[SOLVED] intel-ucode update - implementation?

Question

There is a new intel-ucode package in testing and it will be released soon - this is going to require some intervention to get the microcode update on boot.  Is there going to be some advice for adding in the additional initrd lines for different bootloaders/bootmanagers?
For example if I understand correctly for rEFInd it will need an amendment to the refind_linux.conf or perhaps if you have menuentry stanzas then additional initrd sections can be added in the refind.conf?
Does anyone know if there is a recommended way to do this for rEFInd, and for other bootloaders that are in common use?
Last edited by mcloaked (2014-10-23 15:32:06)

Answer 1

I have just updated my system to the new kernel and new microcode packages (linux 3.17.1-1 intel-ucode 20140913-1).  This system boots with rEFInd.  The /boot/refind_linux.conf file was edited to include the microcode image file as an initrd= entry with lines as
# cat /boot/refind_linux.conf
"Boot to X" "root=PARTUUID=b0c9c220-0f8d-49c1-b306-873d2519ce47 rw rootfstype=ext4 add_efi_memmapinitrd=/boot/intel-ucode.img initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux.img systemd.unit=graphical.target"
"Boot to console" "root=PARTUUID=b0c9c220-0f8d-49c1-b306-873d2519ce47 rw rootfstype=ext4 add_efi_memmap initrd=/boot/intel-ucode.img initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux.img systemd.unit=multi-user.target"
"Boot Fallback to console" "root=PARTUUID=b0c9c220-0f8d-49c1-b306-873d2519ce47 rw rootfstype=ext4 add_efi_memmap initrd=/boot/intel-ucode.img initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img systemd.unit=multi-user.target"
The system boots in the same time as previously with kernel 3.16 and the journal log confirms early microcode update.
# journalctl -b | grep microcode
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: CPU0 microcode updated early to revision 0x1b, date = 2014-05-29
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: CPU1 microcode updated early to revision 0x1b, date = 2014-05-29
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: microcode: CPU0 sig=0x306a9, pf=0x2, revision=0x1b
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: microcode: CPU1 sig=0x306a9, pf=0x2, revision=0x1b
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: microcode: CPU2 sig=0x306a9, pf=0x2, revision=0x1b
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: microcode: CPU3 sig=0x306a9, pf=0x2, revision=0x1b
Oct 23 15:41:56 localhost kernel: microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.00 <[email protected]>, Peter Oruba
So the updated kernel works fine for early microcode update, with the small amendment to the refind_linux.conf file as the rEFInd author suggested it would. I have tested this on three different machines all of which use rEFInd to boot. It is presumed that the latest microcode for the CPU in this machine is dated correctly as 2014-05-29.
Last edited by mcloaked (2014-10-23 14:50:48)