot of good things about it and it has more internal storage than the ARK for only $5 more. I'm building myself a new desk and have decided to use a rackmount case to transfer my Hackintosh into, as well as a rackmount UPS. Nice and clean 😀

Also do you have any recommended rack hardware? I only know what I've researched online - my list is basically as follows:

-4U Rackmount case for the computer
-Rackmount UPS
-Rack posts, cut to fit my desk cage
-Sliding rails for the equipment
-Square cage nuts, for easy access to the rackmount equipment

Anything I'm missing?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: metzler555

Originally posted by: metzler555
bios f8 and 10.5.6

I found out this was caused by my over clock issues. I have found I can't OC my q6600 past 2.88, so matter what voltage. The MOBO just doesn't like it I guess? The other problem I was having is that when I hard shut off my power supply then turned it back on the UD3P would start then shut down then start again and post. Very weird, but if I dropped my OC down to 2.88 everything is fine. Looks like I just got an OKAY chip, bummer. It shuts down flawlessly if I drop the clock back down. It shuts down about 5/10 times if I up it back to 3.2. I am thinking something is wrong with my mobo bios settings?

For overclocking that high, you should really do some hardcore testing with stability-testing software. Mac has some tools, but Windows really has the best array for stability testing (although more and more are getting ported to OS X). Overclocking is like gambling...you never know what the results will be, you may get a stud or you may get a dud. I've had chips that have borked 200mhz over stock speeds, and others that can go nearly halfway past their original rating.