Microcode Updates

[spetrillo]

Hello all,

Got a couple questions related to microcode updates:

1) Do these update software related to the CPU or do they directly update the hardware?
2) If you rebuild an already updated Proxmox server do you need to run the update again?
3) I would assume you only install the Debian update bc it seems the update process also lists Ubuntu update?
4) Is there a web site that lists the most current updates and doc about said updates?

Reason for the questions is that I have one Proxmox server with an Intel 8700 and one with an Intel 9700T. Both servers are built identically, using Ansible. When I build an Ubuntu desktop VM on the 8700 I am able use Intel GVT in the VM. When I build the same VM on the 9700T the mediated GPU does not show up. Again both VMs are identical, since they are built with Ansible. The only major difference between the two systems is the CPU. Even the PC hardware is identical.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[BobhWasatch]

1) Do these update software related to the CPU or do they directly update the hardware?
2) If you rebuild an already updated Proxmox server do you need to run the update again?
3) I would assume you only install the Debian update bc it seems the update process also lists Ubuntu update?
4) Is there a web site that lists the most current updates and doc about said updates?

Reason for the questions is that I have one Proxmox server with an Intel 8700 and one with an Intel 9700T. Both servers are built identically, using Ansible. When I build an Ubuntu desktop VM on the 8700 I am able use Intel GVT in the VM. When I build the same VM on the 9700T the mediated GPU does not show up. Again both VMs are identical, since they are built with Ansible. The only major difference between the two systems is the CPU. Even the PC hardware is identical.

1. Microcode gets loaded into the CPU early in the boot process from the initramfs. This happens on every boot, it is not stored in flash or anything like that. If there is a BIOS update that includes the microcode, then that is more or less permanent.
2. You need to install the microcode package and rebuild the initramfs (which should be automatic).
   1. You do not need to install microcode in a VM, only only the host.
3. Don't know what you mean by this.
4. Intel and AMD web sites I guess.

As to your other problem, AMD processors simply don't support Intel's GVT feature.

 

[spetrillo]

I do not have an AMD processor. The 9700T is a low power Intel CPU.

When I run the microcode update on my Proxmox server it lists both Debian and Ubuntu updates.

 

[BobhWasatch]

I do not have an AMD processor. The 9700T is a low power Intel CPU.

Sorry, I misunderstood. Are you sure both do in fact support GVT? Microcode doesn't really have anything to do with that. In my experience you never need microcode updates to add a feature, they generally fix bugs in the CPU.

When I run the microcode update on my Proxmox server it lists both Debian and Ubuntu updates.

What "microcode update " are you "running"? I just apt-install intel-microcode (or whatever pve calls it, I'm not able to get to my PVE machine right now). It rebuilds the initramfs and gets loaded at the next boot.

If you are talking abput "fwupdmgr" or "fwupdtool", that isn't microcode, that is just regular firmware.

 

[spetrillo]

Yes 5th gen to 10th gen CPUs support GVT. The 9700T is a Coffee Lake(8th gen) processor.

I run the following script: bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/misc/microcode.sh)", which then shows me a set of microcode updates. I always pick the update with deb12 in the name. Not sure if I should be picking the more generic name.

 

[BobhWasatch]

Yes 5th gen to 10th gen CPUs support GVT. The 9700T is a Coffee Lake(8th gen) processor.

If you say so. I wouldn't trust such generalizations without looking it up. Often the low-power variants lack some features.

I don't know anything about that script. But what it appears to be doing is just what I do manually. I don't know where it is getting the list (which is a problem to be sure) but generally you want the newest one for your CPU. Microcode is not OS-specific, just CPU-specific.