GNU Linux-Libre 5.7 Released - Drops Intel iGPU Security Fix Over Arrays Of Numbers

[phoronix]

Phoronix: GNU Linux-Libre 5.7 Released - Drops Intel iGPU Security Fix Over Arrays Of Numbers

The GNU Linux-libre 5.7-gnu kernel was released following last weekend's Linux 5.7 kernel release. But the info-gnu mailing list was slow and thus just hitting the wire today for the latest version of this sanitized version of the Linux kernel. One interesting change in GNU Linux-libre 5.7-gnu is dropping the Intel Gen7 "iGPU Leak" security mitigation over not liking the sources...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Linux-Libre-5.7-Released

[jason.oliveira]

Sometimes, the cure is worse than the disease.

[ShFil]

Many people prefer older intel igpus, because it's only way to get blobless system. (I'm looking at you amd)

It's kinda annoying that intel doesn't want to port ivy and haswell to new driver, because "it can break things", but modifying the characteristics of older driver is ok.

I hope we'll get "clear" patch.

[hardfalcon]

The source code they want is likely this patch.

[c117152]

It's not going to be reverted. linux-libre deliberately scrubs any microcode updates including those the manufacturers claim to be necessary to mitigate (speculative execution) vulnerabilities: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/quest...r-libre-linux/ .

[andyprough]

The good thing is that no self-respecting linux-libre user would go to qq.com, taobao.com, or google.com as in Michael's 3rd graphic, so they are safe, nothing to see here. And those arrays of numbers are something, but they are not each of them a separate "compiled kernel" as per Michael's statement. Something wrong with his grammar there.

[agd5f]

They look like shader kernels. You could probably look at the shader compiler in mesa to decode them.

[andyprough]

Compute kernels. OK, makes sense now.

[birdie]

Many people prefer older intel igpus, because it's only way to get blobless system. (I'm looking at you amd)

It's kinda annoying that intel doesn't want to port ivy and haswell to new driver, because "it can break things", but modifying the characteristics of older driver is ok.

I hope we'll get "clear" patch.

Intel iGPUs do require firmware/blobs to unlock all their features.

[qarium]

Many people prefer older intel igpus, because it's only way to get blobless system. (I'm looking at you amd)

AMD/Bridgman finally found a solution for this... next RDNA2 based gpus will have flash chip for firmware/shader cache/windows driver because today making a driver DVD is more expensive and most modern computer have no optical drive. and 8-16GB flash chip today is cheap this will only increase the price by just 2$