What's inside the EFI-X

[Benjamin Fourmond]

Hello,

I'd be really curious to know what's really inside the EFI-X.

Of course, taking the device apart would void the warranty... how
about X-raying it? Does anyone know a friendly radiographer?

Cheers,

Ben (still waiting for my EFI-X to be delivered).

[Michel Barthelemy]

I dont believe there is anything but some flash memory, like an usb key.

If you think about the boot process, anything else would be useless.

[PTMixer]

I think there's more to it than that -- can you create an EFI boot
environment just out of RAM? And, would they fail so often if it was
just a USB Ram drive?

I think I heard they are kind of designed to self-destruct if you try
to take them apart, but if you're ready to throw it in the trash then
why not!

[Michel Barthelemy]

The only thing really is to load the EFI layer in memory before
actually booting the system, same thing than boot-123 does.

Once the system (OS X) takes over, there is nothing else you can do on
the hardware side. OS X is going to talk to the EFI layer you have
loaded before, no more no less.

Just for fun, I did the same thing just this afternoon on a regular
usb key with boot 132 and chameleon, nothing really difficult. Now if
I remove the EFI-X thing and select my usb key as a boot device, the
system works exactly the same way ...

[funkitron]

Soooooo this boot123 thing sounds like a Godsend, and one i'm in the
dark about. Is it something that'd be beyond someone with middling
tech skills (myself)? Chameleon as well?

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

Michel -
For us noobs, this would be an exciting development. I, personally,
wouldn't know the first step to getting a boot 132 or a chamelion on a
usb stick. (I've heard the term boot 132, but that is about it) I
don't suppose you would consider drafting step by step instructions
for something like this? I'm curious as to your results ... did
onboard audio work? What sucess did you have with your internet
connection? Was it any more stable than what we have with Efix? I'm
assuming though, that you need to remove the usb stick to boot into
windows? This would truly be a great thing, even if it only got us
through until He Who Must Not Be Blamed gets around to actually taking
care of his customers. Or....are there instructions out there on the
web that can be googled for? (Sorry...I just can't say Binged!?!
yet). Please advise when convenient.

Thanks,
Rick

[Michel Barthelemy]

Well ...

here are a few links if you guys want to expriment some ...

http://menoob.com/hackintosh/hackintosh-install-a-mac-leopard-os-x-retail-dvd-on-a-pc/

The "INsanely Mac" forums are also a gold mine of information :

http://www.insanelymac.com

Of course, it's not exactly obvious, well, I don't know what your
technical level is anyways ...
I have messed with computers since my first Apple II ... :-)

But it's really not that difficult, if you have a motherboard listed
in the efi-x HCL, it's actually pretty easy because most everything
will work right out of the bow without the need to preload customs
kexts.

My motherboard is an EP45-EXTREME-T, which means, Intel ICH10 chipset,
rt8111c ethernet (the one efi-x messed up in their last update), and
ALC889 sound module.

If your motherboards are close to that, it's really easy.


M

[Michel Barthelemy]

Oh and another thing, I don't dual boot myself, I only work with Os X,
so of course that makes it a bit easier since I don't have to care
about double boot :-)

M
On Jun 26, 2009, at 7:17 PM, Rick - PoisonApple666 wrote:

>

[Michel Barthelemy]

Just to give you in a nutshell, an idea on how things work when you
boot ...


1. The BIOS initializes the hardware then looks for a device to boot.
2. When the boot device is selected, the BIOS load the boot sector
from the device (which is a piece of executable code) then "jumps" to
it (meaning transfer the control to that boot loader).
3. The boot loader does whatever it wants, mostly what it had been
designed to do ... in the case of the Efi-x boot loader (or boot-123
which is the same thing), the code preloads a "BIOS replacement" which
is what we call the "EFI bios", mostly a collection of low level
drivers to make it simple, then looks for the OS device to boot, in
this case the Mac os x boot disk, loads the os boot loader and
relinquish control to it.

To summarize, once the boot stages 1 to 3 are completed, the OS has
the control, no "special hardware" whatsoever can retake control from
that point, which tells tha the Efi-x device is no more no less than a
glorified usb key, cleverly designed to obfuscate that mere fact ... :-)

M


On Jun 26, 2009, at 7:17 PM, Rick - PoisonApple666 wrote:

>

[Michel Barthelemy]

By the way, this is the same method I've used to install Mac Os X on
my Samsung NC10 netbook ...

Here are some shots :

[Michel Barthelemy]

And this one too :-)

[Michel Barthelemy]

On Jun 26, 2009, at 7:17 PM, Rick - PoisonApple666 wrote:

>

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

As sidenote...I don't mean to be a noob pain in the ass.....however,
I don't want to do something that will put me in worse shape than I am
already? I'm all for experimentation for the sake of
experimentation...it is a positive and good thing. We all learn from
it...specially experimental data that is recreatable...and I'm
perfectly ok with skipping windows for now if that is what it takes to
have a solid system. I'm about fed up with microsoft anywho.

On Jun 26, 12:57 pm, Michel Barthelemy <mbarthel...@gmail.com> wrote:
>  DSCF0551.JPG
> 3013KViewDownload

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

Now I've read the first link. Would it be safe to assume that I can
effectively skip the first few steps....or should I play it safe, put
in a fresh HD and reinstall and start from scratch? God, I hate the
word reinstall. But being the total noob...I just don't want to get
myself into too much trouble. I imagine with a new HD I could always
plug the old HD back in as well as the Efix and be back where I was.

On Jun 26, 12:30 pm, Michel Barthelemy <mbarthel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well ...
>
> here are a few links if you guys want to expriment some ...
>

> http://menoob.com/hackintosh/hackintosh-install-a-mac-leopard-os-x-re...

[Michel]

Ok, first of all, it's always a good idea to try new things on a fresh empty drive. Then, I have to say that these things seems rather simple to me, because I'm working in that field, but I'm conscious they may not be look as simple for other people. In any case, my only advice would be not to do anything you are not comfortable with, and above all, not do anything you're not fully understand :-)
I can provide you some help, if you need, but keep in mind I cannot see what exact configuration you have and what the result is going to be, I don't have X-Ray vision :-)

M

--

_______________________________________

Future is merely probabilities turning into statistics ...

[Art]

Rick;

One thing that's kinda ironic with OSX as compared to Windows is that
"Reinstalling" it isn't like root canal. It doesn't suck nearly as
much as reinstalling any flavor of windows.

That's ironic, because it's RARELY required. It's not "routine
Maintenance", or "first step troubleshooting" like it is in Windows,
yet it's soooo much easier.

Since you are kinda experimenting... play it safe. Migration
Assistant is pretty good, and if you decide on a new System that runs
better, and doesn't cause as much grief as EFiX does, you can always
suck that "past life" off into your new setup.

Best of luck
Regards
art

[PTMixer]

Interesting thread that we would surely not have on the official
forum! Two thoughts:

1) Using EFiX we are in the situation (as far as we know) that we MAY
BE breaking Apple's license that restricts the use of OS X to "Apple
Labelled Hardware" or something like that (I did put Apple label
stickers on my case though!!!) Other than that, we are not breaking
any copy protection etc.

2) Using Boot 123 / Chameleon is it the same? I remember doing some
research about this before and I think there was some 'magic' thing
that you had to download from somewhere, probably a torrent on some
tracker of ill repute, to make it work, even with a 'Vanilla' OS X
install. True or not anymore?

3) If, even just to use as a backup, we create a Boot 123 solution,
would that boot up our already installed OS X setups? I think it
would.

4) --and this is the best-- since we EFiX-ers all have similar HCL
components, couldn't some enterprising individual create a Boot123
image file that we could all share and write to our own USB keys to
have a backup boot tool?

-PT


On Jun 27, 12:49 am, Rick - PoisonApple666 <rgottschalk...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[PTMixer]

ps - Doesn't Google Groups stink? I hate it. Everyone good for moving
over to http://www.efixusers.com/ ?

-PT

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

It seems to PT is correct.....even discussing it could cause extreme
distress to the new liver. kidding .... I'm glad he is well. just
hope there isn't a line of jaundiced children left in the wake. No
pun intended. But I certainly like his thinking about the similarity
of MB's and some enterprising, kind, benevolent wonder.....nevermind
enough sucking up....I like PT's idea of a Boot132 based on the
gigabyte mb's. Each person may only require minor tweaking to be
running on board nic ....... hmmmmm ... wouldn't this enterprising
thing be...possibly.....an efix? Just without those little cylinder
thingies with apples and stuff on them?

[makalu]

No explicit "self destruct function" I'd guess, but the components
inside are molded in, a way of packaging that is often done when you
want to protect the device from disassembling. It's very hard to get
to the PCB that way and you'll almost certainly destroy the unit.
That, together with the hassle that they do about protecting their
firmware is a sign that there is not really much more in it that a
flash memory chip.

[Michel Barthelemy]

I agree, probably nothing more than a cheap flash ram chip with a
repackaged version of EFI boot ...

I'll try to get a friend of mine to X-Ray that thing but I doubt we'll
be able to see much.

M

[makalu]

like I mentioned on another thread: If someone comes up with a EFi-X
that is broken, I'd see if I can get some of our failure analysis guys
at work to dismantle the thing. As mine still works, I'm somehow a
little reluctant to destroy it to see what's inside. But +1 on the
flash memory only theory ;-)

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

Hi Guys -

Just an update. On the other Efix users forum resides a fellow under
the name of Flic. He may be here under a different name...who knows.
Anyway, he published a tutorial guide to load Chameleon on a USB
stick. I had to ask a few noob questions, but, by God, it works.
Well...I lost Time Machine and the ability to hook directly into the
Windows computers around the house, but it works!!! I have a feeling
that a little tweeking will bring back TM. I did not reinstall the
OS, and everything, other than what was just mentioned came up just as
before. I am now running without the Efix in the box. This may, very
well, lend some credible evidence to everyone's thought that Efix
isn't much more than a USB stick ... again, as it has been opined,
probably with some other minor nano flotsam and jetsam to keep
enterprising folks out of it.

And now the cost:

1.) A picked up a three pack of 2GB stix for $30.00 - so $10.00.
good to have a couple of spares sitting around.
2.) An aggregate total of 1 hour of my time - I'm sorta retired
and a big Ho anyway so I work cheap. - call it $1.98

So to be up and running - call it 95% complete - $11.98

Oh and the part about sticking it in ASEM's a.... well, anyway. After
what they have put us all through - it's just priceless!!!

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

OKAY...I've spent the last 12 to 18 hours screwing and unscrewing my
hack. Here is what I have learned.

I used Flic's method...easier for me because the terminal window is
just that...terminal.
I had some probs when I tried to install chameleon to the HD. Didn't
install correctly...lot's of problems ... I'm certain all pilot
induced.

Well, I got it back to square one...finally....and based on advice in
the other forum, I installed an realtek kext and an ionetworkfamily
kext thing. Lo and behold, I have Bonjour, I can attach to all of my
Windows XP computers as well as my apples and I have time machine.

For me, Flic's method was the easiest. And, like I said, my biggest
problems were probably all self inflicted.

So right now, I am running without the Efix...I am using an onboard
NIC and Time Machine is whirring away doing it's time machine thing.

You fellows are all more experienced than I am. If I can break my
eFix dependance, I'm sure it will be a snap for you guys.

Thanks to all who helped and all the advice I received.

Rick -


On Jun 30, 2:13 pm, Rick - PoisonApple666 <rgottschalk...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Michel Barthelemy]

Aren't you feeling better all the sudden ? ;-)

M

[Mike]

Yep, there's a great discussion going on at efixusers.com. Flic's
guide works great, and I posted a script about halfway in the thread
that includes an installation script that installs all the necessary
kexts and stuff for most Gigabyte motherboards. Check it out. I'm EFi-
X-free now. :)

[AsereBLN]

Hi,

Where did you installed the realtek (from psystar?) and the
IONetworkFamily kext? In the Chameleon Extra/Extensions
Folder or in the Mac OS X Systems/Library/Extensions?

And did you put the realtek into the IONetworkFamily as
a plugin the two side by side in the extensions folder.

Bye the way... weekdays it's real difficult to go on with the
Blog. The job, the kids... you know ;-)

So long

On Jul 2, 9:35 pm, Rick - PoisonApple666 <rgottschalk...@gmail.com>

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

Michel -
On the one hand, I am very relieved. On the other, I still kind of
feel "licked all over" like a huge all day sucker. I paid top dollar
for a USB ram stick. A USB Ram stick that possesses worse performance
than the $10 special I (With the help of so many others) was able to
ultimately put together.

R.

[Michel Barthelemy]

Well, if that makes you feel better, I did too ... and I work in the
field ... :-)

I guess I was lazy at the time and thought it would be eaiser that
way, of course I was wrong :-)

I got rid of mine about 2 weeks ago, whenever I felt they would not
fix the problem in a decent timeframe.

M

[makalu]

That doesn't surpise me at all. Despite all the magic that they tell
about, ASEM writes/adapts drivers and buts them together with a EFI
bootloader. It seems very probable that it is a cosmetically adopted
boot-123 loader or something similar. So it seems logical that if you
care for your self with the drivers like you using chameleon that you
run into the same problems that ASEM ran with TM/Bonjour issues etc.
The fact that I like about this method is that you can/must solve the
problem on your own. Noone does this for you (ok if you're lucky,
someone comes up with an adopted driver on some hackintosh sites) but
you're also not depending on on a few developpers of ASEM to fix the
problem for you. Well, all this is actually neither suprising nor new,
I think we all bought the EFi-X as we *wanted* that someone else cared
about our drivers and plists so we don't *have* to do that on our own.
So it's a logical step if you're unsatisfied with the EFi-X that you
go the cameleon way. And it is exactly the way I will go if my EFi-X
will ever become corrupt.

On 30 Jun., 21:13, Rick - PoisonApple666 <rgottschalk...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Michel Barthelemy]

I think I'm going to set up a web page with an automatic
configurator / packager that will put everything together (boot,
latest kexts and plists, ...), depending on your hardware
configuration, and gives you the ability to download a ready-made usb
key image for you to make your own usb key boot thing.

I'm retiring in a couple of months and this sounds like a nice pet
project ... and Paypal donations are always appreciated when you live
on a retirement ... :-)

M

[Rick - PoisonApple666]

Brilliant.

[Michel Barthelemy]

I'm not sure it's really brilliant ... but if I can make it work it
would be really convenient :-)