Intel ucode Plugin vs Package

[BrandyWine]

I have the latest 26.1.x_x version of community OPNsense installed, but I see I still have the OPNsense Intel ucode v1.1 Plugin installed, and also the ucode package "cpu-microcode-intel-20260227" and the "os-cpu-microcode-intel-1.1". Is the plugin even needed if the latest ucode is in the Intel package?

IIRC, long ago I though in some of the upgrade text it had mentioned something about the plugin being deprecated, or something like that.

[sopex]

Uninstalling the plugin will uninstall the corresponding microcode. The real question is whether you need the microcode or you can just fallback to the one included in freebsd/opnsense. At this point, with what we have seen over the last 12 months, I would just remove it, and if nothing significant happens, keep it that way.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

At this point, with what we have seen over the last 12 months, I would just remove it

Then you will run your CPU without any ucode updates (apart from ones that might be in your MB manufacturer's BIOS). The updates the FreeBSD/OPNsense plugin provides are not permanent but need to be applied at every boot.

[sopex]

At this point, with what we have seen over the last 12 months, I would just remove it

Then you will run your CPU without any ucode updates (apart from ones that might be in your MB manufacturer's BIOS). The updates the FreeBSD/OPNsense plugin provides are not permanent but need to be applied at every boot.

Yes, I totally agree with you.

[dseven]

IIUC...

The package (cpu-microcode-intel) gets installed by the plugin (os-cpu-microcode-intel) - no plugin, no package!

It appears that it's the x86info utility (also installed by the plugin) that reports itself as deprecated, not the (whole) plugin.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

It appears that it's the x86info utility (also installed by the plugin) that reports itself as deprecated, not the (whole) plugin.

Correct. People also tend to overlook the message below that text box:

Output shown here for diagnostic purposes. There is no general need for manual system intervention.

[BrandyWine]

IIUC...

The package (cpu-microcode-intel) gets installed by the plugin (os-cpu-microcode-intel) - no plugin, no package!

It appears that it's the x86info utility (also installed by the plugin) that reports itself as deprecated, not the (whole) plugin.

cpu-microcode-intel is a pkg from the freeBSD repo.

os-cpu-microcode-intel-1.1 is a pkg from the OPNsense repo. I assume this 1.1 package comes from the install of the v1.1 plugin?

Did I get that right?

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Yes to your question about the plugin. But OPNsense pulls all packages from the OPNsense repo. If you manually activate the FreeBSD repo, you have a high probability of messing up you installation. Simply don't do that.