Introduction

NetbookInstaller has a very specific method for updating kexts that are used. We use a total of three kext caches throughout the system. The first, the boot cache, it generated from /System/Library/Extensions just like in a real mac. No kexts installed by NetbookInstaller are ever in that cache. The second kext cache is /System/Library/Extensions.mkext. The only kexts in here are from the /System/Library/Extensions/ directory. The last kext location, inside, /Extra, houses all of the kexts installed by NetbookInstaller.

Details

UpdateExtra is used to regenerate every kext cache used by the bootloader. The fist two kext caches mentioned above or only regenerated for a just-in-case scenario. They aren't touched by NetbookInstaller, but you never know what (or who) might modify them.

In order to add or remove a kext, do the following:

Open a finder window
Press cmd + shift + G
Type /Extra in the window that appeared in from the above command and hit enter.
Copy any kexts you want to /Extra/machineNameExt/
Run /Extra/UpdateExtra.app to rebuild the extension cache.

Comment by gvital...@gmail.com, Oct 26, 2009

Let me ask a question:based on experience I observed that UpdateExtra builts an /Extra Extensions.mkext against both /E/GE and /S/L/E and in case it finds duplicates, loads what found in /E/GE, regardless version numbering (e.g. an older version in /E/GE gets included even if a newer is present in /S/L/E). I also seem to understand that Chameleon 2.0 loads both Extensions.mkext in /E and S/L, skipping duplicates. What happens when Chameleon finds a duplicate with an older version number in the /E Extensions.mkext and a newer version is present in /S/L Extensions.mkext? Thanks in advance.

► Sign in to add a comment