Zephyrus S17 GX701LV support

[alllexx88]

Hello! I own a Zephyrus S17 laptop with specifications, which are very similar to your Zephyrus M15:

• Processor: Core i7-10750H
• Graphics: RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 / Intel UHD630
• RAM: 48GB DDR4 2933MHz
• Hard Disk: PCI NVMe 2TB SSD
• Wifi & Bluetooth: Intel Wireless AX201

Thus I tried your OpenCore setup to launch Big Sur 11.2.2 install image. Soon after Apple logo appears, the screen blinks and then turns black; then, after a bit of USB drive and disk activity sensors blinking, nothing happens at all. I tried enabling debug logs by setting Misc -> Debug -> Target to 67 in config.plist (as per https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Install-Guide/troubleshooting/debug.html), but the log produced is strangely 256 long of zero (\x00) bytes.

It would be great if you could give me a hint on getting this investigated further.

Thanks a lot,
Alex

[koluris]

Hey! Why don't you try to run it with -v on boot-args to better see onscreen what is going on? Send a screenshot if possible.

[alllexx88]

@dkoluris Thank you for a fast reply, I appreciate it!
I added '-v' to the boot flags, but it first hangs for a while with these lines (sorry for the camera flash: it's more readable this way):

And then quickly prints a page or so and goes black again. I tried making a video, but I need a better camera than I have on me to make it decipherable.
Next, I replaced OpenCore.efi with 0.6.7 debug version, and now I have some logs:
opencore-2021-03-12-124849.txt
Looks like a successful boot log, though.

[koluris]

Something is wrong in the way that you made your installer USB... I can see this Predefined <nil> \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI is missing - Not Found being a real problem :)

Do you even see this file being present on your USB directory path as mentioned above?

[alllexx88]

My installer USB is originally restored from an image made by another guy. It's 2 partitions: 1st is a Clover v5131 FAT32 EFI boot partition, and the second is HFS+ partition with Big Sur 11.2.2 installer image. Clover hangs on me after printing this:

#[EB.LD.LF|IN] 0 1 <"<null string>"> <"1">
#[EB.D.SBS|SZ] 739896
#[EB|B:SHA] <6c4c18c89ba51a04539131ed525a219a7a175c00>
#[EB.WL.PWLFNV|!] Err(0x5) <- RT.GV wake-failure 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82
#[EB.WL.DT|!] Err(0x5) <- EB.WL.PWLFNV
#[EB.LD.LKC|D] <"System\Library\KernelCollections\BootKernelExtensions.kc.development">
#[EBLD.OFS|OPEN!] Err(0xE) <"System\\Library\\KernelCollections\\BootKernelExtensions.kc.development">
#[EB.LD.LKC|R.2] <"System\Library\KernelCollections\BootKernelExtensions.kc">
#[EB.LD.LKFS|-?] Ok(0)
#[EB.LD.LKC|-?] Ok(0)
#[EB|FWFM] 0x00000000FF1FFF7F
#[EB|FWFT] 0x00000000F80FE177
#[EB|BST:REV1]
#[EB|CSR:IN] 0x00000067
#[EB|CSR:OUT] 0x00000067
#[EB.BST.FBS|+]
#[EB.BST.FBS|ADSZ] 0
#[EB.BST.FBS|KSSZ] 0
#[EB|SB:SBGMFNS] x86legacyap.lm4m
#[EB|RH:PF] usr\standalone\OS.dmg.root_hash
#[EB|RH:MF] <"usr\\standalone\\OS.dmg.root_hash.x86legacyap.lm4m">
#[EB.LD.LF|IN] 0 1 <"usr\\standalone\\OS.dmg.root_hash"> <"0">
#[EB.LD.OFS|OPEN!] Err(0xE) <"usr\\standalone\\OS.dmg.root_hash">
#[EB.RH.LRH|P!] Err(0xE) <- EB.LD.LF
#[EB.BST.FBS|!] Err(0xE) <- EB.RH.LRH
#[EB.B.WFDW|!WF] Err(0xE) 0
#[EB|LOG:DT] 2021-03-10T20:31:09
#[EB|LOG:EXITBS:START] 2021-03-10T20:31:09
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                                                           _

Hence I tried various other bootloader setups, and even one of them got me to the point of actually starting OS install on my drive (but install process stalled at about 40% after some crash).
So I'm guessing the installer image should be fine, though this line: Predefined <nil> \System\Library\CoreServices\boot.efi is missing - Not Found confuses me, since this file is clearly present on the installer partition.
Anyway, I have a working macOS virtual machine, so I can create an installer image myself easily, I was just sure mine was fine :)

P.S. \EFI\BOOT\BOOTx64.EFI is present on the bootloader partition (taken from your repo :) ), but there's no EFI folder on the installer partition.

[alllexx88]

After some fiddling, I arrived to this:

• Installed Big Sur 11.2.2 on my old Asus UX32VD laptop and used it together with corpnewt/gibMacOS to create Install macOS Big Sur USB 3.0 partition by using a command like sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Big\ Sur/
• Patched Install macOS Big Sur partition with barrykn/big-sur-micropatcher
• Replaced Drivers and main OC .efi binaries with 0.6.7 Debug versions
• Enabled verbosity and debug logging
• Added com.apple.recovery.boot dir with BaseSystem.dmg and BaseSystem.chunklist from Big Sur 11.2.3 to the USB EFI partition
• Disabled SSDT-DGPUOFF.aml as it was the one which caused the screen to go black at certain stage
• Also disabled AirportItlwm.kext, IntelBluetoothFirmware.kext and IntelBluetoothInjector.kext as I was seeing wifi and bluetooth related errors

Now the install medium boot process hangs at this stage:

And here's the debug log:
opencore-2021-03-17-132800.txt
I've seen something similar here, but no solution in the thread 😞

[koluris]

Wish I could help more, but it hangs at such an early stage...

[koluris]

Hello! I own a Zephyrus S17 laptop with specifications, which are very similar to your Zephyrus M15:

• Processor: Core i7-10750H
• Graphics: RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 / Intel UHD630
• RAM: 48GB DDR4 2933MHz
• Hard Disk: PCI NVMe 2TB SSD
• Wifi & Bluetooth: Intel Wireless AX201

Thus I tried your OpenCore setup to launch Big Sur 11.2.2 install image. Soon after Apple logo appears, the screen blinks and then turns black; then, after a bit of USB drive and disk activity sensors blinking, nothing happens at all. I tried enabling debug logs by setting Misc -> Debug -> Target to 67 in config.plist (as per https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Install-Guide/troubleshooting/debug.html), but the log produced is strangely 256 long of zero (\x00) bytes.

It would be great if you could give me a hint on getting this investigated further.

Thanks a lot,
Alex

Alex, maybe this config is closer to yours? https://github.com/ehinium/Asus-ROG-Strix-G15-G512LV-OpenCore

[alllexx88]

Thanks again, @dkoluris !
I actually managed to boot the installer, install and run MacOS 11.2.3. It was enough to disable SSDT-DGPUOFF.aml and remove the -wegnoegpu boot arg. However, the system was very laggy, hot and noisy, and it turned out it was actually using dGPU(!), according to Hackintool. Very odd, but it works, though very inefficiently. Also, laptop keyboard didn't work, so I used a USB one.
Later, I discovered that if I switch to Optimus mode in Windows (it was in G-Sync mode before), which looks to enable the iGPU for Hackintosh, SSDT-DGPUOFF.aml and -wegnoegpu do what they should and system becomes much snappier, cooler and quieter, similar to what you experienced.
Then, I filled the SMBIOS part as per Dortania's OpenCore Install Guide, I also installed ROG-HID-related stuff, and somehow laptop KB started to work.

Stuff that currently works:

• Battery discovery and status
• WiFi, but only in Static IP mode: for some reason DHCP doesn't work properly
• Apple ID logging in in System Preferences and iMusic
• USB, but not fully. USB 2.0 devices are being recognised on all ports OK; my USB 3.2 Gen.2 NVMe enclosure (ROG Strix Arion) is being reliably recognised on the Thunderbolt 3 port only (once got recognised on the USB 3.2 Type A Gen.2, but only once); USB 3.0 pen drive (the one I installed MacOS from) doesn't seem to be recognised on any of the ports at all
• Combo audio Jack
• Volume control using the wheel
• ROG Switch to switch KB Aura mode, for the most part: rainbow and multicolor breathing modes don't work
• Trackpad
• USB 2.0 KB, mouse

Stuff that doesn't work:

• Bluetooth: discovery works, but I can't get my BT mouse to connect
• Signing in in App Store. It accepts my credentials, but silently leaves me not signed in. I tried all advices I found on the Internet, tried messing with SMBIOS, but nothing seems to help
• Internal speakers and microphone: they're recognised, but no sound or signal from the microphone
• Probably Air Drop, since BT doesn't work properly
• Fn+F* KB functions, but I plan to try to resolve it with the use of Karabiner Elements
• USB-C DP and HDMI output, probably, since they're all connected to dGPU

P.S. I attach my config, with SMBIOS cleaned; any advice in fixing the issues is much appreciated! Thanks :)
config.plist.txt

[koluris]

Bluetooth -> My logitech mouse does not connect... there are some devices that will just won't work.
Audio & Mic -> You might have to try a different layout on config.plist, first of all find out which ALC model you have.
AppStore -> Make sure your main Internet connection is set as en0, that should make it work.
HDMI USB-C out -> No dice here :(

Good going on the build :D

[alllexx88]

AppStore -> Make sure your main Internet connection is set as en0, that should make it work.

Thanks a lot! My main (and only) Internet connection was en2. I deleted /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist and /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist files, rebooted, and now it's en0, and App Store signs in no problem. Now I hope DHCP gets fixed with next itlwm release...

Audio & Mic -> You might have to try a different layout on config.plist, first of all find out which ALC model you have.

Mine is ALC294 with supported layouts 11, 12, 13, 21. There's no sound from the speakers with all of them, while there's sound from the headphones with layout 21 only. So there's something more tricky than that :(

[koluris]

Maybe there's a solution waiting for you here? https://github.com/laeo/hackintosh-rog-gx701-efi

[koluris]

You can also try VoodooHDA instead of AppleALC. Many people had success with it.

[alllexx88]

Maybe there's a solution waiting for you here? https://github.com/laeo/hackintosh-rog-gx701-efi

Thanks, tried that already: it doesn't boot. It's for previous generation Zephyrus S.

You can also try VoodooHDA instead of AppleALC. Many people had success with it.

From what I've learnt, VoodooHDA doesn't require any configuring, right? Just add the kext and disable AppleALC? No sound this way too :(