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Modded Continuity Activation Tool (BTLE cards) with El Capitan is working

Apple_Robert

Apple_Robert

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Original poster
Sep 21, 2012
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In a van down by the river
Edited to add: CAT is now working. The latest sysfloat CAT can be found here.

If anyone has trouble getting CAT to work, (via error messages etc) please post your Mac model, model card or dongle.

Make sure you have a recent backup before going through the process, just in case something untoward happens.

Thanks to Scoobie for working to help debug the older CAT problem with Handoff, and to Sysfloat for keeping CAT abilities alive for us and refining the install process.
 
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What about machines that didn't need the tool, but instead needed a hardware upgrade like the Mac Pro towers? I'm curious.

EDIT: Dammit. This means even if I get the hardware upgrade for my MacBook, I'm still f*ed. Thanks Apple.
 
iamMacPerson said:
What about machines that didn't need the tool, but instead needed a hardware upgrade like the Mac Pro towers? I'm curious.
Click to expand...
I have read on here as well as on another site, (Trim Enabler) that no third party Kext signing (read: changing) will be allowed. If your upgrade doesn't call for the Kext to change, you may be ok.
 
Netkas has said if you run with boot args kext-dev-mode=1 and rootless=0 , the system works just like Yosemite. This shouldn't be an issue.
 
Are we really going to be running in rootless=0 for some kext? What's the point of going the mac way if we will compromise on the secure foundation itself?
 
I can confirm that CAT doesn't work with 10.11. Here is the text I receive when performing a 'System Diagnostic' within CAT (apologies for not attaching a screenshot, I am receiving a 'Plug-in failure' message within Safari):

--- Initiating system compatiblity check ---



--- Hardware/OS checks ---

Verifying Continuity status... OK. OS X reports Continuity as inactive

Verifying Mac model reference... OK. Known compatible Mac Model detected: MacBookPro8,1

Verifying Mac board-id... OK. Long board id detected: Mac-94245B3640C91C81

Verifying OS X version... Warning: This tool wasn't tested with OS X versions higher than 10.10. Detected OS version: 10.11

Verifying Wi-Fi hardware... OK. A Broadcom AirPort card is active, and uses the legacy Brcm4331 kext. This tool can fix this.

Verifying AWDL status... OK. No AWDL is active, but the hardware seems to be able to support it. This tool can try to fix this.

Verifying Bluetooth hardware... OK. The internal Bluetooth card is active

Verifying Bluetooth version... /Applications/Continuity Activation Tool.app/Contents/Resources/contitool.sh: line 357: [: 6

6: integer expression expected

NOT OK. Your hardware doesn't support Bluetooth 4.0, necessary for Continuity. Current LMP Version=6

6, expected 6.

Verifying Bluetooth features... WARNING. Unknown Bluetooth features have been detected (code:15

15). This tool can try to fix this.

Verifying Bluetooth firmware... OK. Bluetooth firmware version: v149 c5831



--- Modifications check ---

Verifying OS kext protection... OK. Kext developer mode is already active

Verifying kexts readability... OK. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth kexts were found and could be read

Verifying Bluetooth blacklist status... OK. Warning: Blacklist not found in the Bluetooth drivers. An OS X update might have made this hack useless.

However, your Mac model shouldn't need to be removed from that blacklist.

Verifying Wi-Fi whitelist status... OK. Your board-id is not yet whitelisted. This tool can fix this.

Verifying old Wi-Fi kext presence... OK. Legacy Brcm4331 Wi-Fi driver is present. This tool can fix this.

Verifying legacy Wi-Fi card patch... OK. The legacy Wi-Fi patch is not present. This tool can fix this.

Verifying BT4 dongles compatibility... WARNING. Unpatchable drivers found. They are either already patched or don't support CAT.

Press any key to go back to the main menu...
 
macintoshmac said:
Are we really going to be running in rootless=0 for some kext? What's the point of going the mac way if we will compromise on the secure foundation itself?
Click to expand...

We've lived through 10 versions of OS X without enforced kext signing and 11 without root protection and now suddenly its a massive security issue to disable these "features"? o_O
 
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SlCKB0Y said:
We've lived through 10 versions of OS X without enforced kext signing and 11 without root protection and now suddenly its a massive security issue to disable these "features"? o_O
Click to expand...

I agree with you completely here. People seem to think that Apple are trying to 'protect' us with these features however I think they exist more so to encourage us to buy the new product by limiting our upgrade options.
 
Would it be possible to turn off the Rootless system file protection, use the Continuity Activation Tool, and turn Rootless protection back on? If so, how would one go about it?
 
Well interestingly, on my install on DP 1 bluetooth and continuity are working out of the box. I have a 2011 iMac with an upgraded n/bt 4.0 airport card in the wifi slot. Perhaps apple decided to remove the whitelist/blacklist. I'm sure it was an oversight and in a later preview I'll find it nuked.
 
i tried rootless = 0 in terminal then i ran the activation tool still didn't work

looks like the only thing apple worked on improving in el crappytan is blocking users from getting new features on older hardware.:rolleyes:
 
abcdefg12345 said:
i tried rootless = 0 in terminal then i ran the activation tool still didn't work

looks like the only thing apple worked on improving in el crappytan is blocking users from getting new features on older hardware.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
i've type in terminal sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" than delete IO80211Family.kext and IOBluetoothFamily.kext from System/Library/Extensions, make sure that this "kext" were copy in Library/Extensions, after that i run CAT and it work's for me. MBP 13" late 2011
 
vopol said:
i've type in terminal sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" than delete IO80211Family.kext and IOBluetoothFamily.kext from System/Library/Extensions, make sure that this "kext" were copy in Library/Extensions, after that i run CAT and it work's for me. MBP 13" late 2011
Click to expand...
Did you turn rootless back on afterward? If so, what command did you use? It is my understanding, that if rootless is off, there is no more automatic disk repair with updates.
 
Why not wait for the GM? This tool came out after Yosemite launched, so perhaps they have excluded it from the beta as it's not a core service and it's being rethought.
 
vopol said:
i've type in terminal sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" ...
Click to expand...

By the way that is a bad way of setting boot arguments! You are also overwritting any existing boot arguments that might be set already!

Better check the existing settings first, then append your desired settings (such as rootless=0).

In order to enable rootless simply omit that option the next time you set your boot arguments.

As for the question about whether you need to keep "rootless" disabled after having done your kernel extension modifications: I cannot tell from my own experience, but according to a discussion about "Trim enabler and El Capitain" it is okay to re-enable "rootless", after the corresponding Apple kext has been "patched" (by Trim Enabler).
 
vopol said:
i've type in terminal sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" than delete IO80211Family.kext and IOBluetoothFamily.kext from System/Library/Extensions, make sure that this "kext" were copy in Library/Extensions, after that i run CAT and it work's for me. MBP 13" late 2011
Click to expand...

i did as u suggested i ran the command sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" in terminal then deleted IO80211Family.kext and IOBluetoothFamily.kext from System/Library/Extensions and ran the tool still got the error

Screen Shot 2015-06-11 at 12.34.47 AM.png


running this tool on early 2011 MBP with the hardware upgrade which is still working on Yosemite partition
 
abcdefg12345 said:
i did as u suggested i ran the command sudo nvram boot-args="rootless=0" in terminal then deleted IO80211Family.kext and IOBluetoothFamily.kext from System/Library/Extensions and ran the tool still got the error

View attachment 560258

running this tool on early 2011 MBP with the hardware upgrade which is still working on Yosemite partition
Click to expand...
I got the same message. For some reason, I couldn't find the two kext files noted, even though I used Spotlight to search in the Extensions folder.

I miss my Airdrop ability.

* Side note - I was able to get MacID working after turning off rootless, rebooting, installing MacID, and then turned rootless back on. That was one of my other heavily used apps that I am glad to get back.
 
It is still possible to unlock Continuity manually.
Just follow the tutorial here but instead of running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1" run
sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0". After a verifying everything works fine after a reboot you can reenable rootless by running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1".
 
r4ndy said:
It is still possible to unlock Continuity manually.
Just follow the tutorial here but instead of running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1" run
sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0". After a verifying everything works fine after a reboot you can reenable rootless by running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1".
Click to expand...

yeah! it works on MBA mid 2011

hLKS4t.png
 
iamMacPerson said:
What about machines that didn't need the tool, but instead needed a hardware upgrade like the Mac Pro towers? I'm curious.

EDIT: Dammit. This means even if I get the hardware upgrade for my MacBook, I'm still f*ed. Thanks Apple.
Click to expand...

Having upgraded my Mac Pro hardware back in Mavericks, continuity and handoff work just fine in both Yosemite and Cappy.
 
r4ndy said:
It is still possible to unlock Continuity manually.
Just follow the tutorial here but instead of running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1" run
sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1 rootless=0". After a verifying everything works fine after a reboot you can reenable rootless by running sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1".
Click to expand...
I am confused starting with the part about opening the kext file with OXeD app.
 
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