[arch-general] Intel microcode - latest version not loading

[Dutch Ingraham]

On Thu, Mar 01, 2018 at 08:13:08PM +0100, ProgAndy wrote:
> Am 01.03.2018 um 00:41 schrieb Dutch Ingraham:
> > On Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 04:54:03PM -0600, Doug Newgard via arch-general wrote:
> > > On Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:43:26 -0600
> > > Dutch Ingraham <stoa at gmx.us> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > On Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 11:50:09AM -0600, Doug Newgard via arch-general wrote:
> > > > > You're looking at the dates that the last *bundle* was released. That says
> > > > > nothing about what firmware is available for your processor. Your microcode was
> > > > > "updated early", so it is being loaded just fine.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Scimmia
> > > > Thanks, Scimmia.  I had considered that, but thought that would have
> > > > been spelled-out somewhere on Intel's site and didn't want to just
> > > > assume.  So, how does one determine what files are on the .img?
> > > The img file can be extracted with bsdtar. iucode_tool in the AUR used for
> > > working with the intel bin file inside of that .img file. It can list, extract,
> > > search, and more. There's even an example on the Microcode wiki page.
> > 
> > Did you just add that wiki page information??  (I'm just kidding, of
> > course.)  Totally missed it - thanks for the info!
> 
> In February Intel also released a PDF with available and planned microcode
> updates. The original now asks for a login, but this is a mirror:
> 
> http://www-pc.uni-regensburg.de/systemsw/security/microcode-update-guidance_02122018.pdf
> 
> 
> Original location:
> https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/02/microcode-update-guidance.pdf

That's excellent information.  Apparently, my 8 year old Core2 may soon be
getting its first MCU!