linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v4] x86/microcode/intel: Blacklist the specific BDW-EP for late loading

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Message-ID: <20171229134439.GA19010@nazgul.tnic>
Date:   Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:44:39 +0100
From:   Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
To:     Jia Zhang <qianyue.zj@...baba-inc.com>
Cc:     Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>, tglx@...utronix.de,
        mingo@...hat.com, hpa@...or.com, x86@...nel.org,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, tony.luck@...el.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v4] x86/microcode/intel: Blacklist the specific BDW-EP
 for late loading

On Fri, Dec 29, 2017 at 09:17:34PM +0800, Jia Zhang wrote:
> Namely, the end user has to make a BIOS update to uprev the microcode.

Not quite: end user is dependent on the OEM to get a BIOS update.

What is meant with early loading in this context is, to put the
microcode in the initrd so that it gets loaded very early during the
*kernel* boot. And early-initrd-based loading is the default method we
do microcode loading with, anyway.

So the blacklisting is only for *late* loading, through the sysfs
trigger. Which is only there for historical reasons and for some
configurations.

-- 
Regards/Gruss,
    Boris.

ECO tip #101: Trim your mails when you reply.
--