How to run a SuperDrive on a USB Hub

Jeff Grundy has made an awesome suggestion on how to make an Apple SuperDrive work on a USB Hub. As a background, Apple supports running these drives only when connected directly to the computer. They also work when connected to a ThunderBolt display, but you’ll get a warning saying the device is underpowered if you put it on an alternative USB Hub. As Jeff writes, it is sufficient to modify one file:

sudo vi /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist

and add mbasd=1 to the Kernel Flags:





        Kernel Flags
        mbasd=1


Then save the file and reboot the machine.

With this change I am without issues able to run the SuperDrive, lying conveniently in my bookshelf, connected to a Belkin ThunderBolt Dock. It is a powered Hub, so YMMV if you try with an El Cheapo solution.

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