Apple TV running on a Macbook

Yes, but how?

Guys, you’re so great!
Can you share the file and a tutorial somewhere (e.g. over bittorrent)?

can you confirm if the keyboard and mouse are working?

Can find the app here http://www.twkmedia.co.uk/cgibin/Finder.zip

Some one upload a torrent to deminoid please. If you do not have an account I will you can email me at bribas@sbcglobal.net

the url http://www.twkmedia.co.uk/cgibin/Finder.zip doesn’t work. Says it’s a classic app when you add .app to it.

What happens when you put a DVD in the drive (booted into [apple]TV)? Will it play?

Why is a patched Finder necessary in the first place?

What is incompatible about the AppleTV Finder that it won’t run on a stock OS X install?

This looks all very good, but I don’t exactly see the point at the same time, when you can do this in front row. Plus have to wait for a longer bootup…

The Apple TV finder does a hardware check.

THe patched finder above works fine. You don’t even need a clean OSX for it, just make sure you have the two frameworks in the right place and launch it. (But you won’t be able to quit it without logging in with ssh and killing it.)

from other hacks, it would appear that the appletv can run osx apps (e.g. people are running apache/ssh etc)

if this is the case, i would have thought the ‘holy grail’ would be to get eyeTV running on the appletv, so that the appletv can be used as a PVR. (essentially this is what most people expected of the appltv anyways)
does this run? does the USB port acknowledge USB hardware?

i guess this depends on how much is in the ‘reduced osx’ , otherwise this might require osx to be somehow installed on the appletv

Has anyone come across any problems installing this on a macbook yet? When I launch the patched finder, it spits this error out:

Finder[367] *** +[QCPatch loadPlugInsInFolder:]: selector not recognized
Finder[367] *** Uncaught exception: *** +[QCPatch loadPlugInsInFolder:]: selector not recognized
Trace/BPT trap

Anyone know how this can be fixed?

So am I correct in my understanding that in addition to the patched finder you also need the two AppleTV framework files to get this going? If so, that means that you will need access to an AppleTV drive, correct?

While this seems like a novel thing; I hardly find it useful, or worthwhile to turn my $2500 computer into a $300 iTV…… I think I’d buy the Apple TV and leave this one alone….. I’ve got better things to do with my time.

Just my 2C

Z

Could someone make a automator action or an app for copying the files?

that’s what i did too, but it wouldn’t load the new finder for me.

Mar 27 12:23:49 computer FrontRow[580]: Message Handler Installation Failed: bootstrap_check_in(): 0x44c: Bootstrap not privileged\n
Mar 27 12:23:49 computer FrontRow[580]: No matching IR micro server found.
Mar 27 12:23:49 computer FrontRow[580]: VERS: failed to get ImageVersion for display
Mar 27 12:23:49 computer FrontRow[580]: VERS: failed to get BootImageVersion for display
Mar 27 12:23:49 computer FrontRow[580]: Unsupported hardware – Exiting

I can’t get it to work at all. Tried copying the OSBoot from the torrent over onto the disk and starting, won’t boot. Tried doing this and then doing the finder patch, won’t boot. Have tried installing a new 10.4.4 and doing the finder patch, no finder loads at all, just the dock with Dashboard as the only open app. Tried copying an existing 10.4.9 onto the disk and then doing the finder patch, same as with 10.4.4. What gives? How can it be done? Can those that have actually done it share their exact steps?

Congrats. You turned a $1000 laptop into a single-purpose appliance. Sign me the fuck up…

@grouch: it was just for testing and fun, i’m not going to use it

done everything shown above (apart from manually dragging the files etc, as i didn’t know the correct path). set the permissions also. The finder just won’t launch! any ideas?

Can someone PLEASE post a working link to the file downloads

When I try to copy Backrow.framework, it says that sme items have special permissions and can’t be copied. I am on an administrator account and have no restrictions. Please help!!!!

Would this work on an “OSx86″ PC and not an app as OS X will run with some mods.

Wow I finally did it. Took all day though. Heres how I did it.

I used apples boot camp to split my drive into 2 partitions. I made my second partition 20g, but that its actually kind of large if you don’t plan on storing media on your aTV. Then I used the disk utility from the mac OS X install disk to format my second partition to the MAC Journaled format. Then I downloaded a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner. Thats a free application that will exactly copy files from one drive to another regardless of permissions. Make sure you get the BETA version though, its much better. In the application, set the target drive as your main HD partition, and the source as the drive you want your files to be copied to. Now you dont need to copy your whole HD over to your other partition, chances are it wont even fit. So i picked certain things I could leave out such as movies, pictures, music, a whole bunch of applications and application support files located in the library, apple audio loops…and so on. You can decide what is important to copy and what is not. It is manditory that you keep everything in the system folder and all the frameworks. Anything that you suspect to be a system file needed to run the operating system, you should copy over. Then hit copy. I ran into some problems and I was getting an error message saying “Too many files open” If you get that, uncheck some items from the source an copy over a little at a time. This can be a time consuming process. Also, make sure the ” Delete items that don’t exist on the source” button is NOT checked. Once you have made a copy of your operating system, try booting into it by restarting and holding down command. When the drives pop up select the one labled EFI boot. It will take a little while, but if the new operating system loads without any problem then congratulations, your half way there. Restart and go back into your primary partition. So to make things a little less complex, I renamed my new drive partition “FreshOSX” which is the volume name used in all the code below. At this point you should make sure you have a patched finder.app file. I dont know where you can get one but I’m sure its floating around the net somewhere. The file is 6.6Mb in size and wont appear to have any extension. Dont try to give it one. Many people have been giving the file a .app extension and that will not work. Just leave it as is. Open the terminal and run the following code:

cd /Volumes/OSBoot/System/Library/CoreServices/
sudo cp -pr ./Finder.app /Volume/FreshOSX/System/Library/CoreServices/.
cd /Volumes/FreshOSX/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/
sudo cp /path/to/patched/Finder .
sudo chown root:wheel Finder
sudo chmod 755 Finder

Next you must copy over 2 additional Frameworks from the Apple TV to the OS X install:

cd /Volumes/OSBoot/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/
sudo cp -pr ./iPhotoAccess.framework /Volumes/FreshOSX/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/.
sudo cp -pr ./BackRow.framework /Volumes/FreshOSX/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/.

I noticed a typo in the code from the appletvhacks.net site. Anytime you see “/Volume” it should be “/Volumes” with an S. Just a minor typo but the code wont run unless its correct. I have corrected it in the code above.

After you have done all that, reboot into your EFI partition. I will be just like logging into any other mac, type your username and password if needed. Then you should see a desktop and a dock, but only breifly. It will go away on its own and apple tv will boot up. ENJOY!

I hope this guide made sense. Its been a long day trying to get this to work.

A few comments. Got it working (quite easy) on a mac mini intel core solo. Everything seems to work great! A few issues I’ve noticed.

- Volume doesn’t seem to work
- Would it be possible to produce a patch so that the appletv backrow could be quit to return back out to the finder?

I popped in a DVD to test and although appletv won’t play it i hear the sound in the background. Would someone be able to hack it to enable an extra button “play dvd”.

Just some thoughts — looking forward to updates — this rocks guys!

Sounds like the Apple TV OS will be the next version of Front Row in Leopard. Why else would it be so easy to perform this hack?

I was just reading some of the replies and and a comment on Demonoid from a guy who made the Finder patch but renamed the app and the .plist inside to “Front Row” then replaced the FrontRow from the CoreServices, repaired permissions and rebooted, so every time he called front row from his remote it will pop up…

And he seems to have the issue with not quitting the app, I was wondering if somebody tried to activate the hidden Finder option to add a “quit item” to the menu via tinkertool or something like that, so you could quit via command-q.

I’m dying to try it but I’m stuck with a MacMini PPC.

If this works I’m gonna make the change to intel…

Please notify if this could work.

Thanks! It works on my MacBook Pro.

I have a alternative way to do it.
Just copy the backrow and iphotoaccess to your privateframework of existing system.
and Copy the patched Finder.app to /Applications, you can also change the name. For example, I called it AppleTV.app.

and, just double-click on AppleTV, and you got your AppleTV up and running!

—
BTW, my MBP only gets 1280×800 res., it will switch to this mode before entering application, and System Preferences will stuck at the Loading Display… until reboot.
and the only way to shutdown Apple TV is using SSH from another computer and kill the process. ^^

Will it play the cool startup video that comes with the AppleTV?

It work´s fine on my mac mini core solo!
But… it don´t play any Video Media like the trailers from the apple website…
Has anyone the same or a similar error and solved it already?

Creating .pkg thanx Zero

http://www.unlimacted.com/2007/03/26/theme-apple-tv-pour-front-row/

Ton “quit” Finder through ssh, log into the AppleTV-thing-machine and enter “killall Finder”, ENTER and done.

Hello, where can I download the Finder file?

2 Fixed with Pkg’s
New version -> http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/1002016/Apple_TV_1.1.dmg

Thanx

Hi, i’m not understanding how to use this Apple_TV_1.1.dmg, what must I do whit this package?
Must I install it on my mac os x disk? And then?
Sorry for my stupid questions but I’m not understanding…
Thanks.

I’ve posted a complete procedure on how to install Back Row on a Intel Mac and call it with the Apple remote.
You can also quit it without restarting and you keep your Original Finder.

http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/showthread.php?t=463

I have updated my method at

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=46680

You can either completely replace front row or just have it running as a standalone app

NO CLEAN INSTALL REQUIRED!

there is also an app included that lets you quit apple tv using your mouse instead of SSH.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease! Who has the password for the damn thing!

OK, I managed to get everything to work by downloading the AppleTV dmg (118Mb) onto my Mac-Mini. The dmg I used is the one that installs the necessary frameworks with a script installer and gives you an “Apple TV. app” to use as a standalone application.

Now I’m trying to use the Apple TV app to replace Front Row:
I renamed Apple TV as Front Row, dragged it to /System/Core Services, and replaced the old Front Row, and restarted the mac mini.
However, the Menu button of my Apple Remote control doesn’t trigger the new Front Row.

Any suggestion?

Has anyone managed to run Apple TV on an iMac Core Duo ?

http://gadgetblog.kuki.com.es/

Does anyone ANYWHERE have a non hacked original dd image of the appletv hard drive?
My partition tables have been corrupted by macdrive and I need (I believe at least the 1st 2gigs (?) to get the unit to point where it can factory restore itself.

I’ve tried various torrent sites they seem to be obsessed with images running on a standard mac.
Just want the original OS so can make a hard drive upgrade.

Anyone got a link or willing to upload a dd image?

Thanks

Simon

Can anyone help me to find the patched Finder ?
I looked a bit everywhere but all links where broken ….

Thanks!!!

I think it’s a clever hack, but (not wishing to dump on your success) surely you’ve just made a very/more expensive apple TV?

And if you use an Apple TV for the hack, then you must already have one and then what’s the point in the hack? Just to show it can be done?

Will this work on a MBP? What about a PBG4? Thanks, I’m really excited to upgrade to a Core 2 Duo Mac, and this will be one of the first things I try!

http://buyfemaleviagra.blogspot.com/

Can you connect the macbook to a tv, and use the appletv? Or should I just use frontrow?

haha i just realized that bc i have no disk space, I can’t do this. Wait, i found that i can just burn to a dvd and use a live dvd. Nevermind.

Apple tv os is tiger

Thanks! It works on my MacBook Pro.

That’s great!