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Mobro on a Mac? Or Hackintosh if you prefer :)

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Hi there,

For those in the realms of the Apple that would like Mobro to have a someway similar (but not quite the same) performance monitor on your Mac and/or Hackintosh… Well here you go:

cf62ac96-2401-4297-b3ae-0ccbb0d655a1.ee851716.jpg

How you can make it?

  1. First of all, install iStatistica Pro on your Mac or Hackintosh, and activate the remote monitor
  2. Change the web.html in the Application Contents inside the Resources folder to match the looks and size of the rpi screen (mine here is 800x480)
  3. Change the clock_date.php screensaver in your rpi mobro folder to include some javascript where: a.It checks if iStatistica Pro remote server is online; b: it launches inside the iframe the “escape” screensaver (mine is the clock_date modified with some animated gradient color that you can see here: https://www.mod-bros.com/en/forum/t/customisation-and-hackintosh-dual-boot-mod~1838) or the remote server of the iStatistica Pro web interface.

 

Now I'm able to have both the windows Mobro server and the great Astern theme when I'm running Windows and an iStatistica screen when I'm running Mac OS.

Replies 1 - 19 (19)

Nice setup! 

And very cool idea actually of using the screensaver feature on our Pi image to switch over to the other monitoring whenever you're running Mac OS. Wouldn't have thought of that.

Thanks for sharing ?

Please, could you explain a little more how you have done it.

I bought iStatistica Pro and installed on the Hackintosh.

Where is “web.html in the Application Contents inside the Resources folder”?

Hi there!

You go to your Applications folder and right click on the iStatistica Pro and then choose application contents and navigate until you find the Resources folder.

What's the dimension of your screen? If you want I can share with you my resources folder so you can match the screen resolution. Mine is 800x480.

Boa noite.

My resolution is also 800x480. I found the web.html, looked at the but could not identify where is the resolution setting. The Resource folder is locked. Can't edit the file.

Also, your item 3 above refers to the MoBro app folder in Windows?

I'm not much into coding. I can thinker around but must have directions.

If it doesn't bother you, yes I would like to have your resource folder.

Muito obrigado por enquanto. Preciso dormir.

Olá e desculpa não ter detalhado logo todos os passos, mas vou tentar ser o mais detalhado possível pois queria ter a certeza que tinhas a mesma resolução de ecrã que eu.

Hi there, sorry about my not so detailed reply. Just wanted to make sure you have the same screen resolution as I have so I can share some of the files I’ve customised.

 

First things first :)

 

The BUILD

My Hackintosh build is dual boot so I wanted to make sure my mobro screen would work both on Windows and on Mac OS, so after you follow the steps below, your mobro screen should be able to show both performance monitors: ModBros Mobro and iStatistica Pro.

Some relevant specs of my Build:
Cpu: Core i7 9700
MB: Asus PRIME Z390-M
dGPU: Radeon RX 580 8GB
iGPU: Intel UHD 630
OS: Mac OS Big Sur 11.5.2 + Windows 11 (different disk drives)
Bootloader: OpenCore 0.7.2
Model Identifier: iMacPro1,1
RPi Screen Resolution: 800x480

My Hackintosh runs with full support, and the only issue I have is with the sidecar, that I have no use for it ;) For bluetooth and Wi-Fi I use a Fenvi T919 and is fully supported on Mac OS.

 

The PREPARATION

You’re going to make some changes both on:

1. iStatistica Pro Monitor Web Interface
2. MoBro Raspberry Pi Image Screensaver

Please take some additional steps to verify wich version you are using on your RPi MoBro Image. If you are on version 12 you should disable the OverlayFS before making changes on it (I'll explain that further ahead).

 

1. iStatistica Pro

We’re going to make a custom Web interface so it suits our Screen Resolution. I’ve just fiddled about some code and removed some visual components so it fits the 800x480.

Go to the folder (on Applications right click: “Show Package Contents”): /Applications/iStatistica Pro.app/Contents/Resources
 

98d24481-93c1-4324-a564-f9bc1a5742fa.png

The files I’ve changed:
1. theme.css
2. web.html

I’ve also added a fonts folder and added the San Francisco Web Font so I could use it to display my Model Name (hardcoded on the web.html though you can change it on the source) and a date and clock display so it looks like this:

99b6af60-fd51-4d0a-a19a-c3acffd74995.png

 

Here you find the “zip” of the files and the fonts folder you can add to your iStatistica Resources Folder: https://kp80xi.s.cld.pt

Make sure you enable the Remote Web Access in the iStatistica Pro Settings
 

1dad7403-a16a-4017-98c8-5a749f1fd837.png

2. Mobro RPi Image

Step 1 - Disabling OverlayFS (only on V12)

First you should know your ways around SSH and SFTP :) for SFTP on the Mac I use CyberDuck.

As I’ve said on the preparation one IMPORTANT step if you have v12 (no need if it’s on v11) is to make sure you have the OverlayFS before you make changes to the contents of the SDCard on the RPi.

To do this you have to first open the Terminal on your Mac OS and connect to your Pi over SSH.

For the SSH credentials just use modbros as the username with password modbros.

524b59f1-7657-4616-a5c5-3abe8c6df7ea.png

Once you logged onto the Pi via SSH, the welcome screen (to the right) will be shown which also introduces you to the commands required to manage OverlayFS.

Simply execute set_root_configurable

This will disable OverlayFS and also the MoBro service itself. To do this the Raspberry Pi will reboot once.

After the reboot, connect again via SSH and because we also need to allow write operations to the boot partition, execute set_boot_configurable to do that, no reboot required. 

Verify everything is “writable” by running the command status on the terminal and check. Your Pi Screen should look like it’s frozen on the boot screen but that is normal, and after we’re done with the changes, returning to the terminal and running set_default  gets things back to normal, but only to this after you’ve finished changing the files via SFTP (next step).


 

Step 2 - Access via SFTP and change Screensaver file

The method I’ve came up with is to change the Date and Clock Screensaver to have it detect and switch to the appropriate performance monitor in use. For that I’ve changed the clock_date.php so it now holds a javascript that detects the current performance monitor active and, if none is found, to display a custom made screensaver.

To change these files you need to access via SFTP.

Using CyberDuck point it to the IP address of your RPi and for the credentials just use modbros as the username with password modbros.
 

92f16769-b65f-4650-b829-940fa4eb5e7b.png

After connecting just browse to the following folder: /home/modbros/mobro-raspberrypi/web/screensavers

Add the following files from the zipped file: https://taz39h.s.cld.pt
- clock_date,php
- clock_date_rosa_azul.php (escape screensaver if no performance monitor is found)
- fonts (folder)

IMPORTANT: Make sure you CHANGE the IP addresses on clock_date.php source so they match your Hackintosh and your RPi IP addresses.

 

Step 3 - Enable OverlayFS and restart your RPi and setting the Date and Clock Screensaver.

Go back to the terminal and through SSH to your RPi execute the set_default  command. Yout RPi should restart.

Set the Date + Clock Screensaver through your Mobro configuration Wizard (if you haven't already) and set the Delay to 0 (zero).
 

1ad36779-743b-4d25-8446-75a734f58401.png

Please bear in mind that the mobro service on your RPi will try first on boot sequence to find your Mobro PC Application, and only after that will launch the screen saver and in it the “detection” javascript.

And that’s it. If everything went right you should now be able to display your Hackintosh/Mac Performance Monitor on your Screen and, if you change to Windows, your Mobro.

PS: Se precisares de ajuda, entra no discord do ModBros e procura-me por lá. Boa sorte! :)

Que beleza de tutorial, muitíssimo obrigado!

Now it will be easy to do that. I will set it up and later will post my pictures.

I use Apple gear since 1982, but this years I built a PC to play some games. Since I don't play much, I thought it was a waste of good hardware and I decided to try Linux Manjaro and Haiku OS. Later I saw a YT video with a Brazilian Hackintosher that explain with details the process and really knows what he's talking about. He also has a github repository with base EFIs for many processors from Intel and AMD.

Watching his videos I downloaded OpenCore 0.7.2, updated Python to 3.9.X and all the tools to configure config.plist to my machine. Now I'm on OpenCore 0.7.3 and I'm already using the new ProperTree.

He is his YT channel link, https://www.youtube.com/c/GabrielLuchina

Once more, thank you very much!

Have a nice weekend.

 

Sucesso!

I manage to follow your instructions and now I have a beautiful statistic screen on the screen of the Raspberry Pi. Unfortunately I have one little problem, with the screensaver, it doesn't show the time and date.

Kudos to you for creating this method to make ModBros work on a Mac.

Here are my pictures:

ed7113e8-bd48-439a-8f53-8be282753697.ee851716.png
833ff117-3bee-446e-a442-d9591595bb16.ee851716.png
20ef74a6-2c3d-4556-8def-8a8cfc3e07b1.ee851716.png

This is what it looks like when I´m on Windows.

915cb211-d026-40ac-b213-21377a5e3b71.ee851716.png

That's Great!!! :) Looks Perfect

To solve the “default” screen saver, try replacing the clock_date_rosa_azul.php file for this clock_date_rosa_azul.html. https://jelvum.s.cld.pt

Also replace the reference in the clock_date.php code for this .html

Tell me if that did the trick :)

Wow. It is perfect now. And this theme for the screensaver match to the leds in my build and my Delta Max HD. Thank you very much!

I made some small changes to the iStatistica Pro web.thml and theme.css. I don't think I can make any other changes. I'm very limited in CSS.

1f366deb-7eab-4523-a880-64c829c30c8d.png

I made the clock smaller and give a bit space between date and time lines.

I would like to get ride off this dent, and make both bottom match, but I wasn't successful. 

That is nice too, good design.

Is there a way to make the correspondent colors from circle graphic appears on each side of the item?

Also I think in the card of Memory and Processor, the list of opened files is redundant and I would cut it out. this could make room for other card with information on the graphic card.

Is it possible to get the model of the machine on the title from iStatistica, because it has already it?

 

Is it possible to come more near to this?

But maintaining model name and the date and clock like you did?

What do you think?

ps: Don't mind to the large spaces between card.

b5297050-6ba1-4546-8e77-6e44bb0a2e41.png

I noticed that the clock is running and I think it is justified by the right side making the numbers jump when they change.

Could you justify to the left? Maybe switching sides with date, it could solve the problem too. 

Well I think the best I could do right now is this one:

0ec085ba-df47-42d9-8ccb-6c13cd457fa7.ee851716.png

Made the fonts a bit bigger. Can't seem to fit anything else.

I'm using the code made by the iStatistica Pro maker for the web interface, and making adjustments on the CSS and HTML.

The GPU info has a dropdown that doesn't look very elegant.

If you're interested in this version here is the link to download: https://nhcjec.s.cld.pt

Poesia pura, ficou maravilhoso.

It is going to my choice to use. it is going to make the Mod-Bros themes users jealous.

You should post your work and design on YT and send to Andrey Tsarkov for him to know what you have accomplished.

Thank you very much.

Hi there,

Just went on and played a bit more with the sensors information, and managed to add CPU temperature and Fans Speed.

If you're interested here is the link https://po4py8.s.cld.pt

e8cf3041-8b80-4231-a786-33e6c12cad23.ee851716.png

Thank you so much your sharing.

In addition, I found another way to use the original Raspberry Pi system instead of ModBro's system to achieve the same effect.

Attach the URL, forgive me for posting this Chinese page(I only find this), please use Google Translate.

https://www.labno3.com/2021/03/06/raspberry-pi-kiosk-using-chromium-2/

Thank for sharing @Howard, but I don't use Chromium and MoBro is working just fine for me. 

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