Installing Chameleon Boot Loader

This is a guide on how to install windows 7/8/8.1 and Lion/ML/Mavericks/Yosemite onto one partition and use the Chameleon GUI boot loader to select which operating system you want.
  1. Install Chameleon Bootloader Usb
  2. How To Install Chameleon Bootloader

I’ve assumed you have a Windows 8 /8.1 dvd OR USB and a Lion/ML/Mavericks/Yosemite Installation Media DVD OR USB

Chameleon is a Darwin/XNU boot loader based on Apple's boot-132. Because Chameleon now uses part of GPL V2 licensed code in 2 files, it.must. conform to the most restrictive license that it uses that is the: GPL Version 2 LICENSE Chameleon can thus be (and has to be) freely distributed under the term of the GPL V2 license which prevails, as it is the most restrictive license. Introduction Chameleon is the oldest group bootloader project of the hackintosh scene. It is a legacy bootloader, meaning it doesn't use the more modern boot capabilities of UEFI motherboards. For years we maintained a branch of Chameleon called Chimera. As of El Capitan and new security.


Yosemite Guide
For Windows use Rufus to make windows installer USB

Linux realtek wireless drivers. 1. Install Windows 8.1, while in the install phase, Partition 2 disks, 1 for Windows 8.1 and 1 for Mavericks

2. After installing windows 8.1 Insert Maverick installer media and install
3. While in the Install Phase, Create a new partition with the disk utility(the one you didnt use for windows) and format it mac journaled. install Mavericks and boot to desktop
3. if you didn’t install a Bootloader to disk, use chameleon and install it now. it will install as an application. or if it will not installed then boot with your installation Media .
4. Now you cannot boot into windows 8.1 No problem
5. Reboot and insert the windows 8.1 dvd drive or USB
Select command prompt and type in
(type and press enter after each line)
Diskpart

list disk
select disk 0 list partition select partition active exit
now close the command prompt and repair the computer(1st option)
once repaired you will boot into windows! tadah windows is fixed.
(HERE You can use Easybcd to Dual or triple boot using windows as Main OS)
rename your hard drive in my computer to Windows(you will see why later)
once you are back in windows click start>and in the search bar type cmd>enter
type and press enter after each line
diskpart
select partition active
exit
now restart AND chameleon should come up with 3 options
Windows
Press system reserved to boot to windows, and mac to boot to mac
DO NOT RENAME SYSTEM RESERVED AT ALL! YOU WILL MESS UP THE BOOTING OF WINDOWS
DO NOT RENAME SYSTEM RESERVED AT ALL! YOU WILL MESS UP THE BOOTING OF WINDOWS
Click mac hard drive on desktop OR finder
EDIT the org.chameleon.boot.plist in the desktop BY right clicking and opening with text edit application
add
Rename Partition”System Reserved” Windows 8.1
to hide useless windows 8.1 hard drive
Hide Partition”Windows”
once that is done, save it and copy it back to where the original org.chameleon.boot.plist is on. once that is done
REBOOT! and you can down beautifully dual boot and select between windows 8.1 and Mavericks
Quick Note :-before you proceed OS X installation, use fdisk from Terminal to mark your target partitionfor OS X as active. It doesn’t break your Win8.1 and at the same time you can continue usingChameleon to boot your machine.
< User:Outragedtony
  • 2Bootable CD
  • 3Bootable USB Drives
  • 4Miscellaneous
  • 5References
Note: Chameleon 2 has not been finally released, and this document is not part of the official Chameleon Documentation. Information is still incomplete, subject to change and written for current RC4. To comment and help improving this guide, please use only this post.

This guide explains how to create CD's and USB drives booting Chameleon 2 with different operating systems. Basic understanding about how Chameleon works is expected. Before creating the boot media, collect the configuration files, kext's and other customizations you will need and organize these files as Chameleon expects them. In short, you should have one Chameleon root folder containing the stage2 bootloader file and the Extra/.. folder with all the other stuff inside. Download Chameleon 2 from here. Also, check out the utilities to create BootCDs made by Chameleon Users (under #References).

The Chameleon Boot CD allows you to install Mac OS X from a retail DVD (not as in 'automagic', but as a tool). After Chameleon is booted, eject the CD, insert the retail OS X DVD and press F5 to rescan the optical drive. Make sure to have Chameleon's 'cdboot' stage2 in Chameleon's root folder (instead of 'boot' which is used for HD-installation), and set the 'Rescan' and 'Instant Menu' keys to 'yes' in com.apple.Boot.plist. The CD can also boot operating systems on the hard drive, an essential asset if you somehow screwed up your installation.

[edit]Mac OS X

Note: Unsure if this is right. Could someone with mac os x varify/fix this? Also it's overkill to create a hybrid iso, since you wan't use it in a 'real' mac.

1. Make the Chameleon root folder on your Dekstop:

2. Copy stage2 cdboot into /newiso folder, and add the other configuration files into /newiso/Extra

3. Open a Terminal and create the preboot image (also mounts it to your Desktop):

4. Add the kexts to /Extra/Extensions within the Preboot image

5. Unmount the Preboot Volume

6. Create a bootable iso:

3. Burn Chameleon.iso .

[edit]Windows

Note: Editing .plist files under Linux has its caveats. See #Edit .plist files with Windows for more information.

1. Get the open-source burning tool InfraRecorder

2. Select Data CD and add the Chameleon files (cdboot & Extra folder)

Install Chameleon Bootloader Usb

3. Go to File -> Project Properties -> Boot

4. Add Chameleon's 'cdboot' stage2 and set Emulation Type to 'None'

5. Burn the CD

[edit]Linux

1. Use mkisofs to create a bootable iso. Run the following command from the level containing Chameleon's root folder (newiso):

2. Burn chameleon.iso

Note: Missing paragraphs: install Chameleon to USB with Windows/Mac. Windows should be the same as Linux if you can get working dd binaries.

Chameleon USB keys can not boot the retail OS X DVD, but they come in handy as rescue tool to boot into a borked installation. Similarly, if you want to play safe, use them to test new kexts and other customizations for compatibility before applying them to your main chameleon installation. For USB drives, the stage2 loaders for HD's must be used ('boot' instead of 'cdboot') in the Chameleon root directory.

[edit]Linux

Warning: dd and mkfs do not go well with typos. Only use them when you know what will happen, and double-check your commands. Do not use dd when intoxicated.

For simplicity, this example uses a single Fat32 formatted partition and MBR. If you experience problems, try with HFS+ partition and/or GPT layout (remember to use boot1h stage1 loader for HFS+ partitions). A great tool for creating GPT partition tables under linux is gdisk.

0. Partition your media, and make sure it is not mounted

1. Format the Usb stick to F32:

2. Install Chameleon's stage0 boot loader to the usb device:

3. Install Chameleon's stage1 f32 boot loader to the usb partition:

4. Mount the partition:

5. Copy the contents of Chameleon's root folder:

6. Unmount the Usb stick:

[edit]Edit .plist files with Windows

UNIX and Mac OS X use the line feed (LF) character to mark the end of a line of text, Windows uses the carriage return (CR) character. Because .plist files must have linefeed characters at the end of every line to be readable by Mac OS X, editing these files with Windows tools can result in headaches. Use Wordpad instead of Notepad, and to be extra sure convert them with dos2unix after editing.

How To Install Chameleon Bootloader

[edit]Sample com.apple.Boot.plist

[edit]USB key as kext testing ground

Using Chameleon-USB keys to test new kexts is a great way to save yourself trouble. Start with the most minimal set of modifications that will let you install OSx, and then work your way up: Always keep your last working 'main' configuration in sync with the Chameleon USB key, add one kext at a time onto it, and use it to boot into the installed system. If all goes well, add the kext to the main Chameleon install on the HD and move to the next one. That way, you should minimize major panic attacks. Always keep a spare, working ChameleonBoot media (and if this happens to be a CD, LABEL IT).

[edit]Official Chameleon Documentation

Installing

[edit]User contributed Content

  • Documenatation for Chameleon2 RC by Distemperus
  • Howto: Installing OSX without access to a Mac by r0m30
  • Lizard, Chameleon management and boot cd creation app by sonotone
  • BootCDMaker by Trauma
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This page was last modified on 31 January 2010, at 12:21.
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