4 ms·
AFAIK the microcode updates aren't mandatory, you can use your computer without them and use the stock microcode (though that's also proprietary).
by witty_username 11y ago
AFAIK the microcode updates aren't mandatory, you can use your computer without them and use the stock microcode (though that's also proprietary).
- throwaway7767 11y ago> AFAIK the microcode updates aren't mandatory, you can use your computer without them and use the stock microcode (though that's also proprietary). Microcode is only one part of it. I was thinking of the ME firmware, and to a lesser extent the FSP. It's not possible to boot a modern Intel processor without ME. The ME has direct DMA access to all peripherals and can use the network interfaces directly, behind the operating systems back. I believe AMD has similar things. They are all signed by the manufacturer and the hardware will refuse to load a replacement even if it existed.
- artlogic 11y agoPuri.sm has been saying for weeks they are going to have a big announcement about the ME "next week". I do wish their process was a bit more open, but I'm hoping they've actually found a way to make the machine boot without an ME. That in and of itself would be a huge step forward for libreboot/coreboot.
- pgeorgi 11y agodepends on the type of issue these updates fix. Some Via Nano CPUs came with microcode that hung the CPU on power state transitions. If you don't intend to run the CPU at 100% all the time, you want to install those updates. Similar issues (usually more subtle) exist for other CPUs
- yuhong 11y agoWhich is why I feel that skipping the microcode updates is entirely useless.