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Same way that it's ok that if you update your distro it fetches newer drivers, a new kernel and patched versions of all the software you installed? Microcode is

by detaro 5y ago

Same way that it's ok that if you update your distro it fetches newer drivers, a new kernel and patched versions of all the software you installed? Microcode is loaded at runtime, it's not permanently modifying your system.

medo-bear 5y ago
but i dont do that automatically, as the parent described. as far as i am aware i need to manually issue a comand to perform the update, which is ok as far as i have that control
- detaro 5y ago
  "automatically" as in "automatically when you update the rest of your distro", not an extra step as the poster above clearly seemed to expect. That context also was clearly from the other comments already.
- e12e 5y ago
  Distros prompt you when upgrading packages, not binaries. You get a prompt to update Firefox package, not for replacing the actual binary on disk. Typically packages including microcode behave the same way - prompt to update the package, no prompt to implement that update (replace individual files).
- medo-bear 5y ago
  i dont seem to be able to reply directly. my question was meant as a clarification because simply saying something is "automatic" is very ambiguous. "automatic" to me means giving up control. to me whats being described is not "automatic"
amelius 5y ago
The question is still: are "magic incantations" in packages ok, considering that they allow the issuer to control your hardware more than if the code was baked into firmware just once? Also, these packages allow vendors to keep quiet about security issues, because they can silently fix them in the next update.
- seoaeu 5y ago
  Is it any more of a "magic incantation" than the linux-image-XYZ package which controls which OS kernel is installed? Or the linux-firmware package which controls what firmware gets loaded on various devices? If you want to see when Intel issues new microcode updates, it is all available on their GitHub: https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Dat...

by detaro 5y ago

medo-bear 5y ago

but i dont do that automatically, as the parent described. as far as i am aware i need to manually issue a comand to perform the update, which is ok as far as i have that control

detaro 5y ago
"automatically" as in "automatically when you update the rest of your distro", not an extra step as the poster above clearly seemed to expect. That context also was clearly from the other comments already.
e12e 5y ago
Distros prompt you when upgrading packages, not binaries. You get a prompt to update Firefox package, not for replacing the actual binary on disk. Typically packages including microcode behave the same way - prompt to update the package, no prompt to implement that update (replace individual files).
medo-bear 5y ago
i dont seem to be able to reply directly. my question was meant as a clarification because simply saying something is "automatic" is very ambiguous. "automatic" to me means giving up control. to me whats being described is not "automatic"

amelius 5y ago

The question is still: are "magic incantations" in packages ok, considering that they allow the issuer to control your hardware more than if the code was baked into firmware just once? Also, these packages allow vendors to keep quiet about security issues, because they can silently fix them in the next update.

seoaeu 5y ago
Is it any more of a "magic incantation" than the linux-image-XYZ package which controls which OS kernel is installed? Or the linux-firmware package which controls what firmware gets loaded on various devices? If you want to see when Intel issues new microcode updates, it is all available on their GitHub: https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Dat...