Re: [gentoo-user] Microcode update AMD

[William Kenworthy <billk@iinet.net.au>]

On Mon, 2011-01-17 at 20:46 +0100, Volker Armin Hemmann wrote:
> On Monday 17 January 2011 20:19:04 meino.cramer@gmx.de wrote:
> > Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin@googlemail.com> [11-01-17 20:16]:
> > > On Monday 17 January 2011 18:21:48 meino.cramer@gmx.de wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > > 
> > > > I have two questions:
> > > >  1) Do I have to enable microcode updates in the BIOS of my
> > > >  Crosshair
> > > >  
> > > >     IV Formula to activate microcodes push in the CPU by the
> > > >     module
> > > >     "microcode" ? (AMD Phenom X6 1090T)

> nobody knows.
> 


Not amd, but follow the links for some explanation.

*  sys-apps/microcode-ctl
      Latest version available: 1.17-r2
      Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
      Size of downloaded files: 319 kB
      Homepage:    http://www.urbanmyth.org/microcode
      Description: Intel processor microcode update utility
      License:     GPL-2

*  sys-apps/microcode-data
      Latest version available: 20100209
      Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
      Size of downloaded files: 549 kB
      Homepage:    http://urbanmyth.org/microcode/
      Description: Intel IA32 microcode update data
      License:     as-is

I manually grabbed a later data set from Intel when the kernel would
throw a message about needing a microcode update on my Intel Atom. There
are a couple of kernel options that need setting as well as the above
packages - loading is via an /etc/init.d/ script. There was a changelog
there as well - AMD should be similar.  Also, you could ask AMD what the
update fixes?

The bios microcode update is likely an enable setting rather than the
bios actually updating the cpu.  You need to do some reading/asking of
the manufacturers (not here) if it bothers you.

BillK


-- 
William Kenworthy <billk@iinet.net.au>
Home in Perth!