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figueroa
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Location: Edge of marsh USA
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 Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:35 am Post subject: Is intel-microcode needed for newer kernel? [SOLVED] |
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When I was running kernel 4.9 series, the elog message for intel-microcode would read:
| Code: | $ cat sys-firmware:intel-microcode-20200508_p20200508:20200511-171644.log
WARN: postinst
intel-microcode-20200508_p20200508 contains microcode updates which require
additional kernel patches which aren't yet included in kernel <4.14.34.
Loading such a microcode through kernel interface from an unpatched kernel
can crash your system!
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I've updated and currently running 4.19.152. Today's update included an update to the intel-micocode pacakge, but no file was placed in /var/log/portage/elog. Should I take that to mean that I no longer need to load the intel-microcode early_ucode.cpio when booting my i7-2600?
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Andy Figueroa
hp pavilion hpe h8-1260t/2AB5; spinning rust x3
i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz; 16 gb; Radeon HD 7570
amd64/23.0/split-usr/desktop (stable), OpenRC, -systemd -pulseaudio -uefi
Last edited by figueroa on Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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gengreen
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Joined: 23 Dec 2017
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:17 am Post subject: |
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My understanding
| Quote: | intel-microcode-20200508_p20200508 contains microcode updates which require
additional kernel patches which aren't yet included in kernel 4.14.34 |
Intel-microcode have a microcode update which require some patch that are not included in kernel 4.14.34 and lower version
I may make a mistake, but you need to still load the microcode in your initramfs
Edit : hmm lower higher ? where did you get this message ? I had an update this morning regarding the microcode but my is : 20201112_p20201116
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Jaglover
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NeddySeagoon
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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figueroa,
Microcode is either loaded by the BIOS or the kernel, or both.
Its never included in the kernel unless you add it.
It way be provided in linux-firmware but it rannot be loaded into the CPU from there.
It needs the microcode updated early process, so it must be built into the kernel binary.
The kernel does a version compare before it updates, so it may be a NOP.
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NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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Hu
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Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 23082
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: Is intel-microcode needed for newer kernel? |
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| figueroa wrote: | | I've updated and currently running 4.19.152. Today's update included an update to the intel-micocode pacakge, but no file was placed in /var/log/portage/elog. Should I take that to mean that I no longer need to load the intel-microcode early_ucode.cpio when booting my i7-2600? |
No, the absence of the message is because you are now running a kernel where it is believed safe to use that version of the microcode. On your older kernel series, the microcode was believed to be incompatible with your kernel, so you received a warning. Now you have a compatible kernel, so there is no need for a warning. As other posters have said, this does not mean you can skip the microcode. Rather, it means that it is finally safe to use it. |
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figueroa
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
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Location: Edge of marsh USA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| gengreen wrote: | | Edit : hmm lower higher ? where did you get this message ? I had an update this morning regarding the microcode but my is : 20201112_p20201116 |
Actually, yesterday's update was intel-microcode-20201112_p20201116:20201116. However, this update did not post anything to /var/log/portage/elog. Furthermore, I used it to create a new /boot/early_ucode.cpio which is invoked by grub as initrd /boot/early_ucode.cpio when the kernel boots.
Notwithstanding the elog message regarding kernel <4.14.34, I've been using the microcode for a long time with up-to-date kernels in the 4.9 series without any issue. There is too little information readily available, and it appears that the elog messge, which I always read, never changes. As is often the case, I get by with trial and error.
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Andy Figueroa
hp pavilion hpe h8-1260t/2AB5; spinning rust x3
i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz; 16 gb; Radeon HD 7570
amd64/23.0/split-usr/desktop (stable), OpenRC, -systemd -pulseaudio -uefi |
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figueroa
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 3007
Location: Edge of marsh USA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Is intel-microcode needed for newer kernel? |
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| Hu wrote: | | figueroa wrote: | | I've updated and currently running 4.19.152. Today's update included an update to the intel-micocode pacakge, but no file was placed in /var/log/portage/elog. Should I take that to mean that I no longer need to load the intel-microcode early_ucode.cpio when booting my i7-2600? |
No, the absence of the message is because you are now running a kernel where it is believed safe to use that version of the microcode. On your older kernel series, the microcode was believed to be incompatible with your kernel, so you received a warning. Now you have a compatible kernel, so there is no need for a warning. As other posters have said, this does not mean you can skip the microcode. Rather, it means that it is finally safe to use it. |
Thank you for the clarity. I'll mark this solved.
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Andy Figueroa
hp pavilion hpe h8-1260t/2AB5; spinning rust x3
i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz; 16 gb; Radeon HD 7570
amd64/23.0/split-usr/desktop (stable), OpenRC, -systemd -pulseaudio -uefi |
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