Ubuntu

CPU microcode update handling

Asked by greubeuld

How is the CPU microcode updated in Ubuntu ?

I learnt today about an update for Intel's CPU microcode in Microsoft products and was wondering
- if it mattered to have an up to date CPU microcode
- how this matter was addressed in the distro ? should the user do something ? Is it a regular update via universe/multiverse ?

Thanks for you enlightment,

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Cesare Tirabassi
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Best Cesare Tirabassi (norsetto) said : 		#1

Microcode update is supported by the ubuntu kernel. For instance on my machine:

cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep MICROCODE
CONFIG_MICROCODE=m
CONFIG_MICROCODE_OLD_INTERFACE=y

To update the microcode you need to install the microcode.ctl package (which is in multiverse):

sudo apt-get install microcode.ctl

You can find some info on the utility as well as the latest intel-ia32 microcode here:

http://urbanmyth.org/microcode/

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greubeuld (greubeuld) said : 		#2

Thanks Cesare Tirabassi, that solved my question.

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greubeuld (greubeuld) said : 		#3

From the website mentioned by Cesare :

The microcode update is volatile and needs to be uploaded on each system boot i.e. it doesn't reflash your cpu permanently, reboot and it reverts back to the old microcode.

I guess I have to have a startup job for my CPU to be updated with the microcode then.

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Cesare Tirabassi (norsetto) said : 		#4

Don't think so, that should be done automatically when you install microcode.ctl. In fact this should create an /etc/init.d/microcode.ctl script which is executed every time you boot.