Linux 6.6 Unconditionally Enables x86 CPU Microcode Loading Support

Among the many changes to land during this first week of the Linux 6.6 cycle were the x86 CPU microcode loader updates that now unconditionally makes that support part of the x86/x86_64 kernel builds.

Intel engineers have been working on improvements to the Linux CPU microcode updating code. There's also been fundamental fixes to the x86 32-bit CPU microcode handling posted in recent weeks too.

For Linux 6.6 is an initial clean-up of the x86 CPU microcode loader and also making the loader core code unconditionally enabled and no longer under a Kconfig build-time switch to easily toggle its presence.

Most everyone builds their kernels with x86 microcode updating support and it's certainly recommended these days where microcode updates commonly correct functional issues as well as taking care of CPU security vulnerabilities. Though having this support unconditionally enabled may be frowned upon by the likes of the GNU Linux-libre folks who are against run-time updating/handling of any microcode/firmware blobs.

"The first, cleanup part of the microcode loader reorg tglx has been working on. This part makes the loader core code as it is practically enabled on pretty much every baremetal machine so there's no need to have the Kconfig items. In addition, there are cleanups which prepare for future feature enablement."

The x86-microcode pull also has clean-ups in preparing for future feature enablement work in this microcode area.