BIOS update from Lenovo for Meltdown / Sceptre

[njkmohan]

With the prospect of Lenovo packaging the patched Intel microcode in a BIOS update for the T410/420 series. What options are we left with? - https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/len-18282

1. Wait for Microsoft to send it through Windows Update?
2. Use the VMWare Microcode updater - https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmware-c ... ate-driver

Anything else?

[ThinkRob]

If you're using Linux, you can always load microcode from userspace. I know Fedora packages microcode updates via the usual mechanism. Not sure about other distros (or, for that matter, other OSs. Maybe Windows and the BSDs support this somehow?)

The benefit of this is that you're not dependent on Lenovo to get your update. The downside is that you'll need to either use a distro/OS that supports this, plus you'll need the distro to provide the updates (or wire up the on-boot service yourself.)

That's what I do since I don't run the stock BIOS. Works great!

[axur-delmeria]

Debian also has microcode updates, but you have to add the non-free branch first.

Intel's 2018-01-08 update is only available on sid (unstable) and buster (testing), but that's expected as there are lots of issues with it.

[ThinkRob]

but that's expected as there are lots of issues with it.

Boy ain't that the truth. It really seems like Intel has been caught totally off guard here, and the first patches seem to be half-butt at best. I mean, I'm sure they work in the sense of closing the hole, but from what I've read there are some serious stability and performance issues involved.

Not a fun time to run anything Intel.

[RealBlackStuff]

My PC with an AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition CPU from 2010, running W7-Pro/SP1-x64 does not show any signs of slowing down after applying (only) M$ KB4073578 for AMD x64.
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.co ... =KB4073578