[LinuxBIOS] Proposed changes to cpu/intel organization

[Corey Osgood]

ron minnich wrote:
> On Dec 30, 2007 3:50 PM, Corey Osgood <corey.osgood at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> With the latest microcde update, there's one big problem: size.
>>     
>
> what is the size?
>   

The full microcode update file is a little over 1MB, that's all the
current updates for all CPUs, since the Pentium Pro. I've broken that
down (with the help of a script) into individual updates, these range in
size from 6-21K. Some CPU models have multiple updates, I'm not sure
why, but my gut tells me they're all needed.

>> * The end user needs to select between p2 and p3 cpus for slot 1
>> systems. This may also come up in LGA775-based systems, due to size
>> constraints
>>     
>
> for slot 1, we no longer care. But, in general, we must ensure that
> any cpu can be plugged into a socket that is allowed and still have
> microcode updates work. Can you explain the lga775 issue a  bit more?
>
> ron
>   

Not yet, because I'm not even sure there's going to be an issue, I'm
still working on the 6xx series. I've had to go to intel.com and compose
a list of all the PPro, P2, and P3 (and Xeon/Celerons of the same era)
CPU IDs, and break them down by model and package, so it's a fairly long
process. If there is a problem, it'll be the same as with the slot 1s,
there will be so many updates for so many CPUs that all of them simply
can't fit into a 4Mb rom.

-Corey