Re: How free is Debian

From	Celejar <celejar@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: How free is Debian
Date	2019-08-08 16:10 +0200
Message-ID	<ysRh8-6dT-15@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References	<ysEDf-6wW-3@gated-at.bofh.it> <ysI49-p5-3@gated-at.bofh.it> <ysIdP-uu-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <ysOMi-4AO-1@gated-at.bofh.it>
Organization	linux.* mail to news gateway

Show all headers | View raw

On Thu, 08 Aug 2019 06:22:41 -0500
John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> wrote:

>  Shahryar Afifi writes:
> > Very well said. If debian free is not using amd64 microcode, so what
> > kernel module runs my cpu as 64bit?
> 
> That microcode package contains bug fixes and updates for the microcode
> that the manufacturer shipped the cpu with.  The cpu will run without it
> but the spyware coded into it[1] might not work right.
> 
> [1] Or maybe there isn't any and they are really just fixing bugs that
> could be security risks.  Or maybe both.

I understand that you're being somewhat facetious, but it should be
understood that updating microcode should be taken seriously, according
to Debian developer and linux microcode expert Henrique de Maraes
Holschuh:

> Intel® 64 and IA-32 processors (x86_64 and i686 processors) are capable of
> field-upgrading their control program (microcode) as well as parameters
> for other on-chip subsystems (power management, interconnects, etc).
> These microcode updates correct processor errata, and are important for
> safe, stable and correct system operation.
> 
> While most of the microcode updates fix problems that happen extremely
> rarely, they also fix high-profile, high-hitting issues.  There are enough
> microcode updates fixing processor errata that would cause system lockup,
> memory corruption, or unpredictable system behavior, to warrant taking
> firmware updates and microcode updates seriously.

https://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/non-free/i/intel-microcode/unstable_README.Debian

Celejar

Thread

How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 02:40 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian Judah Richardson <judahrichardson@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 03:20 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2019-08-08 05:00 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 05:10 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian rhkramer@gmail.com - 2019-08-08 14:00 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Brad Rogers <brad@fineby.me.uk> - 2019-08-08 14:30 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2019-08-08 14:50 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 22:50 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2019-08-08 15:40 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 06:50 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 15:10 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 00:30 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 02:10 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Ben Caradoc-Davies <ben@transient.nz> - 2019-08-09 03:20 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2019-08-09 05:30 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 14:00 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 16:00 +0200
                Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-09 16:40 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 10:00 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2019-08-10 10:20 +0200
              Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-10 15:00 +0200
                Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 16:40 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Alessandro Vesely <vesely@tana.it> - 2019-08-09 18:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-09 18:20 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 19:40 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-09 18:20 +0200
  Re: How free is Debian David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2019-08-08 06:20 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 06:30 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 07:00 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-08 09:40 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Shahryar Afifi <shahryarafifi@yahoo.com> - 2019-08-08 15:10 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-08 15:20 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2019-08-08 15:30 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Michael Stone <mstone@debian.org> - 2019-08-08 15:40 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2019-08-10 10:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-08 16:50 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 23:10 +0200
            Re: How free is Debian Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2019-08-09 07:30 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 13:30 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2019-08-08 16:10 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2019-08-08 15:20 +0200
    Re: How free is Debian john doe <johndoe65534@mail.com> - 2019-08-08 09:00 +0200
      Re: How free is Debian <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2019-08-08 10:00 +0200
        Re: How free is Debian John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2019-08-08 14:00 +0200
          Re: How free is Debian Alessandro Vesely <vesely@tana.it> - 2019-08-09 19:10 +0200

csiph-web