[Bug 1444682] Re: Software properties gtk implies my cpu is unknown and not working.

Tue Oct 11 11:21:35 UTC 2016

FWIW, here are some points to consider when implementing this:

1. A multi-processor system may contain processors that differ in
stepping, or for other reasons (e.g. ARM big.LITTLE).  This *is* quite
common on x86 servers and workstations.  So, you might have more than
one processor model to list.

2. The "vendor_id" and "model name" fields are not enough to single out the exact processor model, or for that matter, the microcode it needs for Intel processors.  It is common for Intel to NOT change the processor model names when there is a bump in stepping, for example.  And there are the (unsupported and unsupportable) Engineering Sample processors that people keep buying from the black market, and later sell to unsuspecting third-parties.  I don't know if AMD does better.

3. I suggest augmenting the vendor_id and model name fields with:

3a. Family, model, stepping information (cpuinfo fields "cpu family",
"model", "stepping"). They are in decimal in /proc/cpuinfo, but nobody
uses them like that, so they should be reported in hexadecimal.  The
kernel actually has a suggested way to display this, which it uses for
/lib/firmware/intel-ucode/* files: "%02x-%02x-%02x" (family, model,
stepping).

3b. Microcode platform id (cpuinfo field "platform_id", currently being
added upstream to the next Linus kernel -- platform_id is a number in
decimal).  It is enough to add this field only when present: on AMD it
will be absent, on Intel it will be present in the future.

I suggest these fields to be reported as a single line to identify the "hardware":
GenuineIntel, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz; FMS: 06-2a-07

or, on a kernel that reports platform_id in /proc/cpuinfo:
GenuineIntel, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz; FMS: 06-2a-07 (id: 1)

4. Current microcode version is *relevant* (when it is too old, even the installer will malfunction, as seen with Intel Broadwell and Skylake), so it might also be useful to have it upfront in the screen.  This is present in cpuinfo as well (field "microcode"), and should be reported in hexadecimal.

NOTE: I suggest compressing repeated sequences of spaces in the "model
name" field.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1444682

Title:
  Software properties gtk implies my cpu is unknown and not working.

Status in software-properties package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in ubuntu-drivers-common package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  To reproduce install lubuntu 415 i386 on a t6500 core 2 duo cpu. I know I am installing 32 bit on 64 but it will show like in with both a braodcom 4322 which I have not yet installed the prorpietary driver and this intel cpu. Open additional drivers from the menu in lxde. 
  software-properties-gtk:
    Installed: 0.96.4
    Candidate: 0.96.4
    Version table:
   *** 0.96.4 0
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ vivid/main i386 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  Description:	Ubuntu Vivid Vervet (development branch)
  Release:	15.04
  https://gist.github.com/dabcbbc9bdcb7ed8d87d is the hardware tracker profile for this laptop. 

  I expected software-properties-gtk to not say my processor is unkown
  and not working because I have not installed the latest microcode.
  Instead it said this device which can use the proprietary intel
  microcode driver is unknown and not working and the only device this
  makes sense to be is the cpu.

  I have a screenshot attached of the messages that make no sense.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
  Package: software-properties-gtk 0.96.4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-14.14-generic 3.19.3
  Uname: Linux 3.19.0-14-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 2.17.1-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: i386
  CurrentDesktop: LXDE
  Date: Wed Apr 15 13:11:51 2015
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-04-15 (0 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Beta i386 (20150415)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: software-properties
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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