Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 17th Sep 2008 09:15 UTC, submitted by Andrew Youll
If you want to run Mac OS X on a standard, non-Apple-labelled x86 box, you have various options. You can go all creative and build and install one yourself, and then be weary when installing updates from Apple. You can also buy a Mac clone from PsyStar, and then be weary of Apple's crack team of lawyers. A third option has just become available: EFI-X.
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Member since:2007-08-20
That doesn't sound like anything that can't be done purely in software. You could do all of that from a regular bootable CD or USB stick. Surely there is something more going on - surely the "really intricate" unusual hardware and high price tag isn't just "to protect your and our own interests"!?
RE[3]: Technical details?
by frood on Thu 18th Sep 2008 00:44
in reply to "RE[2]: Technical details?"
Member since:2005-07-06
That doesn't sound like anything that can't be done purely in software. You could do all of that from a regular bootable CD or USB stick. Surely there is something more going on - surely the "really intricate" unusual hardware and high price tag isn't just "to protect your and our own interests"!?
Exactly. It reminds me of a cracked copy of Vista I played with once. It used grub to boot some code which temporarily altered the BIOS in some way causing Vista would think you were using a Dell computer. This prevented the need to activate it.
I imagine this device does much the same kind of thing.
RE[2]: Technical details?
by tyrione on Wed 17th Sep 2008 21:57
in reply to "RE: Technical details?"
Member since:2005-11-21
Here's basically how it works (and why this has nothing to do with Pystar or is 'illegal').
Its a bootable device (there's some BIOS firmware issue requiring it to be on the internal 11pin connector to be fully bootable i believe, not sure on specifics).
the device contains a boot loader and a boot menu. this booter is not running any apple or OSX code, all it does is allows you to then boot off a legit OSX DVD installer or OSX drive.
the USB dongle also has some code to then pre-load some kernel extensions that can disable known 'bad' extensions that cause kernel panics on non-apple hardware (AppleIntelCPUManager.kext, etc) and others that can inject EFI data so that the drivers can properly load (Network, Video etc).
I believe the only fishy thing that might be going on is the EFI-X device having a kext that can decrypt some of the apple binaries to run (dsmost.kext or appledecrypt.kext).
Its a bootable device (there's some BIOS firmware issue requiring it to be on the internal 11pin connector to be fully bootable i believe, not sure on specifics).
the device contains a boot loader and a boot menu. this booter is not running any apple or OSX code, all it does is allows you to then boot off a legit OSX DVD installer or OSX drive.
the USB dongle also has some code to then pre-load some kernel extensions that can disable known 'bad' extensions that cause kernel panics on non-apple hardware (AppleIntelCPUManager.kext, etc) and others that can inject EFI data so that the drivers can properly load (Network, Video etc).
I believe the only fishy thing that might be going on is the EFI-X device having a kext that can decrypt some of the apple binaries to run (dsmost.kext or appledecrypt.kext).
Let's cut to the chase. The company has a license for UEFI from Intel and/or is an active member of the UEFI Consortium and is offering a product that include this Firmware and sells it as a hardware embedded UEFI Firmware with a generic bootloader.
From there all behavior is passed off to OS X and it's DVD.
From there the person who installs it on a non-authorized Apple product VOIDS their Warranty.
The real question will be whether Intel keeps a hands off approach leaving Apple to to build into their Software a firmware tester that is supposed to load Apple certified UEFI firmware and when that's not found the Disk fails out.
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Member since:
2007-06-12
Here's basically how it works (and why this has nothing to do with Pystar or is 'illegal').
Its a bootable device (there's some BIOS firmware issue requiring it to be on the internal 11pin connector to be fully bootable i believe, not sure on specifics).
the device contains a boot loader and a boot menu. this booter is not running any apple or OSX code, all it does is allows you to then boot off a legit OSX DVD installer or OSX drive.
the USB dongle also has some code to then pre-load some kernel extensions that can disable known 'bad' extensions that cause kernel panics on non-apple hardware (AppleIntelCPUManager.kext, etc) and others that can inject EFI data so that the drivers can properly load (Network, Video etc).
I believe the only fishy thing that might be going on is the EFI-X device having a kext that can decrypt some of the apple binaries to run (dsmost.kext or appledecrypt.kext).