https://github.com/sparronator9999/openbootcamp

An open-source replacement for (some of) Apple's Boot Camp services, written in C#
https://github.com/sparronator9999/openbootcamp

apple apple-computer apple-mac apple-macbook csharp imac macbook macbook-air macbook-pro macbookair macbookpro net-framework net-framework-48 open-source windows

Last synced: 4 months ago
JSON representation

An open-source replacement for (some of) Apple's Boot Camp services, written in C#

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/sparronator9999/openbootcamp
• Owner: Sparronator9999
• License: gpl-3.0
• Created: 2024-09-11T06:23:56.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-04-30T01:38:39.000Z (6 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-30T02:35:53.328Z (6 months ago)
• Topics: apple, apple-computer, apple-mac, apple-macbook, csharp, imac, macbook, macbook-air, macbook-pro, macbookair, macbookpro, net-framework, net-framework-48, open-source, windows
• Language: C#
• Homepage:
• Size: 299 KB
• Stars: 3
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 1
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE.md

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

          
# OpenBootCamp

An open-source implementation of some of Boot Camp's keyboard services in C#.

## Disclaimers

- This program was developed by using clean-room reverse-engineering

  techniques (including decompiling Boot Camp services) and publicly-available

  information on Apple hardware (particularly the SMC).

- This program, repository and its authors are **not** affiliated with Apple

  Inc. in any way, shape, or form.

## Features

OpenBootCamp currently implements the following features of Boot Camp Manager:

- **Fn behaviour switching:** Switch whether the default Fn behaviour should be

  the standard Fn keys, or the special function printed on each key.

- **Special Fn key handling:** This includes keys like the display brightness,

  keyboard brightness, and optical drive eject keys.

- **Fan control** (WIP): Fix Apple's garbage fan profiles without

  having to decide between terrible thermals or terrible battery life\*.

\*When running on Windows, [Macs Fan Control](https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control)

appears to install its own driver that significantly impacts battery life

*even after closing Macs Fan Control*, and persists until a reboot. OBC uses

the `MacHALDriver` that comes with official Boot Camp services to control fan

speeds. Obviously, increasing your fan speeds from stock will still impact battery life.

Additionally, the following bugs from the official Boot Camp Manager are fixed:

- Keyboard backlight state is not remembered across reboots

- Special Fn keys do not work before login (Apple's Boot Camp Manager doesn't

  run until a user logs in)

along with introducing a whole lot of other bugs/missing features, but still...

## Planned features

Roughly in priority order:

- A config application. Learn to edit XML for now.

- A few power saving features:

  - Set keyboard backlight state based on power source or battery charge (e.g.

    low battery, switching between AC and battery power)

- Volume control on older Windows versions (7 and earlier?)

- Smooth keyboard backlight animations

- More that I haven't thought of yet

## Supported systems

Only Apple computers that can run Windows are supported (i.e. any Intel Mac).

Any non-Apple Windows systems are not supported (even if using an external

Magic Mouse/Trackpad/Keyboard).

Windows 7 SP1 and later with .NET Framework 4.8 should mostly work without

issues.

Windows Vista/XP may work if you downgrade the project to .NET Framework 4.6

(for Vista SP2) or 4.0 (for XP SP3), but are currently unsupported.

## Additional requirements

The following drivers are required for OpenBootCamp to work:

- The Apple Keyboard driver (`Keymagic.sys`) for OSX Fn behaviour switching

  and enabling display brightness shortcuts on Windows 8 and later.

- `KeyAgent.sys` for enabling other special Fn keys and for brightness/volume

  keys on Windows 7 and lower.

- `MacHALDriver.sys` for keyboard backlight and fan control support.

## Download

Downloads are currently unavailable.

Please [compile the program yourself](#compile) in the meantime.

## Compile

### Using Visual Studio

1.  Install Visual Studio 2022 with the `.NET Desktop Development` workload

    checked.

2.  Download the code repository, or clone it with `git`.

3.  Extract the downloaded code, if needed.

4.  Open `OBC.sln` in Visual Studio.

5.  Click `Build` > `Build Solution` to build everything.

6.  Your output, assuming default build settings, is located in

    `OBC.Service\bin\Debug\net48\`.

7.  ???

8.  Profit!

### From the command line

1.  Follow steps 1-3 above to install Visual Studio and download the code.

2.  Open `Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022` and `cd` to your project

    directory.

3.  Run `msbuild /t:restore` to restore the solution, including NuGet packages.

4.  Run `msbuild OBC.sln /p:platform="Any CPU" /p:configuration="Debug"` to

    build the project, substituting `Debug` with `Release` for a Release build

    instead.

5.  Your output should be located in `OBC.Service\bin\Debug\net48\` (or similar).

6.  ???

7.  Profit!

## FAQ

### Wait, you can install Windows on a Mac?

Yep, and it's [officially supported by Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102622)

on any Intel Mac (with varying "official" Windows support, but I was able to get

the latest Windows 10 LTSC single-booting on a 2010 MacBook (the white unibody

model) with few issues).

### How did you make this?!

(note: this information is slightly outdated. I recently started looking at

some Apple SMC-related projects on GitHub for more information on how Apple's

SMCs work, including e.g. [VirtualSMC](https://github.com/acidanthera/VirtualSMC))

By decompiling `Bootcamp.exe` (located at `C:\Program Files\Boot Camp` on a Mac

running Windows with Boot Camp installed) with [Binary Ninja](https://binary.ninja/).

I was going to use [ghidra](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra),

but found Binary Ninja produced more readable pseudo-code.

### *Why* did you make this?

Because I was/am unhappy with the Apple-provided Boot Camp services.

Also, reverse-engineering is fun :D (if you know what you're doing, that is)

### How do I install this?

1. Obtain a copy of `KeyAgent.sys` and `MacHALDriver.sys` for your laptop (see

   [below](#how-do-i-obtain-keyagentsys-and-machaldriversys)).

2. Create a folder in the same location as `InstallMgr.exe` called `BootCamp`

   (if it doesn't exist), and move both files there.

3. Run `InstallMgr.exe`, and install both `KeyAgent.sys` and `MacHALDriver.sys`,

   then reboot.

4. Run `InstallMgr.exe` again, then install and run `OpenBootCamp service`.

5. ???

6. Profit!

NOTE: if you try to uninstall `MacHALDriver.sys` in the future, it might still

show as "Installed" until you reboot. This will be fixed in a future commit.

### How do I obtain `KeyAgent.sys` and `MacHALDriver.sys`?

1. Download the Boot Camp support software for your Mac using Boot Camp

   Assistant (or [Brigadier](https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier) if you're

   already on Windows).

2. Navigate to and open `Drivers\Apple\BootCamp.msi` in 7-Zip.

3. Copy `KeyAgent.sys` and `MacHALDriver.sys` to a folder named `BootCamp` in

   the same folder as `InstallMgr.exe`, then follow the [instructions](#how-do-i-install-this)

   to install them with OpenBootCamp.

While you're at it, install the Apple Keyboard drivers if you haven't already

(the installer's called `AppleKeyboardInstaller64.exe`, and is in the same

folder as `BootCamp.msi`).

### My Boot Camp support software has `KeyManager.sys`, but not `KeyAgent.sys`?

If you couldn't find `KeyAgent.sys`, but found `KeyManager.sys`, your laptop is

currently too new for OpenBootCamp. Come back when someone adds support for

these laptops.

I won't be able to do this, as I don't have access to a Mac with this

configuration.

### I want \ in OpenBootCamp!

Ask nicely in the [issues](https://github.com/Sparronator9999/Sparronator9999/issues),

and I might add your feature if I know how, have time, and I think it'll

benefit the project.

Alternatively, create a [pull request](https://github.com/Sparronator9999/Sparronator9999/pulls)

and add the feature yourself.

### .NET/Core?

No.

### Linux?

Linux already has native support for Apple hardware (at least on the laptops

I tested it on), so a Linux port would be pointless.

## Special thanks

- [VirtualSMC](https://github.com/acidanthera/VirtualSMC) for their detailed

  SMC key documentation (check the `Docs` folder in the linked repo).

- [SMCKit](https://github.com/beltex/SMCKit)/[libsmc](https://github.com/beltex/libsmc)

  for the SMC function names used in

  [MacHALDriverIoCtl.cs](https://github.com/Sparronator9999/OpenBootCamp/blob/main/OBC.Service/MacHALDriverIOCTL.cs).

## License and Copyright

Copyright © 2024-2025 Sparronator9999.

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under

the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software

Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later

version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY

WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A

PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the [GNU General Public License](LICENSE.md) for more

details.