Meltdown & Spectre Information and Discussion

[trinidad]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SecurityTeam/KnowledgeBase/SpectreAndMeltdown/TechFAQ

I doubt microcode updation will ever appear for anything older than Skylake, and though Intel is already facing over 30 litigations I expect class actions to branch out to include OEMs Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus. We've only just begun in Linux with retpoline and it's going to be an application by application case instance without microdode updation for older CPUs. Worse off MS is riddled with potential sleeper applications and the Spring update is probably going to kill off hordes of current Windows 10 users on machines older than Skylake who will find themselves unable to connect to their financial institutions.

TC

[newtusmaximus]

Re Speed / performance tests. as per my previous post, is there a simple "idiots" guide as to what the results means in real life for the average  computer user?  Thanks

[Ottawagrant]

My HP compaq is 9 years old, 3.33MHz, duo core w/8gb RAM. Absolutely no slowdown with the patch installed. My Windows 10 computers, with whatever patch Microsoft has issued, all show slowdown. I only have one computer with an AMD processor, so I use that if I have to use Windows. Next month is Microsoft's Spring update to Windows 10. Better check the drug store flyers for antacid.

[TheDead]

Thanks @newtusmaximus but  I have no clue what the benchmark numbers mean either.
Guess I'll have to bench the machine before and after all the patches.

Cheers!

[newtusmaximus]

Vulnerabilities resolved
Speed?? has it been reduced.  Tests below.


-Computer-
Processor      : 2x Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU          6300  @ 1.86GHz
Memory      : 4037MB (2138MB used)
-Version-
Kernel      : Linux 4.4.0-116-generic (x86_64)

Distribution      : Linux Lite 3.6
-Current Session-
Computer Name      : linuxlite-HP-Compaq-dc7700p-Ultra-slim-Desktop
Desktop Environment      : XFCE 4
-Misc-
Uptime      : 6 hours, 10 minutes
Load Average      : 0.42, 0.56, 0.38


-CPU Blowfish-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   9.806   
Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor         1.50GHz   (null)   26.1876862   
PowerPC 740/750 (280.00MHz)   (null)   172.816713

-CPU CryptoHash-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   137.318   

-CPU Fibonacci-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   5.082   
Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor         1.50GHz   (null)   8.1375674   
PowerPC 740/750 (280.00MHz)   (null)   58.07682   

-CPU N-Queens-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   17.196   

-FPU FFT-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   4.524   
   
-FPU Raytracing-
<big><b>This Machine</b></big>   1867 MHz   11.347   
Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor         1.50GHz   (null)   40.8816714   
PowerPC 740/750 (280.00MHz)   (null)   161.312647

No idea what the above means.  perhaps those more knowledgeable can comment??

[The Repairman]

 

[TheDead]

Sooo, if I’m on 4.10, I have to revert to 4.4.0-116 to get the fix?

I would think that you would be able to use the 4.15 kernel which you can download and install from the Synaptic Package Manager aka Install/Remove Software.

Go into Synaptic Package Manager / Install/Remove Software center and install linux-headers 4.15 first and then install linux-image 4.15 second.

Do a reboot and you should boot into the new 4.15 kernel.

Do not remove existing kernel in case the new kernel fails to boot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update
It appears that Lite Tweaks in the Menu under System has a kernel installer so you might want to give that a look at also.


Don't hold me to this as I'm only a Linux Lite user and not a Linux Guru.

Thanks and yep,  I'm gonna keep older kernels because last time I tried 4.13, got a kernel panic on boot.
If 4.15 breaks, I'll go the 4.4.0-116 route.

Now time to read if those fixes slow CPUs down or not, whick was the big worry in the beginning. :-O

Cheers!

[The Repairman]

 

[TheDead]

Sooo, if I’m on 4.10, I have to revert to 4.4.0-116 to get the fix?

[Jerry]

[The Repairman]

 

[humdinger70]

The 4.4.0-116 kernel now fixes everything. I ran the checker after install and boot of the new kernel and now all three variants say 'NOT VULNERABLE'.

[The Repairman]

 

[The Repairman]

 

[trinidad]

Here are my results on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with your listed kernel. The long command is correct for Ubuntu and/or LL. The unpatched frowny face is for no exiting Intel microcode updates as yet.

https://imgur.com/a/wX54Z

TC