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RE: API For the install target device's Model Number
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RE: API For the install target device's Model Number


  • Subject: RE: API For the install target device's Model Number
  • From: "Freeman, Andrei" <email@hidden>
  • Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:34:49 -0500
  • Acceptlanguage: en-US
  • Thread-topic: API For the install target device's Model Number

Thanks all on this.

 

This was my perception. In general... ModelIdentifier was the best approach when evaluating systems. It has an accessible API and shows a general view of motherboard configs.

 

This leaves me with one last issue. Is there a specific Mac reference that lists Model Identifiers and the hardware that those identifiers encompass?

 

I have the following links for reference:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_capability/macs-by-machine-model-machine-id.html

http://www.cocoadev.com/index.pl?MacintoshModels

 

But obviously something from Apple would be FAR more dependable and likely to be correctly updated.

 

-Andrei

 

 

From: Greg Neagle [mailto:email@hidden]
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 12:41 PM
To: Freeman, Andrei
Cc: 'email@hidden'
Subject: Re: API For the install target device's Model Number

 

Model numbers are closer to SKUs and indicate minor differences like amount of RAM or CPU speed.

 

Model Identifiers like MacBookPro4,2 uniquely identify the hardware revision - these all share the same motherboard.

 

While you might be able to take the Model Identifier and things like CPU speed and RAM and query a database to attempt to match to a "selling" Model number, such an attempt will be foiled if the user upgrades the RAM or video card or makes other upgrades/changes to the hardware.

 

Additionally, machines built-to-order at the online Apple store (or perhaps through an inside sales channel) may not match any of the marketing model numbers.

 

You're better off testing for Model Identifier, and then doing further checks as to CPU speed/number-of-cores and/or amount of RAM to see if the machine meets your specs.

 

-Greg

 

On Aug 20, 2009, at 9:00 AM, Freeman, Andrei wrote:



The more I dive into this target the more conflicting information I find:

 

I have a preflight installer tool that validates the model of the machine we are installing on. (E.G. We don't install on XServe's)

 

We've discovered however that little nuances that change from model to model can affect our behaviour so I've needed finer granulation on checking the hardware we're installing on.

 

sysctl -A can be parsed for hw.model which will give me the Model Identifier (i.e. MacBookPro4,2)

 

Using the identifier presents a few problems:

        -The identifier however can encompass multiple Model Numbers and multiple CPU configurations.

        - There doesn't seem to be any one good repository of which identifier goes to which machine.

 

The model itself is horridly unusable: "iMac" as that can be any of the models.

 

Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any method to discover the Model Number (i.e. MB402LL/A vs /B)

 

This may seem like minutia; but we've had issues crop up where bugs only exist on certain models and we have no way of running an API to say, "Yes, we can't install on this machine. We are aware of the issue."

 

The Apple compat labs list thier machines by both "Marketing Model": '13.3 " MacBook (Early 2008)' {is there an API?} as well as "Partial model number": 'MB402' {Is there an API is that a LL/A or LL/B and would that be a MacBook4,1; 4,2; or something else}

 

This also completely makes setting up a test array or a test plan very difficult for us.

 

This list seemed to be the best place to start as the only hardware list on l.a.c is for driver dev.

 

Any advice, suggestions welcomed.

 

Thanks

-Andrei Freeman

Mobile Armor

Macintosh Platform Lead Engineer.

 

 

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  • Follow-Ups:
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 >Re: API For the install target device's Model Number (From: Greg Neagle <email@hidden>)

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