Re: [gentoo-user] AMD microcode problem - Fam15h ( FYI )

[Adam Carter]

>
> > For me dmesg says;
> > [1.538275] microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x06000852
> >
> > but i still have lwp in /proc/cpuinfo. Are you at 0x06000852 ?
> .
> This is my dmesg output :
> .
> [1.111448] microcode: microcode updated early to new
> patch_level=0x06000852
>

Ok then it looks like the mno-lwp is responsible for lwp's absence in your
/proc/cpuinfo.

FWIW, no stability problems for me so far. (FX-8350 + 4.16.11).

Re: [gentoo-user] [Maybe OT]: Instability of system

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hello, Dale.

Sorry for not replying earlier, I've had a rotten week.

On Sun, May 20, 2018 at 17:35:19 -0500, Dale wrote:
> Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> > Hello, Gentoo.

> > I'm having problems with my machine hanging or rebooting spontaneously.
> > It's doing this, perhaps, every three or four weeks.  I think that when
> > I'm in X, the system usually reboots, when I'm on a tty, it hangs.

> > This phenomenon has, up till now, been just below the level at which
> > it's annoying enough to do something about.  But my machine just hung on
> > me a few minutes ago, and now it's definitely reached tha threshold
> > where spending effort fixing it seems justified.

> > My actual Gentoo installation is fine, in fact, so good that I've not
> > needed to post to the list for a long time.  :-)

> > My system is an AMD Ryzen processor on an Asus Prime X370-Pro mainboard,
> > and is just over a year old.  I don't think my RAM is unstable (though
> > it's been a long time since I've run that RAM checking program).

> > I honestly suspect the firmware on the mainboard.  When it was new, the
> > board was practically unusable - with two sticks of RAM installed, it
> > would crash after about 1 - 3 minutes.  With just one stick of RAM, it
> > stayed up long enough to install new firmware (version 0604), which
> > appeared to be stable.

> > Going back to Asus's firmware page, there appear to have been many
> > subsequent versions of the firmware released during the last year.
> > Would it be a good idea for me to download and attempt to install the
> > latest version?  Is this in any way risky?  (My mains supply is
> > reliable.)

> > Other than that, suggestions as to what to do would be welcome.

> > Thanks!



> This is the type of problem that I hate having.  Intermittent problems
> are hard to diagnose.  Just when you think you got it fixed, it does it
> again.  The post from madscientist has some good info including some
> things I've tried successfully in the past, with other peoples
> computers.  The biggest culprit, dust on fans/heat sinks and sometimes
> heat sinks just falling off of chips.  I've had that happen a few times
> on those south bridge type chips.  Usually they are glued on and after
> several years, they can pop off.  When they get hot, they slow down, a
> lot, to protect themselves but make a computer very slow.  Stick the
> heat sink back on, off it goes again.  Still, dust is a huge problem.  I
> take a air hose to mine at least twice a year, spring time for sure to
> be ready for summer heat. 

I will take the cover off of the case and get rid of dust.  The
machine's only really bin in use since ~August 2017, so I don't expect
there to be all that much dust in it.

> For the static, a finger trigger type spray bottle with water and a
> small amount of fabric softener works well, smells good too.

Each to his own.  ;-)

> I haven't tried dish detergent like madscientist mentioned but if he
> says it works and you don't have fabric softener handy, give it a
> try. 

I think I'd stick to the dish detergent (is that what we call "washing
up liquid" in Britain?).

> As to upgrading firmware.  I have a Gigabyte mobo that has that dual
> BIOS thing.  That said, I've never had to resort to the backup.  The
> updates went smoothly and only took a few minutes.  If ASUS has
> something similar, may want to know how to use it just in case.

I don't think the ASUS has a dual BIOS.  If they did, they'd've
mentioned it in the manual under "UNIQUE FEATURES!!!".

> The biggest thing, not losing power during the update.  As
> madscientist mentioned, a UPS comes in handy there.

The power here in Nuremberg is reliable indeed.  Since I've been in my
current flat (~10 years), I can't remember even a single power cut.
What does happen occasionally (every two or three weeks) is that a
circuit breaker trips when I flick on the wall switch prior to powering
up the machine.  Maybe that's something to do with hitting exactly the
wrong spot of the 50Hz sinusoidal wave.  Again it doesn't bother me too
badly.

> In my experience tho, they have always worked fairly well.  The
> biggest thing, now exactly what steps to take before you start. 
> Mistakes could cause issues. 

Yes.  As I said, I updated the BIOS once before.  I think I'll do so
again, though it seems John has had the same experience as me and has
already tried an upgrade, without much luck.

> You mentioned having problems with having more memory installed.  Was
> the firmware upgrade supposed to fix *that* problem?  In other words, is
> it a known issue that needed a fix?

I don't recall seeing it in ASUS's release notes (which, though better
than AMD's, are nothing to write home about).  I upgraded the BIOS as a
last desperate measure before taking the PC back to the shop.

> I ask because of this.  Could it be that your power supply, regardless
> of what rating it claims, isn't quite up to standards and that little
> extra power causes issues?  It's 

Re: [gentoo-user] AMD microcode problem - Fam15h ( FYI )

[Corbin Bird]

On 05/24/2018 05:32 PM, Adam Carter wrote:
>
> For me dmesg says;
> [    1.538275] microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x06000852
>
> but i still have lwp in /proc/cpuinfo. Are you at 0x06000852 ?
.
This is my dmesg output :
.
[    1.111448] microcode: microcode updated early to new
patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.111574] microcode: CPU0: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.111691] microcode: CPU1: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.111809] microcode: CPU2: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.111925] microcode: CPU3: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.112117] microcode: CPU4: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.112236] microcode: CPU5: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.112354] microcode: CPU6: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.112469] microcode: CPU7: patch_level=0x06000852
[    1.112609] microcode: Microcode Update Driver: v2.01
, Peter Oruba
.
current /proc/cpuinfo ( kernel v4.9.102 ):
--
processor    : 0
vendor_id    : AuthenticAMD
cpu family    : 21
model        : 2
model name    : AMD FX(tm)-9590 Eight-Core Processor
stepping    : 0
microcode    : 0x6000852
.
flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt
pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc rep_good nopl nonstop_tsc extd_apicid
aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq monitor ssse3 fma cx16 sse4_1 sse4_2
popcnt aes xsave avx f16c lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm
sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs xop skinit wdt fma4 tce
nodeid_msr tbm topoext perfctr_core perfctr_nb cpb hw_pstate ssbd ibpb
vmmcall bmi1 amd_ibpb arat npt lbrv svm_lock nrip_save tsc_scale
vmcb_clean flushbyasid decodeassists pausefilter pfthreshold
.
bugs        : fxsave_leak sysret_ss_attrs null_seg spectre_v1 spectre_v2
spec_store_bypass
.
old /proc/cpuinfo : ( pre-microcode update / kernel v4.9.99 )
--
processor    : 0
vendor_id    : AuthenticAMD
cpu family    : 21
model        : 2
model name    : AMD FX(tm)-9590 Eight-Core Processor
stepping    : 0
microcode    : 0x600084f
.
flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt
pdpe1gb rdtscp lm constant_tsc rep_good nopl nonstop_tsc extd_apicid
aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq monitor ssse3 fma cx16 sse4_1 sse4_2
popcnt aes xsave avx f16c lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy abm
sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw ibs xop skinit wdt lwp fma4 tce
nodeid_msr tbm topoext perfctr_core perfctr_nb cpb hw_pstate vmmcall
bmi1 arat npt lbrv svm_lock nrip_save tsc_scale vmcb_clean flushbyasid
decodeassists pausefilter pfthreshold
.
bugs        : fxsave_leak sysret_ss_attrs null_seg spectre_v1 spectre_v2
.
Just noticed the "ssbd" flag ADDED in the new /proc/cpuinfo.
.
Corbin

Re: [gentoo-user] [Maybe OT]: Instability of system

[Adam Carter]

>
> > Could be. I bought CPU only a month or so after release.
> > Initially thought it was an enlightenment desktop issue but have
> > reproduced on KDE and xfce. It happens usually when doing something
> > quite simple like clicking on a Window to minimise or just in a
> > terminal. Nothing stressful like an emerge gcc.
> >
> > Never found anything in logs but not sure if there is a better way to
> > capture problem.
> >
> > Its a Ryzen 1700X
> >
> > John
> >
>
> And lo and behold just after writing email I closed claws mail and
> went to open again and machine locked up. Unresponsive to anything and
> it even corrupted some files as had to recreate claws-mail set up.
>
> Slight annoying. It would nice to know if I can capture issue somehow.
>
> Perhaps there is a way.
>
> John (keeping backups up to date)
>
>
You could try running this to see if you've got an early/buggy one. If so,
see if you can return it for a fixed one.
https://github.com/suaefar/ryzen-test

More info;
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Ryzen#Segmentation_faults_during_compilation