[coreboot] Removing microcode updates from blobs

ron minnich rminnich at gmail.com
Sat Dec 14 04:44:58 CET 2013


Scott, I don't see the point of this change either.

In the beginning, we had no microcode in coreboot, per the main goal:
let linux do it. We just let Linux do the update. Not our problem.

At some point, ca. 2005 or so, we had to let the blobs in because many
of the new CPUs are *broken* without the microcode update: the
microcode that comes embedded in the CPU must be updated or you'll get
some real problems, and possibly not even get through firmware.

As you point out, this is nothing like the VGA BIOS issue.

So, sure, it's pure to build without the microcode blob, which means
in reality that you're deciding to use the microcode blob *already
embedded in the CPU*. And, on many new CPUs, the one that comes with
the CPU has issues that mean you won't get past DRAM init. And, if you
do get past DRAM init and boot, you've got a CPU that may have subtle
errors and corrupt memory. Oh, joy.

I guess I don't understand why people feel better being able to build
a firmware image which will boot the CPU in a broken mode.

ron



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