W3690 / linux-3.2: agent aborted loading intel-ucode/06-2c-02 (not found?)

[idata]

My computer has an Intel Xeon W3690 and has worked without problem using linux-image-3.1.0-1-686-pae 3.1.8-2.

I upgraded to linux-image-3.2.0-4-686-pae:i386 3.2.35-2 and get a similar message as reported in this bug: mailto:699412@bugs.debian.org 699412@bugs.debian.org,

>>>microcode: CPU0 sig=0x206c2, pf=0x1, revision=0x13

>>>platform microcode: firmware: agent aborted loading intel-ucode/06-2c-02 (not found?)

However the computer still boots and has worked normally. This message did not appear with the earlier 3.1 kernel on

the same PC and there were no hardware changes, so it would seem related to the linux-3.2 image. The computer bootswithout this message when I use the older linux 3.1 kernel.

The message does not appear on an older PC running the same linux-3.2 image but with an Intel Core 2 6300 (that one loads a different ucode

for which there is a file in /lib/firmware/intel-ucode).

I'm not clear on two points:

1. is this a problem since the computer boots and works normally despite the message? [In other words, is an earlier version of ucode being used?]

2. is there any configuration or package install/remove to fix this error?

thanks,

--jack

[idata · Accepted solution]

Thank you for the information, Jack. We will need more time to research on this issue. We will get back to you with more details.

Also, please let me know the manufacturer and the model or part number from the main board integrated on the system.

[idata]

My motherboard is an ASUS P6X58-E WS.

Note that this CPU and motherboard combination worked well with linux-3.1 without any warning.

Only a software upgrade to linux-3.2 caused this error message.

Further checking on the changelog for the debian package intel-microcode shows that rev-0x13 microde for cpu 0x206c2 was released on Sept. 2010 and withdrawn 2 months later on Nov. 2010.

It's unclear why the newer linux image would be requesting a microcode version that was withdrawn a year earlier while the previous linux version, released in Jan 2011, did not.