Install Handbook Microcode

Ja.KooLit · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:55 am Post subject: Install Handbook Microcode

I dont know if I am posting in a proper subforum however, its relating to Gentoo Installation

On my opinion

part 22 of the handbook
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Full/Installation#Optional:_Installing_firmware_and.2For_microcode

Installation should not be optional but it should be a pre-requisite especially CPU microcodes. Especially for amd cpus

use flag initramfs should be enabled by default on linux-firmware package because that is where the microcode are from.

if not possible to enable the initramfs, it should be highlighted to add initramfs especially for users who have AMD CPU or atleast enhance more in the install handbook

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:00 pm Post subject:

Ja.KooLit,

The micocode need not be in at initrd. That's users choice.
It can be built into the kernel binary too.

Users of air gapped systems (no network connection, ever) may decide not to install any CPU microcode at all.
Its down to the user to make the decision. After being informed by the handbook.

You have a different opinion to me. That's fine. You do it your way and I'll do it mine.
Other users will have other ideas too.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Pipeartist · n00b Joined: 12 Feb 2023 Posts: 10

I have the linux-firmware package installed with initramfs enabled and I'm using efibootmgr to add boot entries. Do i need initrd parameter specified in the boot entry. Im not using initramfs for anything else. I noticed microcode messages while booting whether initrd parameter is in the boot entry or not. I also have an emu10k1 sound card installed and was wondering if i need that firmware from alsa-firmware package installed and built into kernel as well

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:47 pm Post subject:

Pipeartist,

Maybe. :) Read on ...

The CPU microcode has to be updated early, so it needs to be in the kernel or in an initrd.
If its in an initrd, the kernel needs to be told about it and it needs to be loaded somehow.

If its in the kernel, it got loaded with the kernel. Not all CPU microcode is provided in linux-firmware. Intel CPUs need sys-firmware/intel-microcode, then you need to pick the right file too.

The emu10k (and probably the emu10k1) can use sound fonts for wave table synthesis. The emu10k1 is a crippled for Dell Sound Blaster emu10k, so I don't know what features it lacks.
For general use, the sound fonts are not required. If you want to use the card as a synthesiser, they will improve the sound quality of that function.
The sound fonts need to be available when the emu10k1 driver is initialised.

If you have emu10k1=m, that's after root is mounted, so the files can be read from /lib/firmware
It its emu10k1=y, its before root is mounted, so the sound fonts need to be provided in the kernel.
The sound fonts are not provided by linux-firmware.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.