linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] x86, microcode: Make reload interface per system

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Message-ID: <4FE26182.5070107@zytor.com>
Date:	Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:49:22 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <hmh@....eng.br>
CC:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
	Borislav Petkov <bp@...64.org>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, x86 <x86@...nel.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
	Andreas Herrmann <andreas.herrmann3@....com>,
	Dimitri Sivanich <sivanich@....com>,
	Dmitry Adamushko <dmitry.adamushko@...il.com>,
	Greg Kroah-Hartman <greg@...ah.com>,
	"Yu, Fenghua" <fenghua.yu@...el.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86, microcode: Make reload interface per system

On 06/20/2012 04:46 PM, Henrique de Moraes Holschuh wrote:
> 
> Well, it makes the kernel tell us what (amd/intel/whatever) firmware it
> wants, and requires (after patching) a simple echo 1 >foo to activate.  It
> is also harmless if activated without updated firmware in place.
> 
> /dev/cpu/microcode requires special software (or a dd with bs>=file size),
> since it borks if userspace breaks a microcode into two write() syscalls,
> and requires detection of the cpu vendor.  Very annoying.
> 

Yeah, because dd is such an exotic piece of software...

	-hpa

-- 
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel.  I don't speak on their behalf.

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