This is why I specifically said that macOS is closed source. Darwin is kinda open source, but it becomes less and less relevant as Apple fails to update it and leaves parts out.
> Many kernel extensions are closed source, but that's not relevant here.
Of course it's relevant: if you don't have those extensions, your custom compiled kernel isn't booting on your genuine Mac hardware. You can try to rip the binary extensions from the OS, but no guarantees on how well that's going to work.
...are we talking about different things? I don't understand why that matters.
The question was: in a world where kexts don't exist, could Hackintosh still work?
I'm saying, yes, as long as it's still possible to compile custom versions of the kernel, because you could just make whatever adjustments you wanted to the kernel directly.
As of today, it is absolutely possible to compile your own version of Darwin and use it to boot up a Hackintosh, or a real Mac. Perhaps in this theoretical world where kexts don't exist, this would cease to be true, but that would be a separate change, no?
This is why I specifically said that macOS is closed source. Darwin is kinda open source, but it becomes less and less relevant as Apple fails to update it and leaves parts out.
> Many kernel extensions are closed source, but that's not relevant here.
Of course it's relevant: if you don't have those extensions, your custom compiled kernel isn't booting on your genuine Mac hardware. You can try to rip the binary extensions from the OS, but no guarantees on how well that's going to work.