[SOLVED] Can't get AMD microcode to update

S

sterm

New Member
Mar 30, 2025
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Hi there,

I'm dealing with some stability issues with my PVE system and I'm hoping updating the CPU microcode will help things. My system is running an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 on an MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max motherboard.

I have installed the `amd64-microcode` package from the non-free-firmware apt repo, but the microcode version reported in the dmesg logs reports the same version:

Code: 
root@proxmox:~# dmesg | grep "microcode:"
[    0.909266] microcode: Current revision: 0x08001139

From what I'm reading in this thread, it seems like proxmox ships with a kernel not compiled with "Late Loading" microcode support - is this true?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

installed packages:

Code: 
proxmox-ve: 8.4.0 (running kernel: 6.8.12-9-pve)
pve-manager: 8.4.1 (running version: 8.4.1/2a5fa54a8503f96d)
proxmox-kernel-helper: 8.1.1
proxmox-kernel-6.8: 6.8.12-9
proxmox-kernel-6.8.12-9-pve-signed: 6.8.12-9
proxmox-kernel-6.8.12-4-pve-signed: 6.8.12-4
amd64-microcode: 3.20240820.1~deb12u1
ceph-fuse: 17.2.7-pve3
corosync: 3.1.9-pve1
criu: 3.17.1-2+deb12u1
glusterfs-client: 10.3-5
ifupdown2: 3.2.0-1+pmx11
ksm-control-daemon: 1.5-1
libjs-extjs: 7.0.0-5
libknet1: 1.30-pve2
libproxmox-acme-perl: 1.6.0
libproxmox-backup-qemu0: 1.5.1
libproxmox-rs-perl: 0.3.5
libpve-access-control: 8.2.2
libpve-apiclient-perl: 3.3.2
libpve-cluster-api-perl: 8.1.0
libpve-cluster-perl: 8.1.0
libpve-common-perl: 8.3.1
libpve-guest-common-perl: 5.2.2
libpve-http-server-perl: 5.2.2
libpve-network-perl: 0.11.2
libpve-rs-perl: 0.9.4
libpve-storage-perl: 8.3.6
libspice-server1: 0.15.1-1
lvm2: 2.03.16-2
lxc-pve: 6.0.0-1
lxcfs: 6.0.0-pve2
novnc-pve: 1.6.0-2
proxmox-backup-client: 3.4.0-1
proxmox-backup-file-restore: 3.4.0-1
proxmox-firewall: 0.7.1
proxmox-kernel-helper: 8.1.1
proxmox-mail-forward: 0.3.2
proxmox-mini-journalreader: 1.4.0
proxmox-offline-mirror-helper: 0.6.7
proxmox-widget-toolkit: 4.3.10
pve-cluster: 8.1.0
pve-container: 5.2.6
pve-docs: 8.4.0
pve-edk2-firmware: 4.2025.02-3
pve-esxi-import-tools: 0.7.3
pve-firewall: 5.1.1
pve-firmware: 3.15-3
pve-ha-manager: 4.0.7
pve-i18n: 3.4.2
pve-qemu-kvm: 9.2.0-5
pve-xtermjs: 5.5.0-2
qemu-server: 8.3.12
smartmontools: 7.3-pve1
spiceterm: 3.3.0
swtpm: 0.8.0+pve1
vncterm: 1.8.0
zfsutils-linux: 2.2.7-pve2
 
Last edited:
On what bios/UEFI version are you currently?

The microcode package is from 2024-08-20 and even must not necessarily contain a new microcode for your specific CPU.
So, if you are on a somewhat recent bios/UEFI version (most recent one is from 2025-04-11, but there are also ones dated 2024-09-05 and 2024-08-21 (and maybe even 2024-08-09)), you most likely already have the microcode or even a newer one, that is included in the microcode package.
 
sterm said:
From what I'm reading in this thread, it seems like proxmox ships with a kernel not compiled with "Late Loading" microcode support - is this true?
Click to expand...
Hi, yes late loading is disabled. We base our kernel on the Ubuntu kernel and that feature is disabled there too [1]. And if you take a look at the thread you linked, you can also find out why [2].

Between patch1 and patch3, patch2 might have deprecated a software-visiblefeature.


This is unacceptable if software is even potentially using that feature.For instance, say MSR_X is no longer available after an update,accessing that MSR will cause a #GP fault.


Basically there is no way to declare a new microcode update suitablefor late-loading. This is another one of the problems that caused lateloading to be not enabled by default.
Click to expand...

So really, you don't want to "late load" your microcode. With that feature disabled, you'll need to reboot your system to load the new microcode.

[1]: https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-k...e/tree/debian.master/config/annotations#n8001
[2]: https://docs.kernel.org/arch/x86/microcode.html#why-is-late-loading-dangerous
 
Thank you both. I didn't realize that having an up-to-date BIOS would accomplish the same goal. I updated to the latest BIOS version released 2025-04-11 so I will look elsewhere for the source of my stability issues.
 
sterm said:
[...] so I will look elsewhere for the source of my stability issues.
Click to expand...

You could try the current opt-in kernel:
t.lamprecht

Thread 'Opt-in Linux 6.14 Kernel for Proxmox VE 8 available on test & no-subscription'

We recently uploaded a 6.14 kernel into our repositories. The current 6.8 kernel will stay the default on the Proxmox VE 8 series, the newly introduced 6.14 kernel is an option.
The 6.14 based kernel may be useful for some (especially newer) setups, for example if there is improved hardware support that has not yet been backported to 6.8.
This follows our tradition of upgrading the Proxmox VE kernel to match the current Ubuntu version until we reach an (Ubuntu) LTS release, like the 6.8 kernel is, and then provide newer kernels as opt-in. The 6.14 kernel is based on the Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky...
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I would also make sure, that all other firmwares (e.g.: SSD(s)) are up-to-date as well.

But might be better to open a new thread regarding the stability issues and explain them there in full detail.
 
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