On Sunday 29 January 2017 13:51:39 Mick wrote: > Hi All, > > I am trying out a systemd installation on a MackBook Pro and I am not sure > the documentation on systemd + microcode is entirely correct. So, I read > here: > > https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Intel_microcode#systemd > > that the "microcode loader is set as a module in the kernel configuration". > However, my kernel configuration is not offering this option. Both 'CPU > microcode loading support' and 'Intel microcode loading support' can only be > set as built in elements. I am not using an initramfs (yet) so I wonder > how I should go about this.
AIUI these days the microcode is supposed to be put in the initramfs and loaded from there during early boot (I read this somewhere, but don't remember where). Dracut takes care of this, e.g., the initramfs on my laptop contains a microcode blob: # lsinitrd /boot/initramfs-4.9.6-gentoo.img|grep -i micro drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Jan 27 01:14 kernel/x86/microcode -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 983040 Jan 27 01:14 kernel/x86/microcode/GenuineIntel.bin The third journal entry on said laptop is then: Jan 30 20:42:17 localhost kernel: microcode: microcode updated early to revision 0x4, date = 2013-06-28 So it looks to me like the kernel loads it autonomously, and the reason to put the file in the initramfs is for the microcode to get updated as early as possible (before the kernel has to read from disk). HTH -- Marc Joliet -- "People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we don't" - Bjarne Stroustrup
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