Create EFI & Config - OCAuxiliaryTools

An unoffical User Guide for OCAuxiliaryTools

This guide uses specific example 10th Gen Intel hardware for the purpose of illustrating the workflow of OCAuxiliaryTools tools. Presumably your hardware will differ, which means that your configuration will probably differ in each section. Do not just copy the settings shown for this example, but look up the recommended settings in the OpenCore Install Guide in the section relevant for your CPU architecture.

Using OpenCore Auxiliary Tools to Create EFI & Config

  • OCAuxiliaryTools is an excellent configuration and update utility. It will be used to create the complete OpenCore EFI folder including the Config.plist. (You may use this alongside a plist editor such as Xplist).

  • If you are following this example, but are using different hardware, just open the relevant sections for your CPU generation in config.plist Setup | OpenCore Install Guide alongside OCAuxiliaryTools.

  • Download & install OpenCore Auxiliary Tools - OCAT and launch the OCAuxiliaryTools application.

OCAuxiliaryTools initial Window

  • Click the Database/Configuration Template button (highlighted in the screenshot)

  • This links to a Github repo where you can download the relevant configuration. (The steps are also explained there.)

  • Click on Config_Templates.zip and then the Download Raw File button on that Github page to download the templates. Unzip the templates on your Desktop for example.

Configuration Templates locally downloaded

  • Check which Platform Info is relevant for your hardware. For this example we will use iMac20,1 and the corresponding file Desktop_10thGen_Comet_Lake_iMac20,1.plist

  • Open this configuration in OCAuxiliaryTools. Then click the Save button so that OCvalidate will update its messages accordingly, which should get rid of any errors.

  • Then select Menu -> Edit -> Generate EFI on the Desktop

Edit Menu

This will generate the EFI folder including the most recent official release version of OpenCore on your desktop. For now ignore any missing kexts (which can be added later), as all the essential ones should be included already (as shown below)

ACPI

In ACPI - Add uncheck what is not needed (as shown below)

ACPI - Add Section

  • For example we may not need SSDT-PMC in Comet Lake any more, as the NVRAM works without it.

  • Check the relevant section of the Desktop Comet Lake | OpenCore Install Guide for more details.

  • Add any additional SSDTs, if needed by clicking on the [+] button for downloaded SSDTs or by clicking on the […] button for the most common prebuilt SSDTs available within OCAuxiliaryTools

In ACPI - Quirks, uncheck ResetLogoStatus. ('It is enabled by default in sample.plist. This Quirk didn't exist at the time the OpenCore Install Guide was written, so it's unknown if it's a requirement. Most likely it's not.' @5T33Z0)

ACPI Quirks Section

You can hover with your mouse over each option (or right click and Show Tips) to see the explanation from the official OpenCore reference manual. This is a really helpful feature of OCAuxiliaryTools, as it enables you to quickly understand options which are only clearly explained in the very detailed OpenCore Reference Manual document:

Booter

No changes in Booter

Booter - Quirks Section

Device Properties

In Device Properties enable the iGPU for computing tasks only (not intended to drive a display), as you will be using a compatible dedicated AMD GPU.

Therefore change AAPL,ig-platform-id to 0300913E

Device Properties - Add Section

  • Note, that keys which start with a # are commented out and will not be used by OpenCore

Kernel

In the Kernel section add IntelMausi.kext, the Intel onboard Ethernet driver for macOS.

  • Click on the [...] button to open the most common kexts available within OCAuxiliaryTools. Just drag-and-drop IntelMausi.kext into the app window. It will automatically be added to the Config.plist and enabled.

Kernel Add Section

  • Add any additional kexts, if needed by clicking on the [+] button for kexts downloaded from elsewhere.

  • For changing the order of the kexts, select a kext and click on the [<] and [>] buttons to move the kext up or down which will determine the order in which they are loaded.

No changes in the Kernel - Quirks section

Optionally display the Preselection for your CPU platform, especially if you have opened an older EFI and you want to ensure that the recommended options have been enabled. The Preselection feature will display those option in Bold-Italic type without actually changing your settings. You will need to decide if the recommendations are relevant to you.

Since we are installing Monterey or Ventura for this example, we do not enable the hacky XhciPortLimit setting any more: "With macOS 11.3 (Big Sur) and newer, XhciPortLimit is broken resulting in boot loops."

  • Again just hover with the mouse over each option to read the explanation from the OpenCore reference documentation. Alternatively right click over an option and select Show Tips to see the tip in a tool window.

Misc

In the section Misc - Boot you may choose PickerVariant GoldenGate for the OpenCore booter GUI

In the Misc - Debug section: DisplayLevel click the Select button and enable Debug__Warn and Debug__Error

Misc - Debug Section

  • By default the EFI created by OCAuxiliaryTools uses the most recent release version of OpenCore. If you want to show additional debug information change Target to 67 and switch to the debug version of OpenCore, which will be explained at the end of this guide.

In the Misc - Security section change SecureBootModel to Default if installing macOS Monterey or newer.

Misc - Security Section

In Misc - Tools, click the […] button and add OpenShell.efi by dragging it into the list

Misc - Tools Section

NVRAM

In NVRAM - Add change csr-active-config to 00000000 to enable SIP.

  • Add the following string in boot-args for debugging and for audio: -v debug=0x100 keepsyms=1 alcid=1

  • Change prev-lang:kbd to use a String and input en-US:0 (or your language code) instead of using the HEX value.

NVRAM - Add Section

Platform Info

In the Platform Info - Generic section, use the built-in Generator of OCAuxiliaryTools for setting up the SMBIOS info (instead of using the GenSMBIOS terminal application).

  • Click Generate (near the SystemProductName field)

Platform Info - Generic Section

  • Also check the serial on the Apple Support webpage.

  • You should see “… we’re unable to check coverage for this serial number” or something similar in your language. This is the response you want, because your Hackintosh should not reuse someone else’s existing serial from a real Mac.

  • The SerialInfo tab of OCAuxiliaryTools displays the info of the new serial generated for the EFI you are working on.

UEFI

No changes needed in the UEFI section

UEFI Drivers Section

  • You can add additional drivers using the [+] or […] button.

  • The OpenCanopy boot GUI should work out-of-the-box as OCAuxiliaryTools activates it by default.

  • If you want to enable the Boot Chime, you can configure it in the UEFI-Audio section during post-install. See Setting up Boot-chime with AudioDxe.

Notes

  • If your motherboard uses the Intel’s I225-V 2.5GBe ethernet controller, additional settings are required in the relevant sections. Just refer to the OpenCore Install Guide and use the applicable presets in OCAuxiliaryTools.

  • Remember to save your Config.plist by clicking the Save button or with Menu -> File -> Save.

Several additional features of OCAuxiliaryTools will be discussed on the page Debug and Upgrade OpenCore.

This page also serves as an unofficial introductory user guide for OCAuxiliaryTools. It has been updated with OCAuxiliaryTools version 20240001 using OpenCore 1.0.0. As this page is only infrequently updated, newer versions may have different features or require different settings.

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