When using the Intel microcode patch loading support (MICROCODE_INTEL) option under Processor type and features with my core-2 duo, I experience random slowdowns, errors, and locks. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Enable Intel microcode patch loading support (MICROCODE_INTEL) option under Processor type and features 2. Boot system (or attempt to, as the case may be) 3. experience random slow-downs, boot problems, hangs, and even a full shut down. Actual Results: Enabling Intel microcode patch loading support (MICROCODE_INTEL) option under Processor type and features causes all manner of problems, at times mimicking a bad hard drive, or bad memory. Such problems include, but were not limited to; lockup while booting just before init kicks in, lockups while detecting udev, locks or slowdowns attempting to start KDE, and even a hard power down right out of a KDE session. Expected Results: To have the system operate normally and not to do any of the above. core-too linux-2.6.28 # emerge --info Portage 2.2_rc20 (default/linux/amd64/2008.0, gcc-4.2.3, glibc-2.9_p20081201-r1, 2.6.27.10 x86_64) ================================================================= System uname: Linux-2.6.27.10-x86_64-Intel-R-_Core-TM-2_Duo_CPU_E6550_@_2.33GHz-with-glibc2.2.5 Timestamp of tree: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 05:00:01 +0000 distcc 3.1 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu [enabled] app-shells/bash: 3.2_p48 dev-java/java-config: 1.3.7-r1, 2.1.6-r1 dev-lang/python: 2.5.2-r8 dev-python/pycrypto: 2.0.1-r6 dev-util/cmake: 2.6.2 sys-apps/baselayout: 2.0.0 sys-apps/openrc: 0.4.1 sys-apps/sandbox: 1.3.2 sys-devel/autoconf: 2.13, 2.63 sys-devel/automake: 1.4_p6, 1.5, 1.7.9-r1, 1.8.5-r3, 1.9.6-r2, 1.10.2 sys-devel/binutils: 2.19 sys-devel/gcc-config: 1.4.0-r4 sys-devel/libtool: 2.2.6a virtual/os-headers: 2.6.28 ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="amd64 ~amd64" CBUILD="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CFLAGS="-O2 -march=nocona -pipe" CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/kde/3.5/env /usr/kde/3.5/share/config /usr/kde/3.5/shutdown /usr/share/config" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/ca-certificates.conf /etc/env.d /etc/env.d/java/ /etc/fonts/fonts.conf /etc/gconf /etc/gentoo-release /etc/php/apache2-php5/ext-active/ /etc/php/cgi-php5/ext-active/ /etc/php/cli-php5/ext-active/ /etc/revdep-rebuild /etc/sandbox.d /etc/terminfo /etc/udev/rules.d" CXXFLAGS="-O2 -march=nocona -pipe" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="distcc distlocks fixpackages metadata-transfer parallel-fetch preserve-libs protect-owned sandbox sfperms strict unmerge-orphans userfetch" GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://distfiles.gentoo.org http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/gentoo" LANG="en_US.UTF-8" LC_ALL="en_US.UTF-8" LDFLAGS="-Wl,-O1" LINGUAS="en" MAKEOPTS="-j16" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_RSYNC_OPTS="--recursive --links --safe-links --perms --times --compress --force --whole-file --delete --stats --timeout=180 --exclude=/distfiles --exclude=/local --exclude=/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE="X a52 aac accessibility acl alsa amd64 audiofile avi bash-completion berkdb bitmap-fonts bzip2 cairo cdr cli cracklib crypt css cups dbus dlloader dri dvd dvdr dvdread emboss encode fam ffmpeg fftw flac foomaticdb fortran gdbm gif gpm gsl gtk hal iconv ipv6 isdnlog jpeg kde kdgraphics ladspa lame ldap libsamplerate libwww live mad midi mikmod mmx mp3 mpeg mudflap multilib nas ncurses nls nptl nptlonly ogg opengl openmp pam pcre pdcre pdf pdflib perl php png ppds pppd python qt3 qt3support quicktime readline reflection samba sdl session slang slp sndfile spell spl sse sse2 ssl swat sysfs tcpd theora tiff truetype udev unicode vorbis wxwindows x264 xml xorg xscreensaver xv xvid zlib" ALSA_CARDS="ice1712" ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS="adpcm alaw asym copy dmix dshare dsnoop empty extplug file hooks iec958 ioplug ladspa lfloat linear meter mmap_emul mulaw multi null plug rate route share shm softvol" APACHE2_MODULES="actions alias auth_basic auth_digest authn_anon authn_dbd authn_dbm authn_default authn_file authz_dbm authz_default authz_groupfile authz_host authz_owner authz_user autoindex cache dav dav_fs dav_lock dbd deflate dir disk_cache env expires ext_filter file_cache filter headers ident imagemap include info log_config logio mem_cache mime mime_magic negotiation proxy proxy_ajp proxy_balancer proxy_connect proxy_http rewrite setenvif so speling status unique_id userdir usertrack vhost_alias" ELIBC="glibc" INPUT_DEVICES="evdev keyboard mouse" KERNEL="linux" LCD_DEVICES="bayrad cfontz cfontz633 glk hd44780 lb216 lcdm001 mtxorb ncurses text" LINGUAS="en" USERLAND="GNU" VIDEO_CARDS="intel" Unset: CPPFLAGS, CTARGET, EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS, FFLAGS, INSTALL_MASK, PORTAGE_COMPRESS, PORTAGE_COMPRESS_FLAGS, PORTAGE_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS
This does not appear to affect x86 systems presently.
It would greatly assist the kernel team if you could also test with vanilla-sources. Thanks.
Did you experience the same issues with the 2.6.27 kernel series or just 2.6.28?
Are there any errors in dmesg or /var/log/messages?
(In reply to comment #2) > It would greatly assist the kernel team if you could also test with > vanilla-sources. Thanks. > This has been tested with both vanilla and gentoo sources, so it is definitely not something that came as a result of your patches. This is probably a core issue.
(In reply to comment #3) > Did you experience the same issues with the 2.6.27 kernel series or just > 2.6.28? > No, the 2.6.27.10 kernel runs just fine, without any problems whatsoever. This is definitely a .28 family issue.
Created attachment 176720 [details] the .config for 2.6.28 This kernel was generated with make defconfig and edited with make xconfig.
Created attachment 176722 [details] .config for 2.6.28-gentoo This kernel was also generated with make defconfig and edited with make xconfig.
I've added my .configs for both kernel sources for your study.
(In reply to comment #4) > Are there any errors in dmesg or /var/log/messages? > I'd have to recompile and see. If I can get it to boot, I'll send you the messages I get. When I say it messes with this system, that includes sometimes, it boots slowly, or not at all. If I can get past that, I'll send you what I find.
Could you please also try the latest sys-kerne/git-sources? Digging into the LKML I can see several patches about the Intel Microcode
Be wary of testing git-sources at this point in time (pre-rc1). The merge window open so there is often quite a bit of chaos and breakage.
The microcode loader/module was split out into separate pieces for intel and amd cpus during the 2.6.28 cycle. A dmesg will be very helpful as it should log the microcode update process.
Created attachment 176834 [details] dmesg with microcode enabled. Note: The observed first hint that there will be a problem is the fact that it takes almost a full second between ok'ing lilo, and the actual appearance of penguins, or anything else on my screen. The second problem is taking almost a full minute to update with ntp-client.
Created attachment 176836 [details] The /var/log/messages file with microcode enabled. As requested.
(In reply to comment #12) > Be wary of testing git-sources at this point in time (pre-rc1). The merge > window open so there is often quite a bit of chaos and breakage. > I don't like the word, "breakage". I think I'll heed your warning. :)
Just as a test, I decided to start and then drop out of X. That brought up bug #252793. It seems that turning on the microcode makes X more unstable as well. I'll see if I can get any files from the now afflicted machine. That was a wash. I could ping the machine, but that's it. The good thing is the machine runs stable as soon as I boot with 2.6.27.10.
Thanks for the report. Please now file an upstream bug for this at http://bugzilla.kernel.org and post the new bug URL here when done. The important parts you should cover: - The system becomes unstable when the microcode driver is enabled, even though you are not actually loading any new microcode (right?) - This is a 2.6.28 regression (reproduced on vanilla), did not happen with 2.6.27 - Disabling the microcode driver restores system stability - attach your config and dmesg (when microcode is enabled)
Your .28 configs are for i386, but you are running .27 as x86_64. You have also not specified the correct processor type (according to your emerge --info). Could you re-test with 2.6.28 after switching your arch or a 'make x86_64_defconfig', and also setting your processor type to 'CONFIG_MCORE2'?
(In reply to comment #19) > Your .28 configs are for i386, but you are running .27 as x86_64. You have also > not specified the correct processor type (according to your emerge --info). > > Could you re-test with 2.6.28 after switching your arch or a 'make > x86_64_defconfig', and also setting your processor type to 'CONFIG_MCORE2'? > Yes, I was reporting another bug, and I got directories mixed up. I'll be fixing that presently.
Created attachment 177050 [details] the 2.6.28-gentoo .config This is the correct .config file.
Created attachment 177051 [details] the proper 2.6.28 .config The proper 2.6.28 .config file.
(In reply to comment #18) > Thanks for the report. Please now file an upstream bug for this at > http://bugzilla.kernel.org and post the new bug URL here when done. > > The important parts you should cover: > - The system becomes unstable when the microcode driver is enabled, even > though you are not actually loading any new microcode (right?) > - This is a 2.6.28 regression (reproduced on vanilla), did not happen with > 2.6.27 > - Disabling the microcode driver restores system stability > - attach your config and dmesg (when microcode is enabled) > Done. The URL is http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12344
