Re: [PATCH]microcode update driver rewrite - takes 2

[Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>]

On Tue, Jun 27, 2006 at 10:51:33AM +0800, Shaohua Li wrote:
> This is the rewrite of microcode update driver. Changes:
> 1. trim the code
> 2. using request_firmware to pull ucode from userspace, so we don't need
> the application 'microcode_ctl' to assist. We name each ucode file
> according to CPU's info as intel-ucode/family-model-stepping. In this
> way we could split ucode file as small one. This has a lot of advantages
> such as selectively update and validate microcode for specific models,
> better manage microcode file, easily write tools for administerators and
> so on.
> 3. add sysfs support. Currently each CPU has two microcode related
> attributes. One is 'version' which shows current ucode version of CPU.
> Tools can use the attribute do validation or show CPU ucode status. The
> other is 'reload' which allows manually reloading ucode. 
> 4. add suspend/resume and CPU hotplug support. 

Why not break this up into 4 patches so we can better review them?

Remember, one patch per change please :)

> With the changes, we should put all intel-ucode/xx-xx-xx microcode files
> into the firmware dir (I had a tool to split previous big data file into
> small one and later we will release new style data file). The init
> script should be changed to just loading the driver without unloading
> for hotplug and suspend/resume (for back compatibility I keep old
> interface, so old init script also works).
> 
> Previous post is at
> http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=114852925121064&w=2
> Changes against previous patch:
> 1. use sys_create_group to add attributes
> 2. add a fake platform_device for reqeust_firmware as Greg disliked the
> request_firmware_kobj interface previous patch introduced
> 3. add a new attribute 'pf' to help tools check if CPU has latest ucode

What does "pf" stand for?

thanks,

greg k-h