[regression] 4.4.0-110 doesn't load AMD microcode

[Simon Déziel]

When booting my AMD system with 4.4.0-109.132, the microcode is updated:

root@ocelot:~# journalctl -k | grep microcode
Jan 13 15:26:36 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x0500010d
Jan 13 15:26:36 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU1: patch_level=0x0500010d
Jan 13 15:26:36 ocelot kernel: microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.01 <email address hidden>, Peter Oruba
Jan 13 15:26:36 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU0: new patch_level=0x05000119
Jan 13 15:26:36 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU1: new patch_level=0x05000119

However, with 4.4.0-110.133, no microcode is loaded:

root@ocelot:~# journalctl -k | grep microcode
# nothing

Extra information on the system:

root@ocelot:~# sed -n '1,/^$/ p' /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 20
model : 2
model name : AMD C-60 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics
stepping : 0
microcode : 0x5000119
cpu MHz : 800.000
cache size : 512 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 0
cpu cores : 2
apicid : 0
initial apicid : 0
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 6
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc rep_good nopl nonstop_tsc extd_apicid aperfmperf pni monitor ssse3 cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch ibs skinit wdt cpb hw_pstate kaiser vmmcall arat npt lbrv svm_lock nrip_save pausefilter
bugs : fxsave_leak sysret_ss_attrs
bogomips : 1999.97
TLB size : 1024 4K pages
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps hwpstate cpb

root@ocelot:~# lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS
Release: 16.04

root@ocelot:~# apt-cache policy amd64-microcode
amd64-microcode:
  Installed: 2.20160316.1
  Candidate: 2.20160316.1
  Version table:
 *** 2.20160316.1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.4.0-110-generic 4.4.0-110.133
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-109.132-generic 4.4.98
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-109-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zcommon znvpair zavl
AlsaDevices:
 total 0
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 1 Jan 13 15:26 seq
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 Jan 13 15:26 timer
AplayDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'aplay'
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'arecord'
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Date: Sat Jan 13 15:30:51 2018
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=cfe87834-be9d-4a32-93d1-3f2b655e58af
IwConfig: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'iwconfig'
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
PciMultimedia:

ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-109-generic root=UUID=9696399d-3bed-4126-b203-7672f2ea0576 ro hugepages=3072 kaslr nmi_watchdog=0 possible_cpus=2 pti=on transparent_hugepage=never vsyscall=none
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-109-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-109-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.157.14
RfKill: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'rfkill'
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/22/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0502
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: C60M1-I
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0502:bd05/22/2014:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnC60M1-I:rvrRevX.0x:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Same with intel-microcode (tested on VirtualBox, but with 4.4.0-109 it loaded microcode).

[Simon Déziel (sdeziel)]

@Norbert, that's weird as just tested on 2 Intel (physical) machines and the microcode loaded fine with 4.4.0-110.133 (intel-microcode: 3.20180108.0~ubuntu16.04.2).

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Tested on real Intel hardware. No problem here. Microcode loaded.

I'm sorry.

[Juerg Haefliger (juergh)]

Confirmed, 110 doesn't load microcode on my old laptop.

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep -m1 'model name'
model name : AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics

$ uname -a
Linux cq58 4.4.0-110-generic #133-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 12 18:53:57 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ dmesg | grep micro

[Simon Déziel (sdeziel)]

With 4.4.0-111.134, the microcode is loading fine again:

root@ocelot:~# journalctl -k | grep microcode
Jan 16 13:12:48 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x0500010d
Jan 16 13:12:48 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU1: patch_level=0x0500010d
Jan 16 13:12:48 ocelot kernel: microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.01 <email address hidden>, Peter Oruba
Jan 16 13:12:48 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU0: new patch_level=0x05000119
Jan 16 13:12:48 ocelot kernel: microcode: CPU1: new patch_level=0x05000119