AMD Microcode - amd-ucode.cpio?

Chuck56 · 08-17-2022, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlackIT

I overlooked this reply, can anyone please tell me, that I then make the mkinitrd line like this as an example now?

mkinitrd -c -k -P 5.15.38 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

THANKS

You need to keep the kernel version after the '-k' and add the .img file name after the '-P'.

Code:

mkinitrd -c -k 5.15.38 -P /boot/amd-ucode.img -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

That assumes your .img file is in /boot.

SlackIT · 08-17-2022, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck56

You need to keep the kernel version after the '-k' and add the .img file name after the '-P'.

Code:

mkinitrd -c -k 5.15.38 -P /boot/amd-ucode.img -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

That assumes your .img file is in /boot.

So do I need mkinitrd -P as well as editing the mkinitrd.conf?

This is my mkinitrd.conf

Code:

SOURCE_TREE="/boot/initrd-tree"
OUTPUT_IMAGE="/boot/initrd.gz"
KERNEL_VERSION="$(uname -r)"
KEYMAP="us"
MODULE_LIST="ext4"
ROOTDEV="/dev/sda1"
ROOTFS="ext4"
UDEV="1"
MICROCODE_ARCH="/boot/amd-ucode.img"
WAIT="1"

THANKS

Chuck56 · 08-17-2022, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlackIT

So do I need mkinitrd -P as well as editing the mkinitrd.conf?

You're mixing 2 different methods of the mkinitrd command.

Method1: command line (doesn't use the config file)
mkinitrd -c -k 5.15.38 -P /boot/amd-ucode.img -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

Method 2: config file (-F defaults to /etc/mkinitrd.conf)
mkinitrd -F -k 5.15.38

In the config file method, your config file uses the running kernel: KERNEL_VERSION="$(uname -r)". The '-k 5.15.38' option overrides that setting.

see:
man mkinitrd
man mkinitrd.conf

Hope that helps!

SlackIT · 08-18-2022, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck56

You're mixing 2 different methods of the mkinitrd command.

Method1: command line (doesn't use the config file)
mkinitrd -c -k 5.15.38 -P /boot/amd-ucode.img -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

Method 2: config file (-F defaults to /etc/mkinitrd.conf)
mkinitrd -F -k 5.15.38

In the config file method, your config file uses the running kernel: KERNEL_VERSION="$(uname -r)". The '-k 5.15.38' option overrides that setting.

see:
man mkinitrd
man mkinitrd.conf

Hope that helps!

Ok, I want to use the config, so I'll use;

Code:

mkinitrd -c -F -k 5.19.2 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

THANKS

SlackIT · 08-18-2022, 02:35 AM

Looking at the logs I do not see the amd microcode loading early, more like late, around line 600, closer towards the bottom of the logs.

Here is shows it's loading in messages at line 579.

https://dpaste.com/ELQHZUBPT

When I used an i7 before, the microcode would always show loaded at the top of the logs, the first few lines, I assumed AMD would also show the microcode loading at the first few lines in the logs... hmm :/

I have everything correct in the kernel, for the options compiled in.

Code:

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD=Y
CONFIG_MICROCODE=y
CONFIG_MICROCODE_INTEL=Y
CONFIG_MICROCODE_AMD=y

I'm running;

Code:

mkinitrd -c -F -k 5.15.38 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

This is the contents of my /etc/mkinitrd.conf;

Code:

SOURCE_TREE="/boot/initrd-tree"
OUTPUT_IMAGE="/boot/initrd.gz"
KERNEL_VERSION="$(uname -r)"
KEYMAP="us"
MODULE_LIST="ext4"
ROOTDEV="/dev/sda1"
ROOTFS="ext4"
UDEV="1"
MICROCODE_ARCH="/boot/amd-ucode.img"
WAIT="1"

I use grub, so I also run;

Code:

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

SlackIT · 08-19-2022, 05:31 PM

I don't understand why in the logs the microcode shows around the 600th line, but when I'm booting up slack seeing the console go by, the microcode load appears more like at the top, only 1/4 of the way down.

I need help here, to understand if this is properly loading early? I have no idea at this point in time, all I know is it doesn't load as early as the Intel Microcode, which would appear at the very top of the logs.

TIA

Chuck56 · 08-19-2022, 07:01 PM

The kernel controls when it reads the microcode. For both Intel & AMD early loading is done when the microcode is in the initrd.

https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/late...microcode.html

The Intel, AMD and the various family of CPUs do not load or log microcode the same. Using the log line numbers is not a reliable way to track early loading.

My AMD Ryzen 5 5600G doesn't show microcode in dmesg until after line 700. That's with either grub or elilo and the microcode in the initrd.

SlackIT · 08-19-2022, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck56

The kernel controls when it reads the microcode. For both Intel & AMD early loading is done when the microcode is in the initrd.

https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/late...microcode.html

The Intel, AMD and the various family of CPUs do not load or log microcode the same. Using the log line numbers is not a reliable way to track early loading.

My AMD Ryzen 5 5600G doesn't show microcode in dmesg until after line 700. That's with either grub or elilo and the microcode in the initrd.

Ok...

Well as I mentioned earlier, I did;

Code:

mkinitrd -c -F -k 5.19.2 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz

And my /etc/mkinitrd.conf

Code:

SOURCE_TREE="/boot/initrd-tree"
OUTPUT_IMAGE="/boot/initrd.gz"
KERNEL_VERSION="$(uname -r)"
KEYMAP="us"
MODULE_LIST="ext4"
ROOTDEV="/dev/sda1"
ROOTFS="ext4"
UDEV="1"
MICROCODE_ARCH="/boot/amd-ucode.img"
WAIT="1"

I guess as far as I can tell, I'm good to go then?

But, Grub has GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_CUSTOM, but I'm not sure it's really necessary.

https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/ma...iguration.html