Arch Linux

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

[Solved] New installation today - microcode not being loaded early

I'm not sure whether this is a problem, but on my fresh installation, there is no indication that the microcode is being loaded early. I am running the current standard Arch linux kernel.

-- Logs begin at Tue 2020-09-08 08:47:46 CDT, end at Tue 2020-09-08 13:57:47 CDT. --
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: Linux version 5.8.7-arch1-1 (linux@archlinux) (gcc (GCC) 10.2.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.35) #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat, 05 Sep 2020 12:31:32 +0000
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=14e0d38b-0a26-4fab-afc6-c3678b0672aa rw loglevel=3 quiet
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: KERNEL supported cpus:
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel:   Intel GenuineIntel
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel:   AMD AuthenticAMD
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel:   Hygon HygonGenuine
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel:   Centaur CentaurHauls
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel:   zhaoxin   Shanghai  
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: x86/fpu: Supporting XSAVE feature 0x001: 'x87 floating point registers'
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: x86/fpu: Supporting XSAVE feature 0x002: 'SSE registers'
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: x86/fpu: Supporting XSAVE feature 0x004: 'AVX registers'
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: x86/fpu: xstate_offset[2]:  576, xstate_sizes[2]:  256
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: x86/fpu: Enabled xstate features 0x7, context size is 832 bytes, using 'compacted' format.
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000009ffff] usable
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: BIOS-e820: [mem 0x00000000000a0000-0x00000000000fffff] reserved
...

But later on in the bootup, it shows microcode versions, but not necessarily from the img file:

Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU1: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU2: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU3: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU4: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU5: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU6: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU7: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU8: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU9: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU10: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU11: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU12: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU13: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU14: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU15: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU16: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU17: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU18: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU19: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU20: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU21: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU22: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: CPU23: patch_level=0x08701021
Sep 08 09:34:33 tux kernel: microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.2.

This is the initrd line from grub.cfg:

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Arch Linux' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-14e0d38b-0a26-4fab-afc6-c3678b0672aa' {
        load_video
        set gfxpayload=keep
        insmod gzio
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod fat
        set root='hd0,gpt1'
        if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-ieee1275='ieee1275//disk@0,gpt1' --hint-bios=hd0,gpt1 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt1  51B1-017F
        else
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 51B1-017F
        fi
        echo    'Loading Linux linux ...'
        linux   /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=14e0d38b-0a26-4fab-afc6-c3678b0672aa rw  loglevel=3 quiet
        echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
        initrd  /amd-ucode.img /initramfs-linux.img
}

And file amd-ucode.img exists in /boot.

Last edited by ratcheer (2020-09-09 11:55:18)

Lone_Wolf

Member

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,911

Re: [Solved] New installation today - microcode not being loaded early

Afaik early microcode loading is only used If there are microcode updates available for your processor.

I have a threadripper 1920x which still uses the exact same microcode it came with when i bought it (late 2018) .
The motherboard firmware / agesa have been updated a few times , but microcode stayed the same.

What processor are you using ?

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Solved] New installation today - microcode not being loaded early

Ok, mine is probably for the same reason. It is a 3900X.

Thank you.