Linux 6.6 char/misc Brings Intel PECI Updates, Sapphire Rapids Support

Greg Kroah-Hartman last Friday sent out the "char/misc" changes for the Linux 6.6 kernel merge window that include the catch-all of different driver changes. This cycle the char/misc updates aren't particularly exciting but the Intel PECI updates do stand-out.

Mainlined last year with Linux 5.18 was the Intel Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) support. PECI is an Intel standard for interfacing between Intel (predominantly server) CPUs, chipsets, and other external components on server motherboards like BMCs. With the PECI interface there is temperature/power monitoring support and other information exposed.

For Linux 6.6 there is initial PECI support for 4th Gen Xeon Scalable "Sapphire Rapids" platforms. The Sapphire Rapids enablement includes the base support as well as getting the CPU and memory temperature working via the cputemp and dimmtemp sub-drivers, respectively.

Also on the PECI side with Linux 6.6 is adding the "peci-npcm" controller driver. The peci-npcm controller driver is used for enabling the Nuvoton NPCM7XX and NPCM8XX SoCs that are used as BMCs by some server motherboards. This driver allows for the BMC to discover devices connected to it and in turn interface with them via the PECI protocol.

Those are the main highlights via the char/misc pull with those changes now mainlined in Linux 6.6 Git.