intel_microc...sanity_check(9)

💅 intel_microcode_sanity_check — yes bestie, we're checking the microcode

okay so this is a page from the Kernel API Manual, and it's about one (1) function: intel_microcode_sanity_check. that's the whole vibe. it sanity-checks microcode files. icon behaviour honestly. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

intel_microcode_sanity_check — Sanity check microcode file. that's it, that's the tweet. 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

int intel_microcode_sanity_check (void *mc , bool print_err , int hdr_type );

like, exactly that. don't come for the spacing, it's canon. 💅

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✨ ARGUMENTS ✨

• mc — Pointer to the microcode file contents. it's giving "here's the actual data, please be nice to it" 🫶
• print_err — Display failure reason if true, silent if false. so if it's true you're gonna hear about it when things go wrong; if it's false it keeps its mouth shut. your call, main character. 🤐
• hdr_type — Type of file, i.e. normal microcode file or In Field Scan file. Validate if the microcode header type matches with the type specified here. so basically it double-checks that the header type actually matches the type you said it was. no catfishing allowed 💀

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

Validate certain header fields and verify if computed checksum matches with the one specified in the header. that's the job. some header fields get checked, then the checksum gets computed and compared against the one chilling in the header. if they match, slay. if not, well… 😭

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✨ RETURN ✨

• 0 if the file passes all the checks 🌈
• -EINVAL if any of the checks fail 💀

that's the whole spectrum. zero or -EINVAL. no in-between, no nuance, periodt.

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✨ SEE ALSO ✨

• Kernel file ./arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode/intel.c
• struct staging_state(9)

go read those if you want the full lore, iykyk 🔥

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and that's the whole page bestie 👑

lowkey a tiny page but every single detail is here, no cap. peace and love and passing checksums 💖

source: ./arch/x86/kernel/cpu/microcode — dated October 2026 — signed off with love and a lil sparkle ✨🫶