Microcodes
 

I noticed Intel has a new microcode for my processor. I downloaded the file named microcode-20140913.tgz and inside is a file named microcode.dat but have no clue what to do with it. Googling I find to install intel-microcode and iucode-tool which I have on my system.

Can someone instruct how to upload the new signatures?

Using the help file for iucode I found /usr/sbin/iucode_tool -k but I don't know if this is a one time shot or will the new codes load on reboot... And if this is the right thing to do???

Does the following quote from the Intel Download Centre help?

jdk

Does this method with /etc/firmware still work? Arch linux recently listed the microcodes have to be loaded before boot - it has to be loaded by the bootloader (initrd parameter).

See here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...rocode_Updates

I saw that link but I didn't see instructions on how to make the .img files???

Arch user here. You don't make the .img file, it is a part of intel-microcode package. The package installs the image in /boot/ and you need to manually edit your bootloader configuration and append the path to the img file to the initrd line. Further information in the arch wiki.

Here is the link to the latest intel code https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...word=microcode

The latest file is called microcode-20140913.tgz which opens to a file called microcode.dat.

Do I edit the *.dat file into the bootlloader?
Or do I rename the *.dat file to *.img then add it to the bootloader?
Or is there a command or tool that's supposed to convert the *.dat file to a *.img file?
Or am I missing the boat all together?

Again, I found I can apply the *.dat file to the kernel using /usr/sbin/iucode_tool -k /microcode.dat but that doesn't survive a reboot. or does it???

Here's how I do it:

1) Copy the 'microcode.dat' to '/etc/microcode.dat'
2) On every boot run
That's it.

EDIT: There's supposed to be a newer method, but I can't find a good howto.

Any idea what package that command is in? I get this;

Edited to add... Looks like that command was superseded...

https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/microcode.ctl
This is a transitional package to help migrate systems to the new version of intel-microcode and to iucode-tool, which superseded microcode.ctl.

You can still get the source here and build it:
https://github.com/gooselinux/microcode_ctl

For the new method try:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Microcode

Personally, I'm going to hold off on the new method until the old method breaks. I don't even know where to get updates in the new format.

I used the git hub and got the 6 files but I can't figure out what to do with them for the life of me. I don't see a readme or any instructions on if you compile it or what???

Looks like it is broken, well get it from debian:
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool...17.orig.tar.gz

Extract then run 'make', you can also do 'make install' as root to install it to a bin directory. If it is installed it '/usr/local' you will need to add the full path when you run it from a boot script.