linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 2/2] x86/microcode: Add microcode loader debugging functionality

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Message-ID: <17938a19-66a6-42e2-bab9-345cfa3cb818@intel.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:57:50 -0700
From: Sohil Mehta <sohil.mehta@...el.com>
To: Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
CC: Borislav Petkov <bp@...nel.org>, X86 ML <x86@...nel.org>, LKML
	<linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] x86/microcode: Add microcode loader debugging
 functionality

On 8/12/2025 3:26 AM, Borislav Petkov wrote:

>> s/dbg/debug/
>> s/MICROCODE_DBG/MICROCODE_DEBUG
>> s/ucode_dbg/ucode_debug
> 
> No, because I don't want to type unnecessarily and "dbg" is very clear as it
> is.
> 

Yes, in this patch, dbg clearly means debug. But, are some contexts
where dbg is used with other things which might take an extra second to
process. For example,

	if (!cpuid_feature() ||
	    ((native_cpuid_ecx(1) & BIT(31)) && !dbg) ||
	    amd_check_current_patch_level())
		dis_ucode_ldr = true;

In the tradeoff between writing and reading, I am more inclined to make
things easier to read. But obviously your preference supersedes mine :)
> 
>> Should we also include a dependency on DEBUG_KERNEL?
> 
> Because?
> 

To ensure people only use it for debugging purposes similar to
X86_DEBUG_FPU or DEBUG_ENTRY.