http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcode
Reading the warnings during kernel build, we discovered that often complained about missing cpu ucodesMicrocode is a layer of hardware-level instructions or data structures involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in many computers and other processors; it resides in special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations. It helps separate the machine instructions from the underlying electronics so that instructions can be designed and altered more freely.
we discovered that strangely, neither mandriva or rosa, install these cpu firmwares (microcode) by default,
so by an idea of GvM, we got those old packages and updated them, we think it could be safe install these.
NOTE: kernel since >= 2.6.29 is capable of auto updating cpu microcode%description
Since PentiumPro, Intel CPU are made of a RISC chip and of a microcode whose purpose is to decompose "old" ia32 instruction into new risc ones.
This is also true for many AMD CPU. That microcode can be updated to fix bugs, but the update is volatile and needs to be uploaded on each system
boot; i.e. it doesn't reflash your CPU permanently: reboot and it reverts back to the old microcode.
Recent kernels have the ability to update this microcode by the means of the firmware loading infrastructure.
This package contains the latest microcode patches for Intel CPU, as well as microcode patches for AMD CPU of the 10h - 15h families.
With the proper cpu microcode enabled you can obtain a more reliability of you system, especially indespensable in server area, so when your cpu has a defect, kernel will found the best work-around to avoid slowdowns, or dangerous oops that could harm till to freeze your OS...
How to install
All firmwares from MDV2011 to ROSA 2012.1 have been build and stored in ABF
http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kerne ... epository/
Mandriva 2011
http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kerne ... noarch.rpm
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urpmi http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kernels_testing_personal/repository/mandriva2011/x86_64/main/release/microcode-0.20120313-1-mib2011.0.noarch.rpm
http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kerne ... noarch.rpm
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urpmi http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kernels_testing_personal/repository/rosa2012lts/x86_64/main/release/microcode-0.20120313-1-rosa.lts2012.0.noarch.rpm
http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kerne ... noarch.rpm
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urpmi http://abf.rosalinux.ru/downloads/kernels_testing_personal/repository/rosa2012.1/x86_64/main/release/microcode-0.20120313-1-rosa2012.1.noarch.rpm
http://mib.pianetalinux.org/MIB/2010.2/ ... noarch.rpm
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urpmi http://mib.pianetalinux.org/MIB/2010.2/64/projects/kernels/general/microcode-0.20120313-1mib2010.2.noarch.rpm
To see the results:
Install, Reboot your PC and then execute:
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$ dmesg | grep microcode
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modinfo microcode
bye, GvM and NicCo