On Wednesday 01 Feb 2017 00:55:01 Marc Joliet wrote: > 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
Thanks Marc, I did read the same in the Wiki, where it also mentioned that with systemd all you need to do is mark the microcode as modules in the kernel and systemd will load them at boot time. I did try (twice) to generate a cpio with the blob, but the initrd wouldn't allow the efi stub to boot for some reason. I will revisit this in the next day or two and see if it can work better this time. -- Regards, Mick
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