Intel's Linux CPU Temperature Driver Being Adapted To Handle 128+ CPU Cores

Intel's CPU temperature driver "coretemp" within the Linux kernel is being adapted so it can report CPU core temperatures in excess of 128 cores.

Ahead of the Intel Sierra Forest debut in H1'2024 as the first-generation Xeon server processors consisting of only E-cores to allow up to 288 cores per socket, the Intel coretemp driver is being adapted to work with 128+ CPU core configurations.

The coretemp driver as it exists today within the mainline kernel only allows for up to 128 cores per package and thus is unable to report CPU core temperatures on higher core counts. This limitation is there since the driver currently relies on a fixed-length array. But with in-development patches, coretemp is moving to a per-package list for maintaining the per-core temperature data.

These driver patches are undergoing review for mainlining in potentially the Linux v6.8 cycle to allow for this useful addition ahead of Intel Xeon Sierra Forest servers premiering next year.