#689042 requires modular microcode driver for autoload on boot

Package:
iucode-tool
Source:
iucode-tool
Description:
Intel processor microcode tool
Submitter:
Eric Valette
Date:
2012-11-19 15:45:03 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
#689042#5
Date:
2012-09-28 15:59:10 UTC
From:
To:
he old microcode.ctl package did at least provide an init script to perform it. Why
not iucode-tool?
#689042#10
Date:
2012-09-29 02:11:09 UTC
From:
To:
tag 689042 + wontfix
severity 689042 wishlist
retitle 689042 requires modular microcode driver for autoload on boot

Why should it?  It is the kernel's job.  An initscript would just slow the
boot.  And the wheezy kernel does its job better when the microcode driver
is a module.

For more details, please install the intel-microcode package, and read the
package documentation in /usr/share/doc/intel-microcode.

Basically, make sure /lib/firmware is in the root filesystem (duh), make
sure the microcode driver is a _module_, and make sure it auto-loads (or add
it to /etc/modules to force it to load manually).  That's it.

If you don't want to use the intel-microcode package, tell iucode-tool to
install the microcode you need (iucode-tool -S -K) for the kernel.  You are
advised to

rm /lib/firmware/intel-ucode/*

before you run iucode-tool -S -K <new microcode data file>

otherwise you may use microcode Intel decided to recall. And no, I have
absolutely no idea why it happens.
#689042#21
Date:
2012-09-29 07:55:19 UTC
From:
To:

I do not use modules when I build my own kernel it also slows down the
boot process a lot so it does not work.
#689042#26
Date:
2012-09-29 08:22:20 UTC
From:
To:
I disagree on this sentence. There are kernel modules that do load
firmware automatically when build-in (I have for wifi, dvb tunners).
This is not the case for the microcode driver so you shall not rely on
the fact its or not a module.
#689042#31
Date:
2012-11-19 14:59:33 UTC
From:
To:
Autoload-on-boot support will not be added to the iucode-tool package at
this time.

Autoloading support IS available through the intel-microcode package, and it
does support non-modular microcode, *as long as* you use an initramfs.  This
is quite throughoutly explained in the README files for intel-microcode.

If you don't use an initramfs AND you don't use modular microcode,
autoloading will not work out-of-the-box.  The packages have enough
instructions to let you configure your custom system to autoload the
microcode update in their README files, though.
#689042#36
Date:
2012-11-19 15:37:42 UTC
From:
To:
Well I was more thinking about adding it in the kernel part like other
drivers that need firmware do.

Yes I know.

Already added the relevant lines to rc.local. BTW, on I5 adding the
up-todate version does enable some perf feature that are otherwise not
available.