Macbook 32bit/64bit?

moonchilddave · Jul 28, 2011, 07:37 PM

I have an early 2008 (White) Macbook that I did a clean install of Lion on. One thing I noticed when looking around was in the System Profiler, if I click on software it says "64-bit kernel extensions: No". Now I thought Lion only ran in 64bit, and when I boot up, it tells me my Apple USB modem can't be used. I was under the impression that was because the kernel driver for the modem was 32bit only - but System profiler says that 64-bit extensions aren't enabled... I'm a little confused.

mrapplegate · Jul 28, 2011, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

I have an early 2008 (White) Macbook that I did a clean install of Lion on. One thing I noticed when looking around was in the System Profiler, if I click on software it says "64-bit kernel extensions: No". Now I thought Lion only ran in 64bit, and when I boot up, it tells me my Apple USB modem can't be used. I was under the impression that was because the kernel driver for the modem was 32bit only - but System profiler says that 64-bit extensions aren't enabled... I'm a little confused.

Lion is 64-bit but the Apple USB modem does not seem to work under Lion
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...ight=usb+modem

moonchilddave · Jul 28, 2011, 07:48 PM

If that is the case, I don't understand why my System Profiler lists 64-bit kernel extensions as "no" then...

mrapplegate · Jul 28, 2011, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

If that is the case, I don't understand why my System Profiler lists 64-bit kernel extensions as "no" then...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4287
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3770

Check these for more info.

Intell · Jul 28, 2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrapplegate

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4287
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3770

Check these for more info.

I'm pretty sure Lion's kernel is 64-bit only. That's why there's no way to get it to work on older Core Duo Macs.

hekokimushi · 08:23 PM

my C2D shows 64bit Kernel Extension : Yes

sjinsjca · Jul 28, 2011, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

If that is the case, I don't understand why my System Profiler lists 64-bit kernel extensions as "no" then...

That is strange. Have you tried calling AppleCare?

moonchilddave · Jul 28, 2011, 08:48 PM

I found this thread with people discussing exactly this issue...

http://att.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1193861

I have a Macbook 4,1 (Early 2008 White) 2.1G C2D. It is apparently running 32bit, even though it apparently has a 64bit processor and 64bit EFI:

Daves-MacBook:~ dave$ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi
| | "firmware-abi" = <"EFI64">

System Profiler shows: "64-bit Kernel Extensions: No". Looking at Activity Monitor most things say "Intel (64bit)" but some just say "Intel". Color me still confused.

moonchilddave · Jul 28, 2011, 09:04 PM

Anyone know where the Apple USB Modem kernel extension is located in 10.6.8? I'm wondering if I copied it over to Lion and restarted, if I'd have my modem back.

Intell · Jul 28, 2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

Anyone know where the Apple USB Modem kernel extension is located in 10.6.8? I'm wondering if I copied it over to Lion and restarted, if I'd have my modem back.

I think the Apple USB modem has been completely dropped from Lion.

moonchilddave · Jul 29, 2011, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intell

I think the Apple USB modem has been completely dropped from Lion.

Well, my thinking was - since my copy of Lion is running a 32-bit kernel - couldn't I copy the kernel extensions over from Snow Leopard? Or is there a bit more to it than that?

I found this on my SL partition:

/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/MotorolaSM56KUSB.kext

I copied that over to the same place on Lion (preserving ownership/permissions) - but no luck. Is there more to it than that???

Intell · Jul 29, 2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

Well, my thinking was - since my copy of Lion is running a 32-bit kernel - couldn't I copy the kernel extensions over from Snow Leopard? Or is there a bit more to it than that?

I found this on my SL partition:

/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/MotorolaSM56KUSB.kext

I copied that over to the same place on Lion (preserving ownership/permissions) - but no luck. Is there more to it than that???

It may be more than that. Apple might have blacklisted the modem to prevent it from being used.

Draeconis · Jul 30, 2011, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonchilddave

I have an early 2008 (White) Macbook that I did a clean install of Lion on. One thing I noticed when looking around was in the System Profiler, if I click on software it says "64-bit kernel extensions: No". Now I thought Lion only ran in 64bit, and when I boot up, it tells me my Apple USB modem can't be used. I was under the impression that was because the kernel driver for the modem was 32bit only - but System profiler says that 64-bit extensions aren't enabled... I'm a little confused.

I was trying to help someone else figure this out a while ago.

There seems to be a physical restriction on those MacBooks from booting into the 64bit kernel, despite the fact the hardware and EFI support it. Holding '6' and '4' doesn't force it, even adding the kernel flag 'arch=x86_64' to com.apple.Boot.plist doesn't work, the machine just won't boot into 64bit mode.

The iMac 5,1 and the MacPro1,1 only have EFI32, but they're also entirely capable of running 64bit mode, but also can't, though there are other machines that have EFI32 but have 64bit capable hardware that boot into the 64bit kernel mode by default.

Personally, my MacBookPro 4,1 boots into 64bit mode by default.

There is a 32bit kernel mode in Lion, but all the core apps (like finder etc) are only written in 64bit, so you still can't install it on a 32bit machine. Running Lion on a 32bit machine by removing 'platformsupport.plist' only worked in DP1 because Finder still had a 32bit version, but since DP2, this was removed. You can however install Lion on something like an older Core Duo Mac Mini which has been upgraded to a C2D (check out iFixIt, they do really helpful guides on how to achine this, as well as many other things).

Hope this helps mate.

moonchilddave · Jul 30, 2011, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intell

It may be more than that. Apple might have blacklisted the modem to prevent it from being used.

It was more than that... I now have my Apple USB Modem working with Lion perfectly (dialup and fax both work)! A poster in the Apple Discussions thread above found a workaround... I forgot to copy over the audio driver, you need to copy both (and be in 32bit mode I think):

/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/MotorolaSM56KUS B.kext
/System/Library/Extensions/SM56KUSBAudioFamily.kext

So, apparently Apple didn't blacklist it - they just didn't bother to include the drivers.

Jul 28, 2011, 07:37 PM	#1
moonchilddave macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2009	Macbook 32bit/64bit? I have an early 2008 (White) Macbook that I did a clean install of Lion on. One thing I noticed when looking around was in the System Profiler, if I click on software it says "64-bit kernel extensions: No". Now I thought Lion only ran in 64bit, and when I boot up, it tells me my Apple USB modem can't be used. I was under the impression that was because the kernel driver for the modem was 32bit only - but System profiler says that 64-bit extensions aren't enabled... I'm a little confused.
	0

Jul 28, 2011, 08:16 PM	#6
hekokimushi macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2008	my C2D shows 64bit Kernel Extension : Yes __________________ 13"Al Macbook5,1 2.4GHz 8GB Ram 10.8.2 OCZ V2 60G with TRIM@optiBay 32Gb iPhone 5 - White no dent/scratches Hackintosh, i7 2600K, 16GB RAM, GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 on 10.7.2 Last edited by hekokimushi; Jul 28, 2011 at 08:23 PM.
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Jul 28, 2011, 07:48 PM	#3
moonchilddave Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2009	If that is the case, I don't understand why my System Profiler lists 64-bit kernel extensions as "no" then...
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Jul 28, 2011, 08:48 PM	#8
moonchilddave Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2009	I found this thread with people discussing exactly this issue... http://att.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1193861 I have a Macbook 4,1 (Early 2008 White) 2.1G C2D. It is apparently running 32bit, even though it apparently has a 64bit processor and 64bit EFI: Daves-MacBook:~ dave$ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree \| grep firmware-abi \| \| "firmware-abi" = <"EFI64"> System Profiler shows: "64-bit Kernel Extensions: No". Looking at Activity Monitor most things say "Intel (64bit)" but some just say "Intel". Color me still confused.
	0

Jul 28, 2011, 09:04 PM	#9
moonchilddave Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2009	Anyone know where the Apple USB Modem kernel extension is located in 10.6.8? I'm wondering if I copied it over to Lion and restarted, if I'd have my modem back.
	0


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