Changing Mac's Name and Identifier

Ever wondered if you could give a real Mac name to your Hackintosh so the About This Mac screen would show want you exactly want. Well you can do that and enjoy a legit looking About This Mac. What’s more is that it 'may' increase your computer’s performance if done properly.

What we are going to be working with in this case is a file called smbios.plist. Chameleon uses this file to make the system believe that it is a Mac, and also specifies the platform it is, viz. information like serial no., processor, RAM etc. In addition to that, it also provides SMBIOS injectors.

First we need to find out which mac is closest to your system as far as hardware specifications are concerned. You can either Google it, but I strongly suggest you use a fee app called Mactracker (available in the App Store). This app has the detailed database of all macs released till date (as of the most recent update of the app; it updates every time Apple releases a new mac).

Next, you’ll need to download a tool called Lizard. The links to Lizard are provided below:

10.5.x                          http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=488

10.6.x & 10.7.x           http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1694

Once downloaded, you can start ‘the dirty job’.

To start with, you need to find locate Mac that has the config closest to your PC, i.e. processor type, processor speed and FSB speed. I’ll assume you’re using Mactracker.

Call her what you want

We will use Lizard to create the custom smbios.plist.

1.  Refer to Mactracker to fill in Model Name and Model Identifier.

2.  Enter “Apple Inc.” for Manufacturer.

3.  Again refer to Mactracker for CPU Type, CPU Speed and FSB Speed.
4.  You should have Boot ROM Version automatically entered. In case it isn’t, enter a number similar to the one entered here, except the first 4-5 characters before the first dot.

• MacMini 2,x= MM21...
• MacBook 5,x= MB51…
• MacBook Air 2,x= MBA21…
• MacBook Pro 5,x= MBP51…
• MacPro 3,x= MP31...

These should be according to the Model Name (and Identifier version). For instance if you have a MacBookPro5,4 you should begin with MBP51, but if it’s MacBookPro8,2 the Boot ROM version starts with MBP81.

5.  Do not change the SMBIOS Version.
6.  For Serial Number, click the Build it button.
You will see a small dialog appear

7.  For country, you may want to refer to the History section of Mactracker to confirm your choice. Or just enter USA.
8.  Year is the year of introduction of the subject model.
9.  Week is according to Model introduction time of the year - early, mid, or late (e.g. week 29 for Mid 2009).
10. Click Random for Unit number.
11. Select your Mac Model (and size if applicable).

Back to the main Lizard window.

12. BIOS Date should fall in the week you mentioned above.

This done, move to the Memory tab.

13. Again refer back to Mactracker, and for the number of banks, Memory Type and Memory Speed.

14. Manufacturer, Serial and Part can be anything.

That’s it. Once you have entered the details here as well, click Save to save your smbios.plist file.

Now go to the /Extra folder, and open the org.chameleon.boot.plist or

com.apple.boot.plist (depending on your OS)

Search there for the following key:

or

<key>SMBIOS</key>

<string>/Extra/smbios.plist</string>

If it doesn’t exist, just enter these two lines. Save.

The file org.chameleon.boot.plist or com.apple.boot.plist is a mirror of the original file with the same name located in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration and actually stores the preferences for booting the system.

Once you restart, your About This Mac should be exactly as you wanted it to be.

In case of further assistance, hit me back.

10.7.3

A fortnight before discussing the forthcoming operating system Mountain Lion, Apple had released an update to Lion - 10.7.3. A few benefits of updating that I know of are given below:

1. Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support
2. Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X
3. Resolve issues authenticating with directory services
4. Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing
5. 11.3.0 Darwin kernel
6. Improved AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA graphics drivers
7. Access to beta edition of iMessages (a Mountain Lion feature)

In case you’re on OSX86, you may have to take (precautionary) measures to ensure a safe transition to the updated OS:

- This update will replace your AppleHDA.kext.

• If you use VoodooHDA, you wont need to take any actions.
• If you use ALC8xxHDA for onboard audio, you will have to reinstall AppleHDA Rollback using MultiBeast before rebooting.
• If you use toleda's new AppleHDA for onboard audio, you will need to reinstall it before rebooting.

- If you use SleepEnabler.kext, remove it from /Extra/Extensions/ before updating.

- If you have to use edited graphics kexts, you will need to edit the kexts again using the new drivers as the base.

Note for Hackintosh users: You should stay away from using Software Update to get the 10.7.3 update. You should only use the Combo Update Download available from Apple Support.

  

The Mountain Lion

Apple yesterday announced the next version of their operating system. It is named OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, without the ‘Mac’. Based on Apple's revelations, we know that Mountain Lion, bundled with loads of new features, makes your Mac more iPad-like than ever. A few major features include (but are not limited to) the following:

iCloud : Your stuff, everywhere you go, on all your devices. iCloud - new and improved.

iMessages : Its an upgrade to iChat, and integration of iMessages from iOS.

Notification Center : Make all notifications reach you at the same place - email notifications, instant message, friend request, or an app notification.

ShareSheets :  A share button lets you share whatever you're reading, from most apps, right to Mail, Messages, Flikr, Twitter or Vimeo.

Airplay Mirroring : Stream what's on your mac to your HDTV, via Apple TV. Be it a classroom, home or hostel, Mountain Lion will make you rock.

Notes : Thought of something, jot it down; spent some cash, keep a record; Notes even more noteworthy with images and attachments.
All synced with iCloud.

Reminders : The same Reminders app from iOS. Now never forget anything, and iCloud keeps everything synced.

GateKeeper : Protecting you from cyber threats, GateKeeper promises to prevent download of malicious software. Also control what's being downloaded.




Game Canter : Now play games with and against your friends, on Mac, as well as iPad, iPod and iPhone. Are you game?

Not only are these features similar to those in iOS, but they also sync with the same, seamlessly. Although most of these features are available in Lion with the help of third party software, natively including these features in the OS provides a more suitable, integrated and efficient system.

The sad part is, it leaves a few Macs out of the ‘upgradable’ list. This even includes some from the year 2008 (just four years old, and already OUTDATED). The following are (perhaps) not going to be supported:

• Any Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook : late 2007 – late 2008 (Model Numbers: MB061*/B, MB062*/B, MB063*/B, MB402*/A MB403*/A MB404*/A, MB402*/B)
• The ‘original’ early 2008 MacBook Air (Model Number: MB003LL/A)
• The Mac Mini mid-2007 (Model Numbers: MB138*/A, MB139*/A)
• Late 2006 polycarbonate iMac (Model Number: MA710xx/A)

Apparently because OS X Mountain Lion doesn't really support Intel's GMA 950 and X3100 chipsets, the above mentioned macs aren't supported. But neither are PCs. And we all know we'll use OS X 10.8 on PCs. And also on these "apparently unsupported" macs. So don't be disheartened friends, just stay tuned, and we all will eventually pet the Mountain Lion.

Command and Control

All Hackintosh users (Yeah!) and all those of us who have learnt their computing on Windows based PCs and have shifted to Mac OS, know exactly what I’m talking about. Yes, the basic issue regarding keyboards – ‘CTRL’ isn’t in control anymore. ‘Command’ is the one Mac listens to. The Command key on the keyboard of a Mac has more or less the same functions as what the CTRL key has in Windows. ‘Copy’ is Command + C now, and same is the case with most (almost all) of the other commands. Gives you a headache at times.

Good news is, there’s a way to make life easier – swapping keyboard keys. It’s simple (The feature illustrated is inbuilt in Mac OS and doesn’t need any third party software.):

Open System Preferences

Select Keyboard (or Keyboard and Mouse) under the Hardware section

On the Keyboard tab, click Modifier Keys…

Here you can change what Command and Control do.

That’s it, you’re done. It's that simple.

On Mac OS, some Windows keyboards map the ‘Windows’ key as Command, and others map the ‘Alt’ key. Hence, Mac Mini owners who have recently purchased a Windows keyboard might also want to use this method to remap the keys.


That's for solo. What if I want a duet?

Incase you use both, a Windows keyboard and your Mac keyboard (say, on your MacBook), you may want to configure them independently. There is one software that’ll make things simpler in that case. It’s called DoubleCommand. Just follow the link and download. Yes it’s free. :)  

http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/

It's easy to use, and should help you out.

Ciao