linux-kernel - Re: New format Intel microcode...

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Message-ID: <20070628230914.GB14519@one.firstfloor.org>
Date:	Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:09:14 +0200
From:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>
To:	Bill Davidsen <davidsen@....com>
Cc:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>,
	Daniel J Blueman <daniel.blueman@...il.com>,
	Shaohua Li <shaohua.li@...el.com>, jamagallon@....com,
	tigran@...azian.fsnet.co.uk,
	Linux Kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: New format Intel microcode...

> I was mainly concerned with this being a new issue, and curious if 
> Microsoft was calling an O/S bug a "microcode fix," given that the 
> average Windows user doesn't know microcode from nanotech anyway. The 
> non-answer from Arjan didn't answer either, and started by calling the 
> report FUD, implying that Slashdot was wrong (not about this), and 
> issuing so little answer and so much obfuscation that I thought he might 
> be running for President. ;-)

Well you can read the Intel documentation if you want the whole story.
You can hardly expect a full introduction in the basics and then
subtle issues of TLB flushing in a quick email.  You asked about opinions 
and summaries and those you got.

> I'd like the microcode update, 

It's called the "placebo effect" in the literature I believe.

> some people elsewhere speculate that user 
> level code could effect reliability if not security. 

speculate is the key word.

> I worry that an old 
> 2.4 kernel would be an issue, even in kvm, if that were the case.

TLB flushing in virtualization works completely different. I doubt
it would be affected.

-Andi

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