Move openSUSE 15.4 from Intel to AMD CPU

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi!

I have an installation of openSUSE 15.4 on a Intel processor and plan to move it (by physically moving the hard disk where it is installed) to a system with a AMD processor. I would like to ask whether there is anything specific that I need to consider or do before the move. Both systems are older desktop computers. The installation uses NetworkManager with DHCP (default settings). These are the details of the systems:

Current system:
Intel Pentium D 2.8 GHz
BIOS
NVIDIA video card (Nouveau)

New system:
AMD Athlon II X2 215
BIOS
NVIDIA video card

Both systems also have on-board graphics but I do not plan to use it.

Thanks!

#2

Normally there will be no problem. Except you should keep a eye on the Nvidia graphic. Sometimes you need to adjust it fir the right card software.

#3

Thanks. I am aware of that. I assume that the Nouveau driver should be OK with a different NVIDIA card, both older GeForce models.

#4

Probably a good idea is to run mkinitrd to be sure all new hardware is detected.

#5

As I have been told mkinitrd has been replaced by:

dracut --regenerate-all --force

mkinitrd has been remove from Tumbleweed and may be removed from Leap.

#6

still in 15.4. But your right it is being phased out

#7

OK. Is my understanding correct that the installation is independent whether the CPU is Intel or AMD?

Thanks!

#8

@gianluca44:

You’ll need the “ucode-amd” package:

Firmware blob file Decimal Hexadecimal Family name Year Examples
amd-ucode/microcode_amd.bin 16 10h K10 2007 Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon II
17 11h Turion 2008 Athlon X2, Sempron X2, Turion X2
18 12h Llano, Fusion 2009 A- and E2-Series APU with Radeon HD graphics, Athlon II, Sempron X2
20 14h Bobcat 2011 C- and E-Series APU with Radeon HD graphics 
 > rpm -ql ucode-amd
/lib/firmware
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/README
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/microcode_amd.bin
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/microcode_amd_fam15h.bin
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/microcode_amd_fam16h.bin
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/microcode_amd_fam17h.bin
/lib/firmware/amd-ucode/microcode_amd_fam19h.bin
/usr/share/doc/packages/ucode-amd
/usr/share/doc/packages/ucode-amd/README
/usr/share/licenses/ucode-amd
/usr/share/licenses/ucode-amd/LICENSE.amd-ucode
 > 
 > cat /lib/firmware/amd-ucode/README
This repository includes microcode container files for family 15h, 16h,
17h, and 19h AMD CPUs. Microcode patches for families earlier than 15h are
included in the microcode_amd.bin microcode container file. The microcode
patches included in an AMD CPU microcode container file can be listed using
the script in the following git repository:
https://github.com/AMDESE/amd_ucode_info

The microcode patches included in the container files in this directory are
listed below:

Microcode patches in microcode_amd.bin:
  Family=0x10 Model=0x02 Stepping=0x02: Patch=0x01000083 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x02 Stepping=0x0a: Patch=0x01000084 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x06 Stepping=0x02: Patch=0x010000c7 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x05 Stepping=0x03: Patch=0x010000c8 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x09 Stepping=0x01: Patch=0x010000d9 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x08 Stepping=0x00: Patch=0x010000da Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x05 Stepping=0x02: Patch=0x010000db Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x10 Model=0x0a Stepping=0x00: Patch=0x010000dc Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x11 Model=0x03 Stepping=0x01: Patch=0x02000032 Length=512 bytes
  Family=0x12 Model=0x01 Stepping=0x00: Patch=0x03000027 Length=960 bytes
  Family=0x14 Model=0x01 Stepping=0x00: Patch=0x05000029 Length=1568 bytes
  Family=0x14 Model=0x02 Stepping=0x00: Patch=0x05000119 Length=1568 bytes
 >

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised that, AMD CPUs dated from 2008 need microcode … :upside_down_face: