OpenBSD Launches Support for Updating AMD CPU Microcode — Here's What You Need to Know

OpenBSD is expanding its support by finally being able to apply AMD CPU microcode updates. It was reported that this comes with the latest code, which supports the update with new abilities.

OpenBSD Comes With New Patches That Support All Microcode Binaries From AMD CPUs

According to Phoronix, a set of patches that were merged to OpenBSD this weekend will give the ability to update CPU microcode for AMD processors. The ports/sysutils/fiirmware/amd had reportedly been included, pushing out all of the AMD CPU microcode binaries.

It was also reported that the OpenBSD fw_update utility would be capable of fetching and applying non-free firmware packages, which come with the newly-committed patches for supporting AMD CPU microcodes. The support is part of the fw_update, which matches all AMD processors.

Changes Were Reportedly Also Applicable for Linux and Other Platforms, Allowing It to Run an Updated AMD Processor Microcode

The report noted that the changes were also applicable for Linux and other platforms, which allows it to run an updated AMD processor microcode when the version is reportedly newer compared to what's available on the processor itself.

It was further noted that the version was better compared to what was being shipped by the system BIOS as an updated microcode at system initialization time.

Phoronix reported that the AMD CPU microcode updating on OpenBSD would complement the existing support that users experience for the Intel CPU microcode update for the BSD operating system. Additional details for the AMD CPU microcode update regarding OpenBSD are available in the OpenBSD Journal.

New Update Gives OpenBSD Support for AMD, Making It Equivalent to Intel, Which Gained Support in 2018

The update could be considered a breath of fresh air as AMD is finally gaining equivalence to its Intel counterpart, which support was added in 2018. It was also previously reported by Bleeping Computer that OpenBSD disabled Intel CPU hyper-threading due to concerns regarding security.

A discussion was spotted on Y Combinator regarding what some people thought of OpenBSD adding support for AMD. A user named "johnklos" commented that it was an area where AMD was considered better than Intel, focusing on the longevity of the AMD4 platform.

Users Share What They Think of the New Decision

It was reported that even ancient motherboards that come with recent BIOS updates are capable of bringing in newer AGESA versions. That means that most motherboards still receive updates for a long time.

The commenter then posed the question as to how many Kaby Lake motherboards are still receiving updates. It was then highlighted that OTOH, no matter its update history, still gives users better OS control, especially when running operating systems that better-fit servers.

The concern of sending someone to do a BIOS update in a colocation facility was also shared, with the user describing it as "frightening."