> > What still worries me a bit is that intel places strict restrictions on
> > this. On the other hand, this is kernel bloat IMVHO: It is functionality
> > that should be used during boot (if at all), and then jettisoned.
> Loadable kernel modules are a beautiful thing.
Very true.
> The restrictions Intel place on this makes this probably a bad idea in
> case of the P6. Another issue is that, of course, other processors
> might have other constraints on how this operation is performed.
To download firmware into the CPU is conceptually redefining the CPU, so
this should happen (and intel says so!) _before_ the OS starts. In any
case, the whole CPU detection and bug workaround habilitation should be
done afterwards in all cases. That is why I advocate doing this f.ex. from
lilo, not from the OS.
-- Horst von Brand vonbrand@sleipnir.valparaiso.cl Casilla 9G, Viņa del Mar, Chile +56 32 672616
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