Lack of intel-microcode

[konrado5]

Why LMDE has intel-microcode not installed by default? If it is not installed, there is error on boot:

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[ 0.878002] platform microcode: firmware: agent loaded intel-ucode/06-17-0a into memory [ 0.911476] platform microcode: firmware: agent loaded intel-ucode/06-17-0a into memory 

apt-get install intel-microcode removes the problem.

Best regards
konrado5

[marcs]

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[ 0.878002] platform microcode: firmware: agent loaded intel-ucode/06-17-0a into memory [ 0.911476] platform microcode: firmware: agent loaded intel-ucode/06-17-0a into memory 

Actually, this doesn't show that firmware is not installed. It only tells you that the agent loaded firmware microcode into memory. You have probobly pasted result of dmesg from the time you've had your firmware already installed.
Anyhow ... packages: firmware-linux-free and firmware-linux-nonfree should solve all firmware problems most of the time. Those are metapackages and they contain all sub-packages for particular devices. IIRC they are installed by default on every fresh LMDE setup. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Cheers
- marc

[konrado5]

firmare-linux in LMDE doesn't contain intel-microcode. On pure Debian Testing firmare-linux contains intel-microcode.

[marcs]

Hmm, true [and also strange]. I don't believe Mint Team do any special modifications to the packages, so I would presume they were not installed, as you previously stated.

Good catch, Konrado5. Let's hope intel-microcode firmware will be installed by default eventually [if it isn't being installed by default presently].

[eanfrid]

It is on purpose: the Debian policy regarding free software forbids the default install to load any non-free software. And the proprietary Intel microcode is obviously non-free...

[konrado5]

But if I add non-free and contrib repositories on Debian intel-microcode is installed default if I install linux-firmware.

[eanfrid]

Only "main" section is set up in an official default Debian install. So yes,

if I add non-free and contrib repositories on Debian

they will become available

[konrado5]

On Linut Mint there are contrib and non-free repositories but linux-firmware doesn't contain intel-microcode.

Best regards
konrado5

[eanfrid]

As you discovered by yourself intel-microcode (and amd-microcode) have their own proper packages

apt-get install intel-microcode removes the problem.

[konrado5]

I think on LMDE intel-microcode should be installed by default. It should be contained in firmware-linux because with contrib and non-free repositories on Debian firmware-linux contains intel-microcode. On LMDE there are non-free packages by default however firmware-linux doesn't contain intel-microcode.

[Monsta]

firmware-linux contains intel-microcode

It does not "contain" it, it recommends it in both LMDE and Debian Testing:

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$ apt show firmware-linux | grep Recommends
Recommends: intel-microcode, amd64-microcode

Check the "APT::Install-Recommends" setting in your system(s).

[konrado5]

Why does LMDE has disabled recommended packages by default? Pure Debian has enabled.

[Monsta]

Why should it enable it?

[konrado5]

Why should it enable it?

Because it is Debian default setting. Because it installs intel-microcode along with firmware-linux. Intel-microcode should be installed by default in LMDE.

[kurotsugi]

Intel-microcode should be installed by default in LMDE.

I'm fully agree with it but enabling recommended package on apt is generally a bad idea for a rolling distro like LMDE. LMDE and debian is two different beast.

[konrado5]

enabling recommended package on apt is generally a bad idea for a rolling distro like LMDE.

Why?

[kurotsugi]

less installed package means less breakage. if you disable apt's recommended package,
1. apt only install what essentially needed for your system. you'll got a smaller system which means better stability
2. apt won't calculate recommended package. it means the calculation will be easier and more precise. you'll got less broken package.