On PPC Macs, the incantation was nvram boot-args="-v" but the Intel Macs don't have the same NVRAM variables.
Update: Hey, what do you know, it's the same command on Intel Macs, even though "boot-args" isn't there by default.
OSX Intel verbose boot
Dear Lazyweb, how do I turn on verbose boot permanently on an Intel iMac? (No, I don't want to hold down Cmd-V every time.)
Tags: computers, firstperson, lazyweb, mac
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12 Responses:
Actually, that still works. I do the same thing, and have it set up on my MacBook Pro. Works fine.
I run the command without putting the -v in quotes, though - maybe that'll make a difference?
I used OnyX or Cocktail or some other random utility to do mine.
You could edit /System/Library/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist, and change the "Kernel Flags" key to "-v".
Nevermind, I'm a retard, too busy playing with hackintosh. The nvram command does still work on intel macs, though, at least on my MacBook.
Editing that file is discouraged. Anything under /System should be considered off limits.
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boot-args is still the right variable to set on an Intel iMac, and -v is still the right value.
Just out of curiosity, why would you want to do that?
So that I Know Things.
The nvram boot-args have not changed from PPC to Intel and -v is still verbose booting.
Are you using sudo? As in:
Thank you for asking the questions I'm too lazy to ask the lazyweb. I figured it must have been one of those "It Just Works, so keep quiet, citizen" type things. One of the good things about my pre-'switcher' days was that watching SuSE boot reminded me of all the crap I kept meaning to disable.
I tried nvram boot-args="-v" a couple of times on my Intel iMac and it didn't do the trick, I never got verbose boots. I kept meaning to google in more depth to find what the problem was, and finally got around to it today, and came across this post. So I thought, "but no, I tried that, it doesn't work!" and just to prove it to myself I tried it again and rebooted just now ... and got my first verbose boot on this iMac in the three months I've had it. So now I guess it does work, one just has to read about it on LJ first.