Clover Bootloader For El Capitan

| 07-03-2021
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Clover is an open source EFI bootloader. clover can do better job than Chameleon, especially on newer UEFI based systems. Using Clover is easy and straightforward. There are tons of documents about how to use clover on Gigabyte motherboards because Gigabyte motherboards usually have less compatibility issues with MAC OS X in the old day. However, with Clover and new OS X after Yosemite, Asus motherboard can also be turned into a perfect Hackintosh.

Hardwares used in this instruction:

Motherboard: Asus Z87-A motherboard (Get ASUS Z87-A motherboard from Amazon)
CPU: I7 4770K CPU or any LGA1150 CPU (Get LGA1150 CPU from Amazon)
Graphics Card: Integrated Graphics Processor (HD Graphics 4600)
Sound Card: Integrated Realtek ALC892

  1. Clover EFI Bootloader In this tutorial we will be creating the bootloader that will allow you to run the macOS installer that will also be created in this guide onto your to-be Hackintosh. This will be created using a flash drive that needs to be 8GB or larger in size so that it has enough space ton hold the Sierra or El Capitan installer files.
  2. I don’t think that the normal way of using the command-R is going to work because of the boot loader for hackintosh. If you’re using Clover, like me, then you can select to boot from the recovery partition on the Clover boot select screen.
  3. I'm on a hackintosh and I was wondering how exactly can I create a custom resolution? I understand el cap has some protection against that and I came across on a method for the real mac, but how to do it on a hackintosh exactly? I use clover bootloader. And what's the step afterwords, am I suposed to do it with Switchresx?
  4. Make sure the EFI/CLOVER/kexts folder is loaded. Once El Capitan is installed, install Clover on El Capitan drive. Install Nvidia web drivers. Remove boot flag nvdisable=1 from.

Overview for this instructions:

Keep Hackintosh and Keep Rambut Rontok!!! Tepatnya pada hari ini tanggal 16 Februari 2020 saya kembali membuat Image 'Installer OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 Build 15G31 + Clover Bootloader r5103' dan telah berhasil terupload ke Google Drive, image ini diperuntukan buat para Hackintosher yang tidak memiliki perangkat 'Mac Asli' sehingga mengalami kesulitan dalam membuat USB Installer Hackintosh. This is complete tutorial how to install OS X El Capitan on the Hackintosh Machine. All knowledge of this film can be used for MacOS Sierra installation. Clover EFI bootloader UEF v5.0 r5122. This version of clover is for UEFI systems only. For Mac OS X El Capitan Build Number 15G22010. 0.00 star(s) 0 ratings.

  1. Download the OS X Yosemite (or El Capitan‎) Application from the Mac App Store
  2. Prepare a UEFI Installer USB flash drive
  3. ASUS 87-A BIOS setup
  4. Install Clover into USB
  5. Modify Clover bootloader's configuration file
  6. Install OS X Yosemite
  7. Install the bootloader and drivers to system drive
  8. Install Sound card driver and fix wake up no sound issue

STEP 1: Download OS X Operating System

The full operating system is a FREE download for anyone who are using Mac OS X 10.6.8 or after. A full image can be download from the Mac App Store using your Apple ID.

  1. Open Mac App Store
  2. Search OS X
  3. Download OS X *** (in this demo we are using OS X Yosemite)

The Application Install OS X Yosemite will appear in /Applications.

STEP 2: Prepare a UEFI Installer USB flash drive. (this step will completely erases the USB)

  1. Insert the USB drive
  2. Open /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
  3. Select the USB derive in left column. (Click and highlight the name with Total Capacity)
  4. Click on the Partition tab
  5. Click Current and choose 1 Partition
  6. Click Options...
  7. Choose GUID Partition Table
  8. Under Name: type MAC (It will be renamed later)
  9. Under Format: choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
  10. Click Apply then Partition
  11. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and use the command below to create a native OS X installer media from the Install OS X Yosemite Application.
  12. The USB will be renamed Install OS X Yosemite upon completion.

STEP 3: BIOS setup

Should I patch the BIOS?

NO, you don't have to. Make sure Z87-A's BIOS is up to day. You can always download the latest version BIOS from ASUS's website. The latest version's BIOS already have the option to disable the CFG lock (MSR 0xE2) so you don't need to patch your BIOS.

If you don't have the latest BIOS, you can still use Clover's AsusAICPUPM patch. You can do that in STEP 4.

  1. Set CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to Disabled
  2. Set SATA Mode to AHCI Mode
  3. Other settings do not really matter. The system will boot just fine.

STEP 4: Install Clover into USB

Clover Bootloader For El Capitan

Clover Legacy Bootloader El Capitan

Download the latest version of Clover from Clover from Sourceforge
Open Clover package installer
Choose the USB Install OS X Yosemite

We are using UEFI boot we will install Clover to the EFI partition of the USB for UEFI booting only. Hit Customize and install Clover to the same USB with the following Custom Install settings:

STEP 5: Make Clover Fit your Machine

Open the mounted EFI partition, Navigate EFI/CLOVER/drivers64UEFI/ remove VBoxHfs-64.efi and add HFSPlus.efi (Apple's HFS driver. Required to boot OSX when creating USB stick using this guide.)

Navigate to /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.10/ and add FakeSMC.kext

Navigate to /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.10/ and add RealtekRTL8111.kext (Driver for Realtek 8111GR Gigabit LAN Controller)

Clover Bootloader For El Capitan

Navigate to /EFI/CLOVER/ and replace default config.plist with plist for ASUS Z87-A config.plist

The configuration file will tell Clover how to run on your machine. You can enable various features and apply patches that the developers have built into Clover.

The configurations are going to be vastly different depending upon what components you have.

The full explanation of config.plist parameters can be found here.

STEP 6: Install OS X

Reboot your PC and select boot from your newly created USB

When Clover boot screen is visible, choose Boot OS X Install from OS X Install OS X Yosemite

For a new installation of OS X, you MUST erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing. If you are upgrading from previous generation OS X like Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion and you want to keep your files and apps, skip the following 1-10 steps.

  1. Choose Disk Utility
  2. Highlight your target hard drive for the Yosemite installation in left column.
  3. Click Partition tab
  4. Click Current and choose 1 Partition
  5. Click Options...
  6. Choose GUID Partition Table
  7. Under Name: type MAC (You can rename it later)
  8. Under Format: choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
  9. Click Apply then Partition
  10. Close Disk Utility

When the installer asks you where to install, choose Yosemite, or your existing install.

System will restart the 1st time
Boot to your USB again, when Clover boot screen is visible, choose Boot OS X Install from OS X Install OS X Yosemite

The system will boot into the new drive, create the recovery partition, and complete the installation. Upon completion, system will restart the 2nd time.

When Clover boot screen is visible, choose Yosemite then the system will launch OS X Setup

STEP 7: Install the bootloader and drivers to system drive.

Repeat step 4 after you finished OS X setup, but this time choose to install Clover to your hard drive MAC

Repeat step 5 to your hard drive MAC's EFI partition.

Clover Bootloader For El Capitan Mac

STEP 8: Install Sound card driver and fix wake up no sound issue.

Note: The config.plist we provided will prevent the popping sound or static noise issue as we use Mac Pro 3,1 identifier. iMac will periodically force sound card to sleep and will cause Realtek ALC892 sound card to make static noise or popping. The performance different between using Mac Pro 3,1 or iMac system definition is not obvious so no need to change that unless you have specific reason to do so.

Download alc892

Open Kext Utility and drag AppleHDA892.kext and CodecCommander.kext to install both kext into /S/L/E.

*CodecCommander will fix the no sound problem after sleep and wakeup.
*AppleHDA892.kext will not affect original AppleHDA, need to together use with the config.plist provided in this post.

STEP 9, add Intel i7 4770K SSDT for better CPU SpeedStep & Power Management

Navigate to /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/ and add SSDT.aml

Credit: http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-desktop-guides/144426-how-install-os-x-yosemite-using-clover.html

Though it is not a major upgrade from Yosemite to El Capitan (10.10 to 10.11), some small things to consider before starting to install El Capitan 10.11, so I'd like to share it here briefly. But, I assume you are familiar with Yosemite and Clover. If not, my previous document for Yosemite installation would be helpful for you :
http://macosx4pc.blogspot.kr/2014/10/clover-bootload-with-yosemite-moving.html
0. Backup, Backup, Backup : You should clone or copy your existing Yosemite partition. I cloned it to another partition in same PC to share the same Clover bootloader.
Notice: Following steps are my trial and errors to install El Capitan, you can refer this by your own risk & responsibility. No guarantee for you to make it work by following same procedures. Please stop here if you can't do that it by your own responsibility.
1. Clover bootloader : Upgrade it to the latest, but I selected 3276 because some of unknown issues for 3280 for me. You need to update Clover Configurator to the latest too.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/cloverefiboot/
http://www.hackintoshosx.com/files/file/49-clover-configurator/
Clover Bootloader For El Capitan
The files I selected for driver64 :
FSinject-64.efi, UsbMouseDxe-64.efi, VBoxHfs-64.efi
The files I selected for driver64UEFI :
FSInject-64.efi, OsxFatBinaryDrv-64.efi, EmuVariableUefi-64.efi, HFSPlus.efi, OsxAptioFix2Drv-64.efi
Updated on 30-July.2016: You can click drvier64UEFI to include all kext files. And, check UEFI boot only & EFI Clover only when you create EFI partition in separate like me. If you install Clover EFI in ESP but don't check ESP Clover option, your install would be failed. FYI, I installed Clover 3650 without issues.
2. Clover Configurator : Must-have utility to configure Clover bootloader
You should mount EFI at first to update config.plist file, go to Mount EFI, and select Mount EFI partition. disk0s1 is EFI partition for me. Then select the config.plist file at File -> Open, EFI -> Clover folder in sequence.
All you need to update are 1. BooterConfig and CstActiveConfig at RtVariables like this : 0x28 and 0x3.

And, 2. check rootless=0 at Boot sections (see right picture to see the sections I refer)
Create 10.11 folder under EFI/CLOVER/kexts/, then copy the files under 10.10 into 10.11 folder. But, I downloaded the latest fakeSMC.kext from here :
http://www.tonymacx86.com/downloads.php?do=cat&id=11
For your information, followings are not matter for me (so to speak, it doesn't matter to do or not do to) :
  • Copy the files under 10.10 to [Other] folder
  • Removing kext-dev-mode=1
  • CstActiveConfig : 0x3 or 0x63
  • Deleting all folders under EFI/CLOVER/kexts except for [Other] or [11.11]
You need to check if new Clover bootloader is working with your exisiting Yosemite before starting El Capitan. That's why I turned on Verbose (-v).
3. Enable HDMI sound of NVidia GTX 660 after installation : please run at following site after downloading and decompression. No need to select 'Enable HDMI of Intel CPU' but need to select ALC887 for B75M-D3H mainboard, but this enables HDMI sound of GTX 660 too for me.
https://github.com/toleda/audio_CloverALC
Added on 30-July.2016: If your HDMI Audio doesn't work after installing latest Clover, then please check if NVAudio.kext file exists in /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/kexts/10.11/ even though audio_cloverALC-110.sh executed. You can copy it from ../10.10/ to ../10.11/ folder.
That's all! You finished major steps to install El Capitan on Gigabyte B75M-D3H.
P.S: Following URL is the references for trial and errors, and I found out the clue for sound issue here. But, no other issues for me at this moment:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/el-capitan-desktop-support/173991-big-list-solutions-el-capitan-install-problems.html
FYI, I failed to upgrade my existing Yosemite to El Capitan as I've done from Maverick to Yosemite due to unknown Kernel Panic issue. So I install newly on new partition after making backup of Yosemite into another partition. I will share any new fact findings from now on here.
13-Oct. 2015 updated: I found out that files in driver64 & driver64UEFI are essential to boot Yosemite successfully with updated Clover bootloader. If you are in trouble like stuck in boot screen +++++++++++++++, or kernel panic, then please check files in these two folders in EFI partition. Most of the errors while booting are relevant with files in these two folder in my experience.
Only one issue unsolved are no SATA/SAS information displayed at About My Mac, which blocks to check if Trim is working or not. But, I assume it works by config.plist update as I stated in my previous posting for Yosemite :
http://macosx4pc.blogspot.kr/2014/10/clover-bootload-with-yosemite-moving.html
Thanks for your reading!
Added on 22-Oct : I updated Mac OSX 10.11.1 natively by installing at AppStore without issue.