AMD openSIL Will Eventually Replace AGESA, Supporting Both Client & Server CPUs

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polonyc2

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While the initial support for openSIL will be delivered to the 4th Gen EPYC CPU family known as Genoa / Bergamo, the firmware will also come to client chips starting in 2026...AMD expects first openSIL firmware's to go into production around 2026 which is about the time we get the Zen 6 core architecture which is codenamed "Morpheus"...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/AMD-openSIL-Replace-AGESA
 
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AMD:
Hey, OEMs we know you hate our AGESA packages and their lack of documentation makes it really hard for you to implement our hardware into your systems so here is a fix. We will provide you with some simple pre-compiled stuff with a series of commands and you can just make your own and document it yourself while you're at it.
OEM:
Gee... thanks? ...
 
Assuming you're on coreboot, what's left at that point besides the microcode and PSP?

I guess it only does you so much good to open the PSP in the context of looking for backdoors, which seems to be the big concern - because if you're dead set on backdooring the processor, you could just do it in microcode.

Lakados said:
AMD:
Hey, OEMs we know you hate our AGESA packages and their lack of documentation makes it really hard for you to implement our hardware into your systems so here is a fix. We will provide you with some simple pre-compiled stuff with a series of commands and you can just make your own and document it yourself while you're at it.
OEM:
Gee... thanks? ...
Click to expand...

It looks like the plan is to open source these libraries? At which point, there's your standardized initialization for the processor. They are essentially the reference implementation for the provided specification.
 
I'd be concerned about binary blobs, blackboxes like the PSP (admittedly, a smaller one than Intel's ME) etc. .. but a movement towards open source is always preferable to everything being proprietary. The fact that AMD is seriously considering having open source and open spec initialization is huge, and even referencing Coreboot is fantastic. If it pans out, this is the kind of stuff that has me wanting to support AMD beyond just whomever has the best performance at the moment; much like their open source Linux Radeon drivers.

The only questions or concerns I have is if there will be some sort of unofficial ( they can all it POC if they wish) development on platforms before 2026, so that enthusiasts can use Coreboot on existing Zen 3 / Zen 4 CPU and X570/X670E chipset hardware. Aside for just major servers, this is a place that if AMD wants to pick up some easy PR wins from the tech adept , FOSS/libre, and privacy communities they can do it now , who will also help them test their implementations as they move towards OpenSIL being the default in the next couple of years, as well as add hype and focus on its development. They'd be remiss to basically lock this behind EPYC and just tell everyone else "its coming, but yeah that new expensive 7000 series Ryzen you just picked up? Always gonna be proprietary, no coreboot for you thanks. Be sure to come back in 2026 maybe!". Lets hope they don't take that path and miss out on all the purchases and goodwill that openness can bring. Hell, https://system76.com/ is offering Coreboot + their new custom FOSS firmware / embedded controller on all their newest 13th gen Intel laptops, but of course it doesn't work on the AMD model (which is also using the older 6000 series hardware). If AMD 7000 series CPUs/APUs can become coreboot compliant as part of this, that would be a great step forward This is the time for AMD to gain ground and make it parity with the unofficially supported Intel devices at least, so they can leap forward in upcoming years with OpenSIL by default. Lets hope AMD doesn't drag on the implementation.
 
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