linux-kernel - Re: [patch 05/11] [PATCH 05/11] x86: Moved microcode.c to microcode

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Date:	Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:58:37 +0200
From:	"Giacomo A. Catenazzi" <cate@...ian.org>
To:	Dmitry Adamushko <dmitry.adamushko@...il.com>
CC:	Peter Oruba <peter.oruba@....com>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Tigran Aivazian <tigran@...azian.fsnet.co.uk>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [patch 05/11] [PATCH 05/11] x86: Moved microcode.c to microcode_intel.c.

Dmitry Adamushko wrote:
> 2008/9/19 Peter Oruba <peter.oruba@....com>:
>> Some additonal words regarding the current user space issues:
>>
>> IMHO the most convenient way to update microcode is through the firmware loading
>> interface instead of microcode_ctl. This reduces user-space responsibilities to
>> loading the correct module at boot time and to place the microcode patch file at
>> the right location via package installation. The problems mentioned in this
>> thread would then probably disappear as well. What do you guys think?
> 
> It'd still require changes for all the setups that currently rely on
> the 'microcode_ctl' interface. Moreover, Arjan's setup failed not due
> to the 'microcode_ctl' per se but due to the altered kernel module
> name. After all, we can't break the established interface this way.
> 
> We can either reserve 'microcode' as a legacy name for intel cpus (==
> microcode_intel), or maybe we can use request_module() from
> microcode.ko to load a proper arch-specific module (I guess, it's not
> ok for !KMOD-enabled kernels).

I agree. A wrapper "microcode.ko" module would be nice, in order
to allow independent kernel and user space upgrades.

The module name is important also on udev method: only a module
load triggers the microcode request in udev, thus also the
new method should have stable kernel module name.

ciao
	cate

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