Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac OS X Lion *does* run on Core Duos/Core Solos.
- Thread starter iMacC2D
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
There's a rather extensive thread about Mountain Lion on older Macs here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1325709/
Does this hack work with Lion production version (10.7.5)
Hi ..
The original thread is about the hack working with developer preview version of Lion?
Does it also work with the production version of Lion (10.7.5)?
I apologize in advance if the answer has been posted already ..
Hi ..
The original thread is about the hack working with developer preview version of Lion?
Does it also work with the production version of Lion (10.7.5)?
I apologize in advance if the answer has been posted already ..
Mac OS X Lion *does* run on Core Duo Macs
This .plist 'hack' unfortunately ONLY applies and works with the initial Dev Preview of Lion. This is Build 11A390 to be exact. When this .plist is removed as described in the initial thread, This Developers Preview of Lion runs smoothly on Core Duo Macs.
Personally, what really gets me is this: Build 11A390 was also the first build of Lion that had the ability to download the Lion Server as an option from the installer during the initial install process. It was downloaded from Apple's servers as an invisible package, in the background.
This package was immediately deleted upon installation. Much as Mac App Store Updates are now in Mountain Lion as well as Mavericks. Therefore, as this fact was not yet understood at that time, this initial Developers Preview of Lion Server which was the only one compatible with Build 11A390 is now forever lost, (so as far as I know, unless someone out there in the ether was able to save it). Now, as a result no one running Lion Developers Preview Build 11A390 on Core Duo Macs can ever install its Lion Server!
This .plist 'hack' unfortunately ONLY applies and works with the initial Dev Preview of Lion. This is Build 11A390 to be exact. When this .plist is removed as described in the initial thread, This Developers Preview of Lion runs smoothly on Core Duo Macs.
Personally, what really gets me is this: Build 11A390 was also the first build of Lion that had the ability to download the Lion Server as an option from the installer during the initial install process. It was downloaded from Apple's servers as an invisible package, in the background.
This package was immediately deleted upon installation. Much as Mac App Store Updates are now in Mountain Lion as well as Mavericks. Therefore, as this fact was not yet understood at that time, this initial Developers Preview of Lion Server which was the only one compatible with Build 11A390 is now forever lost, (so as far as I know, unless someone out there in the ether was able to save it). Now, as a result no one running Lion Developers Preview Build 11A390 on Core Duo Macs can ever install its Lion Server!
Lion, no matter if a developer preview or release, as always required a 64-bit Mac. The plist removal still works if the CPU in the once CoreDuo/Solo Mac has been upgraded to a Core2Duo.
Mac OS X Lion *does* run on Core Duo Macs
I have clarify here a bit. Only the initial Developers Preview release of Lion which is Build 11A390 can have its PlatformSupport.plist file edited and or removed to enable it to be booted and run successfully in Core Duo Macs. I have done this for years without issues. All later Lion Developer Previews as well as retail releases of Lion will not run on Core Duo Macs, even with this .plist removal or edit. However, once a Core Duo Mac has had its Processor upgraded to a Core 2 Duo, (making it a Core 2 Duo Mac) then the .plist issue does not affect it and it can then run Lion, (whatever version) as it then has the necessary Core 2 Duo processor that the system insists upon. Lion does not need 64 bit EFI as that was introduced with Mountain Lion. The only reason to then edit this .plist is to add the Macs logic board ID to the list of approved models. It is very easy to get your Macs logic board ID by running this shell script in Terminal: ioreg -lp IOService | grep board-id
I have clarify here a bit. Only the initial Developers Preview release of Lion which is Build 11A390 can have its PlatformSupport.plist file edited and or removed to enable it to be booted and run successfully in Core Duo Macs. I have done this for years without issues. All later Lion Developer Previews as well as retail releases of Lion will not run on Core Duo Macs, even with this .plist removal or edit. However, once a Core Duo Mac has had its Processor upgraded to a Core 2 Duo, (making it a Core 2 Duo Mac) then the .plist issue does not affect it and it can then run Lion, (whatever version) as it then has the necessary Core 2 Duo processor that the system insists upon. Lion does not need 64 bit EFI as that was introduced with Mountain Lion. The only reason to then edit this .plist is to add the Macs logic board ID to the list of approved models. It is very easy to get your Macs logic board ID by running this shell script in Terminal: ioreg -lp IOService | grep board-id
Last edited:
Lion will not run on a 32-bit only Mac, no matter what is removed or what build it is. No versions have ever been released that will run on it as all versions have included a 64-bit only Finder even though the kernel is still a 32/64-bit hybrid. Without Finder, Mac OS X is nothing more than a glorified installation of BSD UNIX. Removing the SupportedPlatforms plist will enable it to run on an upgraded Mac.
Example: A MacMini1,1 originally sold with a CoreSolo. Upgrade it to a Core2Duo and remove the SupportedPlatforms and it can run Lion. Without removing the SupportedPlatforms plist and only upgrading the CPU will cause it to not boot as the logicboard ID is unchanged. Thus necessitating the removal of the SupportedPlatforms plist. Attempting to run any released build of Lion on a stock MacMini1,1 is not possible due to how it cannot execute a 64-bit binary.
I disagree when it comes to Lion Dev Preview build 11A390 from first hand experience. I have booted this 11A390 build by removing the PlatformSupport.plist file from it first in a Core Duo MacBook Pro1,1 as well as in a Core Duo MacBook1,1. and also in a Core Duo Macmini1,1. This build will not install in these Core Duo Macs but with the PlatformSupport.plist edit it will certainly run very well in them indefinitely.
My firsthand experience counters that of yours in which it doesn't even get past the gray loading screen to the log in screen or Finder. Both with the first Lion developer preview and with build 11A390 no matter what software modifications made.
Lion Developers Preview Build 11A390 was the first Developers Build of Lion. It will definitely boot in Core Duo Macs once the PlatformSupport.plist file has been edited or removed.
There was even a site devoted to this particular success story. Here is the link:
http://roaringcore.wordpress.com/
The steps detailed on that site produced no usable results for me when I attempted them in 2011. Unless your end goal is to get a limited command line only installation of Lion working, it is a fruitless endeavor. Although by shear technical definition it would boot as the kernel would be loaded and operating. It still would not present a GUI and it'd be hindered by some of the 64-bit only binaries.
Experience is the best teacher. For me, it has proven time and time again that the Developers Preview of Lion, (build 11A390) does run very well indeed with a full GUI and with the first version of Lion Recovery which was called Boot OSX. This Recovery "Boot OSX" is actually mainly another way to boot into this Dev release as it was not fully featured with this release. This is another thing that makes it unique.
This particular build runs flawlessly in all Core Duo Macs that I have ever tried running it in every time and without fail, once the PlatformSupport.plist file has been removed and or edited.
I continue to use it to this very day and I find it very complete as well as stable. The only glitch I have ever encountered is in trying to drag and copy multiple files from another partition via drag and drop. Then I have found that this can force a relaunch of the Finder. The simple work around it is to instead right click to copy and paste multiple files in this situation.
I have even gone further and had 2 Core Duo Macs both booted from Lion Developers Preview 11A390 and enabled AirDrop, (even though it is also supposed to be 'unsupported') as well as used FaceTime successfully between them.
I like using Lion Developers Preview 11A390 so much that it continues to be the Main OS I boot my 2006 Core Duo MacBook1,1 from by default. As it has some GUI features that were later dropped in the retail releases of Lion which make it rather unique.
All I can say if you were unsuccessful is that you must have done something wrong and I advise you to try again but this time more carefully. It really is very easy to get it running in a Core Duo Mac. It is child's play as far as I am concerned.
While your teacher of experience may be flawed in that it enabled you to boot into Lion on a 32-bit only Mac, the proper experience is that it doesn't give you a GUI. This has been the reproducible result in every test performed not only by myself but by my AASP peers as well. Not amount of child playing or tinkering will get it to work short of bolting on a BSD X window client instead of Apple's WindowServer. That further ponders the question as to why you'd have a machine default boot into a presumably command line interface over a working GUI via way of Snow Leopard unless you have bolted on a BSD/Darwin window implementation that is compatible with Mac OS X.
Well all I can say to you in light of the obvious facts is... "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours".
Therefore, I'll continue to enjoy Lion Developers Preview 11A390 in my Core Duo Macs with its full featured GUI by implementing a mere .plist file edit while you continue to insist that it isn't possible.
I don't mind if you disagree. Meanwhile, I'm doing what you are saying I cannot do. I'll believe what my own eyes and my Macs computer screen plainly show me.
Hopefully, those who are interested in this thread will see the wisdom of the procedure and try it for themselves with this build. It is one of a kind.
Those same phrases could be used by me for the obverse argument that it doesn't work. Let's try it:
Well all I can say to you in light of the obvious facts is... "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours".
Therefore, I'll continue to know that Lion Developers Preview 11A390 will not work in Core Duo Macs with its full featured GUI by implementing a mere .plist file edit while you continue to insist that it is possible.
I don't mind if you disagree. Meanwhile, you're doing what I know cannot be done. I'll believe what my own eyes and my Macs computer screen plainly show me.
Hopefully, those who are interested in this thread will see the wisdom of the procedure and try it for themselves with this build and get the same results as myself. It is one of a kind, yet slightly the same as the other threads as of late about getting an a version of Mac OS X to run on an unsupported machine.
That was fun.
The truth will become obvious to those who try it for themselves using Build 11A390 and editing or removing the PlatformSupport.plist.
Others who have also done this successfully have already posted to this thread. New comers can try it for themselves. Those who are successful, may post the results here in the future. This will speak for itself.
I have already tried it for myself. The truth is that it doesn't work. There are also others within this thread that have had the same results as I had in that it just doesn't work.
Instead of arguing with you, I will instead direct readers to please read post number one of this thread. This is actually very old news and its success is very well documented. My desire in posting regarding this subject is to assist those who wish to enjoy Lion on Core Duo Macs rather than to fight with other members on here. If you want further assistance to enable booting of Lion Developers Preview build 11A390 on Core Duo Macs than I am all ears. Otherwise, This will be my last post in response to you about this subject Intell.
Mountain Lion and Mavericks will never work on that computer. The system files including all the applications are purely 64-bit and your computer can't run that code.
Not without significant hacks, if at all. You'll need to read through this thread.
I know that, but how did you upgraded from 10.7 to 10.7.2? because I'm the only version that I can use is that of the lion rearincore. and that does not work well with most programs