I then hit upon http://hpminiosx.wetpaint.com/ which is a wiki devoted entirely to hackintoshing the HP / Compaq Minis.

Reading through the instructions there, and something hit me.

Both tutorials mentioned using OSx86 Tools, but the tutorials I’d followed didn’t really touch on that.

So at the point where I had originally got to, i.e. a working OSX install, but BEFORE installing any of the kexts, I fired up OSx86 and had a tinker, and realised that you can install the kexts from here, instead of kext helper, so I thought I’d give it a go.

Step 1: Installed the non-video kexts – rebooted – no problems. Ooh, Airport detected! Ooh, battery icon!
Step 2: Installed one of the video kexts (I was convinced that these were what was causing the problem, so I held my breath) – rebooted – no problems (same low resolution though)
Step 3: Installed the OTHER video kext (yes, this must have been the killer one) – rebooted – STILL no problems (but still the same low resolution though)

Hmmm… So I’ve installed the kexts, but still don’t have the correct screen resolution. Re-looked at the WetPaint wiki instructions, and spotted something that the other tutorials never mentioned.

Now open up UInstaller.
1. Select your Hard Drive under Drives
2. Choose OSx86_Essentials as the package to install
3. Click “Apply kext package”

Wait – how did I miss this?

I followed those three steps, and rebooted, not expecting anything because I’d done things entirely out of sequence.

WOAH!

I have full resolution (1024 x 576), my audio works, my wifi works

No idea how I missed that step, but hey, I’m sorted!

Now I just hope I don’t break it

Sorted the install problem (the buttons were all off screen), finished the install, and installed the kexts (osx drivers).

Rebooted when required, and now I end up with a nice blue screen and nothing else.

Arse.

I believe that’s the third arse tonight.

Well it’s 01:15am, so I’m giving up or tonight…

The main problem is that I don’t HAVE a “continue”.

Downloaded all 36 parts, used WinRAR to join them up into one single ISO file.

Partitioned my external hard drive into two parts – an 8Gb partition for the ISO, and the rest for all the kexts and install files I’d need once I got OS X installed.

I successfully used Leopard HD Install Helper to install the ISO on my external hard drive.

So then my heart filled with trepidation.

I rebooted the Compaq, saw the new “Choose Windows or OSX” menu (thanks to the Leapoard helper), though “ooh, I don;t haveOSX yet, I’ll stick with Windows and boot from the external drive. So I did that, and got…

a black screen with a flashing cursor.

Ah.

Realised my mistake, this time I rebooted, and told it to boot OSX. It gave me the option of booting from either of the partitions on my external hard drive, so I picked the iDeneb ISO.

Oooo! An Apple Logo!

Answered the obligatory “language” question, and then got the oh-so-helpful iDeneb menu.

Now what?

No idea.

I foolishly assumed it would be self explanatory from this point on.

A quick Google revelaed I needed to go into Utilities -> Disk Utility, and format the new empty partition ready for Mac use.

I did this, (formatted Disk0s2 as Mac OS Journaled).

The Google page I was reading then told me to fix the MBR in Options. Only I couldn’t find an ‘Options’ for that partition. I found one for the hard drive itself, but didn;t do anything because I didn’t really know what I was doing.

So I just rebooted, presuming that now I’d formatted the OSX disk, it would run through the install procedure this time.

And what did I get?

“Missing operating system”

Arsebiscuits.

11. Checked my iDeneb file… Ah, it’s corrupt.
13. Re-read Maurien19′s blog, and she too had problems with iDeneb torrents, so advised tracking down the RAR version. All thirty six pieces of it.
14. A quick google led me to this list of RAR pieces. Had no luck with the Rapidshare links, so started on the MegaUpload ones.
15. Set off thirteen of the pieces downloading. Went to try the 14th, and got “download limit exceeded”. Hmm. This may take a while. “Please wait 7 minutes before trying again”.

Right, I’ll next report back when I’ve got all 36. Probably by Wednesday at this rate!

(UPDATE: I’m up to 22 now -this is FUN!)
(UPDATE 2: @8:20pm – Now have all 36 files, WinRar is joining them back up into one ISO – should take around 20 mins)

1. Downloaded iDeneb 1.5 ISO (the hacked OSX Leopard install disc)

2. Downloaded iLife and iWork and various patches

3. Download the necessary ‘kexts’ (equivalent of drivers for OSX)

4. Download BIOS update for the Mini

5. Ran the BIOS update, with the required reboot

6. Repartitioned the hard drive using Acronis Disk Director – created a new primary partition of 30Gb, unlabelled, no drive letter, unformatted, leaving 25Gb on C: for Windows

7. PC now shows a 25Gb C: drive, with no second drive showing. That’s good. Or at least I think it is.
My understanding is that the OSX install will detect the ‘other’ partition and let me select and format it as part of the install process. We’ll see, eh?

8. Realise I need an external DVD drive to actually do the install. Arse.

9. Hmmm. Thinks. Scratches head. Thinks some more.

10. Ooh, just remembered about a tutorial I read for a Dell Mini that lets you use an USB Hard Drive to boot the ISO from, wonder if that will work for the Compaq?

Got to go out for a bit now, but hope to make some more progress later tonight.

So far I’m just gathering information and researching what sort of things I’m expected to do.

I’m not a massive MacHead, I’ve had a MacMini for a few years, have been an iPod owner for a few more, and am a relatively recent iPhone convert, but that’s about the extent of my Macness.

I’ve messed around with custom firmware on my PSP, and jailbroken iPhones, so I guess this is the next step.

Wish me luck!