Ace Hardware North Plymouth Rd Winamac in

Installing 3rd Political party Kexts in /Library/Extensions

Note: This guide was originally written to support MacOS Mojave and older versions (< r5200) of the Clover kicking-loader. The methods detailed hither are now considered legacy methods and should only used with older versions of MacOS as detailed beneath. For Big Sur and above it is highly recommended that you use the OpenCore boot-loader which uses a much improved kext injection method.

ane. What Versions of MacOS does this guide cover ?

The methods detailed in this guide will work on the following versions of MacOS

• MacOS 10.11.10 - El Capitan
• MacOS 10.12.X - Sierra
• MacOS x.13.X - High Sierra
• MacOS ten.fourteen.X - Mojave
• MacOS 10.15.X - Catalina

Annotation: If you are using VirtualSMC in place of FakeSMC and so you should replace all instances of FakeSMC mentioned in this guide with the Lilu and VirtualSMC kexts, some users take reported that information technology is necessary to use LiluFriend to load VirtualSMC early on enough in the kick process - see posts #7 to #13 for more info.

---

2. Where should I install 3rd Party Kexts ?

When using the Clover kicking-loader in that location are two methods we can use for 3rd party kexts that are needed to run MacOS on non-Apple hardware.

ane. You lot can re-create all your 3rd political party kexts to /EFI/Clover/Kexts/Other and allow Clover to Inject all the kexts by setting Clover -> System Parameters -> Inject Kexts to "Aye".​

two. You can install all your 3rd Political party kexts (including FakeSMC) in to /Library/Extensions (/L/E) which is the method that this guide volition cover.​

Which method you use is entirely personal selection, there are pros-and cons for each method which are discussed at length elsewhere in these forums.

---

3. Why should I use /Library/Extensions over Clover Injected kexts ?

• Injected Kexts alive outside of "protected MacOS retention" *
• Injecting a large amount of kexts may result in an unstable system
• Some older 3rd political party kexts practise not work correctly when injected by Clover
• Injected Kexts are not included in the kernel cache and thus are excluded class MacOS error checking **

Notes:

*

I employ the term "protected MacOS memory" in this guide equally a generic descriptive term. In reality kext'due south installed in /L/East are loaded into MacOS's kernel memory which is 'protected' (IE: segregated) form application retentiveness and execution memory. Everything running in kernel memory (including kexts) is actively managed and monitored past MacOS wheres as injected kexts are not.

** Lilu and it'southward plug-in'due south have a congenital in method for debugging and logging which also work'south if they are injected.

Feb 2020 kexts installed in /Fifty/E miss-data.

There accept been a few posts on this and other sites claiming that Apple has "clamped downwardly" on non-authorised third party kexts when installed in /Library/Extensions (/50/Due east) with effect from mid-February 2020 ... this news has been interpreted wrongly with claims that installing 3rd party Hackintosh kexts in /Library/Extensions (/Fifty/E) on MacOS Catalina and afterwards volition outcome in MacOs refusing to load them and that yous should use Clover to inject 3rd party kexts.

THIS IS Non TRUE !

What Apple tree actually did is drop support for kexts that used some legacy MacOS security API methods. None of the 3rd party kexts that we use to enable MacOS to run on non-Apple hardware (that I know of) use the legacy security API.

As of Catalina 10.15.6 All Hackintosh third political party kexts that I have been able to test work just too as they ever did when installed in /L/E with the caveat that the BooterConfig and CsrActiveConfig parameters in Clover's RTVariables section are set to the correct values and that you apply one of the kext install methods detailed in section half dozen of this guide.

Of grade you are free to cull which method y'all want to utilise, some users find information technology easier to apply Clover injection as it'southward simply a case of copying them to the /EFI/Clover/kexts/other folder. I myself install all third political party kexts in /Library/Extensions (/Fifty/E) on all my Hackintosh arrangement and everything works just fine.

---

4. Why does Clover take the Inject Kexts feature ?

The original reason that Clover supports injecting kexts is to load critical kexts required to run the post-obit :-

• MacOS Installer
• MacOS Updater
• MacOS Recovery

Since none of the above are total operating systems it is not possible to easily install the kexts nosotros demand and then we utilise Clover to inject the critical kexts we demand earlier booting any of the above post OS packages. About users will merely need FakeSMC in EFI/Clover/kexts/Other in order to run all of the to a higher place packages. Some users may need to add additional driver kexts in order to access 3rd party storage controllers or NAS based TimeMachine backups, laptop users may need to add a mouse or trackpad kext if they require mouse control when running Recovery.

Call back very carefully about the kexts you

actually need

in EFI/Clover/kexts/Other ... you lot only need the absolute blank minimum to run the to a higher place packages.

Examples of Critical Kexts :-

• FakeSMC (or Lilu + VirtualSMC) is a basic necessity and must always be included in EFI/Clover/kexts/Other
• Some GPU'due south/IGPU's may need Lilu + WhatEverGreen kexts
• Ethernet driver if you demand to restore a TimeMachine Backup in Recovery from a NAS
• VoodooPS2Controller on laptops so you can apply keyboard and trackpad in recovery

Examples of Non-Critical Kexts :-

• Audio drivers (EG AppleALC)
• Bluetooth drivers
• Airport drivers
• FakeSMC Sensor plug-in'southward

If your in doubt as to if yous need a item kext (or not) showtime effort with out it, the best test is to try to boot MacOS recovery (as long equally it is installed) .. once y'all can boot MacOS recovery then your organization will also be able to kicking the MacOS Updater and Installer.

---

5. How does Clover know to Inject kexts or Non ?

You need to set Clover -> Organization Parameters -> Inject Kexts to "Detect"

With this setting, Clover will expect for FakeSMC (or Lilu + VirtualSMC) in /Library/Extensions or the MacOS Kernel Enshroud when you select/boot MacOS, if 'detected' Clover will not inject any kexts and get out MacOS to load all the 3rd political party kexts (including FakeSMC) from /Library/Extensions (or the kernel enshroud).

If Clover does non 'detect' FakeSMC (or Lilu + VirtualSMC) in /Library/Extensions or the MacOS Kernel Cache such as when booting Recovery or a MacOS update and so Clover volition inject all the kexts from the EFI/Clover/kexts/Other binder.

---

6. How do I install kexts in /Library/Extensions ?

Important: Exercise not utilise Finder to copy kext's to /Library/Extensions as it will not correctly install the kext(s)

Prerequisites :-

First we need to make certain that MacOS is allowed to load unsigned kexts/drivers by setting BooterConfig and CsrActiveConfig in Clover'south RTVariables section to the correct values.

Code:

                  <central>RtVariables</key>     <dict>         <key>BooterConfig</key>         <string>0x28</string>         <key>CsrActiveConfig</key>         <string>0x67</string>         .         .         .     </dict>                

You tin besides gear up these values in the RTVariables section of Clover Configurator :-

Note: A very few users take reported that due to a rare SIP bug in early release versions of Catalina it was necessary to enable SIP to install kexts into /50/E ..... if you find you are unable to install Kexts into /L/E in Catalina using the methods below and then try setting CsrActiveConfig to 0x0 and install the kexts as detailed beneath then in one case installed reset CsrActiveConfig to 0x67. The event was resolved by Apple with the Catalina 10.15.four update.

The Hackintool Method

Prerequisites:

Make sure you have the latest version of Hackintool installed

Tip: If you have a lot of kexts to install and then it easer to re-create them all to a common binder.

Run Hackintool and click the "Utilities" icon on the upper in-app menu (used to be "Tools" in previous versions)

Now click on the "Install Kexts(s)" icon on the lower menu

Navigate to the folder you want to install the kext(s) from and select (CMD-Click) the ones you lot want to install so that they are highlighted, then click on "Select".

Hackintool will now prompt you lot for your admin/system password

Hackintool will at present ask where you want to install the kexts to, it defaults to /Fifty/Due east so but click on "Select Destination"

If you lot are running MacOS Catalina (or later), Hackintool will enquire if you desire to Disable Gatekeeper and mount the system bulldoze in Read/Write fashion ... Click on "OK" (Note: Gatekeeper will be automatically re-enabled and the arrangement drive flagged every bit read only on the adjacent system reboot).

Hackintool volition now install the selected kexts into /L/E, repair all kext permissions and rebuild the kext caches :-

Once it's finished you should see something like the following :-

Thats it .. chore washed ... don't worry that the output is red .. thats completely normal, you should at present reboot your arrangement to load the newly installed kexts.

_____________________________________​

Terminal/Console Method :-

For MacOS Catalina Only:

Earlier installing Kexts you lot must first disable Gate Keeper and mount the System Sectionalization as Read/Wriet.
Enter the following commands in terminal, one at a time :-

Code:

                  sudo spctl --master-disable sudo mountain -uw sudo killall Finder                

For All MacOS versions :

Using Finder, create a folder on your desktop, copy all the kexts you desire to install into it.

1. Open up Terminal and change the active path to the folder you created in step 1 using the "CD" control.
2. Install the Kexts into /Library/Extensions using the following command :-

Code:

                  sudo cp -R *.kext /Library/Extensions                

4. To repair permissions and rebuild the caches enter the post-obit commands one at a fourth dimension :-​

Code:

                  sudo chown -v -R root:bike /System/Library/Extensions sudo touch /Organization/Library/Extensions sudo chmod -5 -R 755 /Library/Extensions sudo chown -five -R root:bike /Library/Extensions sudo touch /Library/Extensions sudo kextcache -i /                

The above command ready is a belt and braces approach (mimics what Hackintool and Kext Utility does) and should make sure that in that location are no bug with any file persimmons on the organization kexts (in /S/50/E) and the tertiary party kexts (in /L/East).

One time finished reboot your organization.

---

7. Updating Kexts

If you need to update 1 or more kexts then use Finder to the delete just the kexts yous want to update (

practice not select all/delete all

) from /Library/Extensions and then install the new versions using one of the methods detailed in section vii of this guide.

Note: Catalina users should showtime run Hackingtool and click on the icon in the tools section to disable Gatekeeper and mount the Arrangement bulldoze in Read/Write, then yous tin can delete the kexts you want to update and then use Hackintool to install the updated kext(s).

To update kexts in EFI/Clover/kexts/Other just use Finder to re-create and paste the new kexts and select "Supplant" when prompted.

---

8. Deleteting Kexts

If you need to delete one or more kexts, but navigate to /L/Eastward in Finder, select the kext(due south) you no longer need and select Motility to Trash in the context menu (right click).

Note: Catalina users should offset run Hackingtool and click on the icon in the tools section to disable Gatekeeper and mountain the Arrangement drive in Read/Write, and then y'all tin can delete the necessary kexts.

So run Hackingtool and employ the "Repair Permissions and Rebuild Caches" feature on the Tools page :-

Alternatively you can run Kext Utility or execute the Terminal commands to repair permissions and rebuild the caches (see Section-7 to a higher place).

---

9. Summary

i. Copy FakeSMC and only critical kext'south needed to run the MacOS Installer, Updater or Recovery to EFI/Clover/kexts/Other​

​

2. Install

all

tertiary political party kexts (including FakeSMC) required to run MacOS in /Library/Extensions​

​

3. Set Clover -> System Parameters -> Inject Kexts to "Detect"​

​

Share this post