OT: Hackintosh

Hi,

Neighbor was "taking delight" in showing me his new Mac, tonight.
Having not used one since '040 days, I am relatively clueless as
to its abilities, etc.

Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)

OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
play with one -- without investing in one!

I've poked at hackintosh info in the past just to get a feel
for what Apple has done in the underpinnings of the OS to tie
it to "specific" hardware.  But, again, never looked at that
info as more than an intellectual curiosity.

Now, I'm considering going that route -- but, just for a
"play toy"!  Something that I can play with and then discard
(i.e., no long term exposure or commitment).

FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD,
========================================================
any advice on how much of a hassle this is likely to be?
GIVEN THAT I AM JUST LOOKING TO PLAY?  I.e., I won't care
if the wireless works, or perhaps if the sound works *well*
(unless, of course, there is something FANTASTIC in apple-land
that exploits sound that I really SHOULDN'T MISS!!).

Am I better off trying to build a portable -- or a desktop?
Recall, no investment so it would have to be some bit of
kit I have lying around already (assuming that is possible
and the set of potential "hackable" machines isn't too
small to exclude the bits I might have).  I won't be using
any "reasonably current" hardware as that is already spoken
for (recall:  this is a toy!).

[OTOH, I don't need to run Yosemite -- unless doing so is the
ONLY way to "truly experience" a Mac!]

I'm pretty sure I know of the highly visible sites for this
information.  What I'm looking for is EXPERIENCED comments
along the lines of:  "Getting a basic system up and running
is easy; getting these particular I/O's might be problematic.
Favor <foobar> machines.  Avoid <bazfoo>.  Laptops are
easier/harder than desktops but have the following downsides..."

Finally, any idea on the relative *effort* required to do so?

Thx,
--don

On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:

> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>
> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
> play with one -- without investing in one!

If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! I don't understand
                                  at               the HUMOUR of the THREE
                              gmail.com            STOOGES!!

On 9/23/2014 6:42 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>
>> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
>> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
>> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>>
>> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
>> play with one -- without investing in one!
>
> If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
> pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
> an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
> software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
> my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.

MacOS or OSX?

Don Y wrote:
>
> FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD,
>========================================================
> any advice on how much of a hassle this is likely to be?
> GIVEN THAT I AM JUST LOOKING TO PLAY?  I.e., I won't care
> if the wireless works, or perhaps if the sound works *well*
> (unless, of course, there is something FANTASTIC in apple-land
> that exploits sound that I really SHOULDN'T MISS!!).

You post a question like this and don't give a valid email address?

Somehow you expect people to admit they have done such things and
give you pointers on usenet?

Good luck.

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379

Don Y wrote:
> On 9/23/2014 6:42 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
>> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
>>> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
>>> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>>>
>>> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
>>> play with one -- without investing in one!
>>
>> If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
>> pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
>> an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
>> software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
>> my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.
>
> MacOS or OSX?
>


You kinda can't run OSX in  a VM:

http://lifehacker.com/5938332/how-to-run-mac-os-x-on-any-windows-pc-using-virtualbox

"....A hacked Mountain Lion disc image. Sadly, this won't work with a
vanilla Mountain Lion installer, so you'll have to find a compatible
hacked version. The hacking group Olarila has put a great installation
ISO together, and you can find it by searching Google. If that doesn't
sit well with you, you can head over to the Mac App Store and buy a
legit copy for yourself, so you can at least pirate with a clear
conscience."

*Sigh*

-- 
Les Cargill

On 9/23/2014 10:29 AM, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> Don Y wrote:
>>
>> FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD,
>> ========================================================
>> any advice on how much of a hassle this is likely to be?
>> GIVEN THAT I AM JUST LOOKING TO PLAY?  I.e., I won't care
>> if the wireless works, or perhaps if the sound works *well*
>> (unless, of course, there is something FANTASTIC in apple-land
>> that exploits sound that I really SHOULDN'T MISS!!).
>
> You post a question like this and don't give a valid email address?
>
> Somehow you expect people to admit they have done such things and
> give you pointers on usenet?

Read what you've wrote.  You'd want *me* to post a valid email
address announcing to the world that I (potentially) want to do
this -- yet give a "back channel" so others *don't* have to make
a similar (potential) disclosure?

And that *doesn't* sound silly to you?

Note that I've not "given a valid email address" for MANY YEARS.
And, it's not like I'm continually posting "illicit activities".

Note, also, that someone who self-selects based on firsthand experience
(the point of my qualification, above) -- unlike folks who just want
to offer an OPINION -- can make statements without LEGALLY implicating
themselves in any illicit activity.

Heck, THEY can even post using a non-valid email address!  (Wow!
What a concept!)

If you're done feeling self-righteous...

You do, of course, realize that I can obtain the exposure to OSX by:
-- borrowing a piece of kit that has it installed
-- purchasing a Mac and returning it for a full refund
-- going to an Apple store and playing with a floor model
etc.

In fact, a colleague that I spoke with this morning has offered to
loan me one of his systems ("I'll bring it in next week").  So, I
don't even have to dick with "incompatible hardware" -- or,
let the neighbors know that I've any experience with Macs.

Gee, AND I am still fully within the legal constraints of the law,
my colleague's licensing conditions AND the moral indignation of
a USENET "morality cop"!

*Plonk*

On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
> On 9/23/2014 6:42 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
>> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
>>> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
>>> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>>>
>>> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
>>> play with one -- without investing in one!
>>
>> If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
>> pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
>> an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
>> software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
>> my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.
>
> MacOS or OSX?

Doh.  OS X (I think it was snow-leopard).

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! BARBARA STANWYCK makes
                                  at               me nervous!!
                              gmail.com            

On 9/23/2014 1:39 PM, Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>> On 9/23/2014 6:42 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
>>> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
>>>> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
>>>> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>>>>
>>>> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
>>>> play with one -- without investing in one!
>>>
>>> If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
>>> pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
>>> an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
>>> software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
>>> my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.
>>
>> MacOS or OSX?
>
> Doh.  OS X (I think it was snow-leopard).

The obvious *suggestion* that "X" == "10" (as folks like Adobe have adopted)
*might* be true (I've not used an Apple OS since MacOS 7 or 8.something).

But, if they have indeed chosen the name with that rationale in mind, it seems
misleading.  MacOS was a much cruder operating environment, hugely different
codebase, etc.

I'll wait a week and play with a "real" Mac...

Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>> On 9/23/2014 6:42 AM, Grant Edwards wrote:
>>> On 2014-09-23, Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Nor am I eager to "become expert" (or even "mildly familiar"!)
>>>> with them.  Least of all, let him (or other neighbors) *think*
>>>> I may be!  (I have no desire to assume more "IT" functions!)
>>>>
>>>> OTOH, it sparked a curiosity on my part.  Enough to want to
>>>> play with one -- without investing in one!
>>>
>>> If you just want to play with MacOS, then running it in a VM was
>>> pretty straight-forward the last time I tried (a few years ago). I had
>>> an iPod and needed to be able to run iTunes (I also wanted to run tax
>>> software locally).  I haven't had either of those needs recently, so
>>> my MacOS VM is rather unused these days.
>>
>> MacOS or OSX?
>
> Doh.  OS X (I think it was snow-leopard).
>

MacOS was PPC only ( SFAIK ) so....

-- 
Les Cargill

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> Don Y wrote:
>>
>> FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD,
>> ========================================================
>> any advice on how much of a hassle this is likely to be?
>> GIVEN THAT I AM JUST LOOKING TO PLAY?  I.e., I won't care
>> if the wireless works, or perhaps if the sound works *well*
>> (unless, of course, there is something FANTASTIC in apple-land
>> that exploits sound that I really SHOULDN'T MISS!!).
>
> You post a question like this and don't give a valid email address?
>
> Somehow you expect people to admit they have done such things and
> give you pointers on usenet?
>
> Good luck.
>
> Geoff.
>
   Are you trying to imply that it is so bad, that anyone that does that 
stuff is *SO* embarrassed that they need to hide?