Thread: Successful install of iATKOS L2 10.7.2 on HP 8440p - detailed process description

I followed the advice from the iATKOS site and downloaded the 10.7.3 COMBO update to upgrade the system to the most current version. I am pleased to share that all seems to be still in the exact same terrific working condition as before. Simply download the COMBO update, double click to open the dmg file and start the installation process. When that is finished, you reboot and you are updated to the most current version. There is no need for anything else to be done!

I have not performed an extensive check but there are no issues with the display, sound, webcam, trackpoint stick and trackpad. All works just the same as under the 10.7.2 iATKOS original install.

I also checked the kernel logs and other message categories and there is no sign of issues there either.

So anyone who likes to be up to date can simply follow this recommended process as a safe way to perform the upgrade.

As before, feedback is welcome from others who have decided to convert their HP 8440p with NVS3100m into a fully functional OSX machine based on the iATKOS L2 system.

Hi,

I've successfully installed iAtkos L2 on my HP8440p i7 laptop.
every thing is working great (no wifi).
I would like to attach an external monitor to the VGA port, but if i do it booth laptop and external monitor screen become black.

Can someone help me?

Thanks,
Amos

Hi Amarcato,

As I mentioned in the guide, I am not using the laptop that way:

"Not tried and not sure:
- have not hooked a VGA monitor up with cable but do not plan to use that anyway"

You are confirming it does not work, so that is good to know.
Two options come to mind to consider.

1 - get a displayport to vga connector to see if VGA works that way. If the standard VGA port does not work, maybe having an external connector doing it for you can work, if the digital video signal is available on the displayport. This can cost a little bit of money to implement....but keeps the configuration as close to standard as possible.

2 - use a DSDT file that is modified to do this, from somewhere.
See here: [GUIDE] Dell Latitude E6410 - InsanelyMac Forum - Page 6

This leads you to:
Dell Latitude E6510 DSDT - InsanelyMac Forum - Page 2

User amirstep then describes more details about getting VGA to work.

If I understand this correctly, you can create your own "driver" in the dsdt file so that the graphics card correctly talks to the VGA port. It sounds like this is quite doable, per the instructions for the Dell laptop.

Let us know what you figure out!

helo good afternoon,
speak a little english, ihave formated my usb 8gb with macdrive and now i have only 4gb why? and how i recover my 8gb. thanks.

Hi Hans6408,
Thanks for you immediate reply.
I tried to load the dell DSDT but the it does not work: the system hang up as soon as it enter in graphics mode.
I'm not confident with DSDT changes so I don't know how to fix it.

thanks again for your time.

In case of updates on it, please advise.

ciao,
AM

Originally Posted by nememcha

helo good afternoon,
speak a little english, ihave formated my usb 8gb with macdrive and now i have only 4gb why? and how i recover my 8gb. thanks.

Download the free "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" to a Windows machine. This should give you the option to reformat the USB stick to the original size "no matter what you did with it".

Originally Posted by amarcato

Hi Hans6408,
I tried to load the dell DSDT but the it does not work: the system hang up as soon as it enter in graphics mode.
I'm not confident with DSDT changes so I don't know how to fix it.
AM

Amarcato,

I did not mean to suggest that you should load the DSDT file from another model laptop. I meant that the links talked about the changes they made to the DSDT file that got the VGA port to work for the NVS3100m card.

If I would attempt this, I think the process is:
- extract or create the DSDT file on the HP 8440p itself ( I saw some tools that do that)
- find the section like the one the other posters are talking about that pertains to the 3100m/graphics card section
- insert or modify the code from their work into the 8440p DSDT file
- save/compile the final modified DSDT file using a utility on the 8440p
- see if it works.....

Again, I have no real understanding of the DSDT file, what it does or how you modify it.
The above is simply my casual impression based on reading posts on some forums.

In my work to load OSX on the HP 8440p, I wanted it to be simple, fast and repeatable if something would go wrong and would have to be redone.
That's why I ended up focusing on kexts (drivers) only and just enough of them to create a working system that is "good enough" for my usage.
The DSDT process is too complicated and advanced for my situation.

Good luck.

Just a quick thank you...

I followed the post here on my Elitebook 8440p, and it worked a treat. I think I had *one* panic, but that was me trying to get the ethernet to work, and I installed the ethernet adapter from Multibeast rather than the one in the files attached to this forum. If I'm honest there might be a missing step, in that you have to go and activate the NIC (in system preferences) ? I could be wrong.. but that's what I had to do, I think!! It's all a bit vague because it was yesterday, and I was pleased that I eventually got it working.

I've ordered a Wireless dongle, because for me that's the only thing from stopping me using my Mac-Lap full time.

I can't remember whether I read things correctly or not, but does sleep work? I'm sure I tried it yesterday, and it didn't.. it just hung the laptop with a black screen, and the fan full-on.

Thanks (again)
Rob

Hi Rob,

Thanks for confirming that the process worked for you, glad to see that on here!

Regarding activating the NIC, I can't remember that I had to do anything in System Preferences for ethernet. It is a few months ago now, and I only use the laptop through wireless, but I think when the ethernet kext was loaded that the system simply got an IP address through DHCP.

Similarly with wireless, once I had the wireless dongle, I think that I also did not have to do anything other than installing the software from the vendor and then pick my wireless network, provide the WPA2 password, and log on.

Regarding the Sleep function, it does not work on this hardware/processor/chipset. That is what some of the kexts actually are for, to make sure that there is no problem with Sleep. I have my screensaver set so that it is very clear if I set the machine aside that "it is still on".

Speaking of screens, I highly recommend you go to the advanced settings under Display to calibrate the colors. I think you will be impressed with how easily you can make the screen look better under Lion than you can under Windows.

Thank you for confirming your success. The post now has been read close to 10,000 times and the kexts downloaded more than 450 times (counting the first file I had out there without the battery files and the current one together)
I have no issues at all with stability and enjoy the flexibility of the dual drive / dual OS system I ended up with!

Just as a quick FYI... I was getting Kernel Panics just before the login screen appeared. Also my sound was all funky, and even when turned it it would 'play' .. and was quite loud. (bit annoying in the office, let me tell you!)

In the end I deleted the VoodooHDA.kext, and touch wood, that's fixed it.

Of course I have no got no sound, but that's a small price to pay, as previously I was getting a kernel panic 3-4 times out of 5 boots.

Originally Posted by robwilcox

In the end I deleted the VoodooHDA.kext, and touch wood, that's fixed it.

Of course I have no got no sound, but that's a small price to pay, as previously I was getting a kernel panic 3-4 times out of 5 boots.

Hi Rob,

Sanity check question here - did you use the specific VoodooHDA kext from my download then?
When you deleted it, is it still in your trash, where you can check the version info?

Also, have you checked the SLE directory to make sure there is no other sound kext there, like the AppleHDA one?
The VoodooHDA file has to be the only one or there's trouble I think. (install last year is now foggy on details, so I'd better check my own post at the top......)

What seems odd is that I have no issues with sound and there do not seem to be complaints about it either from others.
I do know and had the same experience myself that IF the wrong VoodooHDA kext is installed that does not match the actual hardware somehow, you get weird results including kernel panics for sure.
Somehow the sound deal is sensitive.

The version of the VoodooHDA in my download is one that "tones down the volume", you can see OSX make an observation about that in the boot logs. It also works with the HP buttons above the keyboard for up and down volume. Mute appears to react but does not actually mute the sound, which is no biggie to me.

If you go through this thread real quick, you will notice that sound issues have been mentioned a few times. Maybe some of that info is helpful for your situation also....
Until we have the specific file version and the sound hardware ID info, it is difficult to determine the best course of action.

So if you were indeed using the same file as I am, it would be interesting to determine if your sound hw is different somehow.
Can you dual boot on your machine into Windows or use a Linux live CD to get the device ID for the sound chip?


Thx