AMD Open-Source Firmware is Coming, openSIL will Replace AGESA by 2026

[GFreeman]

During the OCP Regional Summit, AMD has shared plans to replace AGESA with openSIL. The change will not come soon, and according to details, it will be a slow process starting in 2026. AGESA firmware updates are quite important but also vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which is one of the key points for the new OpenSIL, which is proposed as an open-source solution.

As detailed by Phoronix, AMD mentioned the Open-Source Silicon Initialization Library (openSIL) back in mid-April, when it launched initial support for 4th Gen EPYC processors and its reference platform. Although initially aimed at server processors, AMD has made clear during the OCP presentation that the OpenSIL is meant to be a replacement to AMD Generic Encapsulated Software Architecture (AGESA), covering the entire product stack. As said, AMD plans for openSIL to be simple, easily scalable, lightweight, and open-source, thus increasing the overall security.



Raj Kapoor, AMD Fellow and Chief Firmware Architect shared a bit more details about the challenges that AGESA brings, and said that: "AMD openSIL will be scaling to both server and client platforms by the 2026 timeframe." During Q&A, he added that "AGESA will be end of life, openSIL will replace it."

Considering the timeframe, openSIL won't be ready before AMD launches Zen 6 or even Zen 7 CPUs, at least on the client side, while the proof of concept code for the AMD 4th Gen EPYC Genoa server CPUs will be ready soon.

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[AusWolf]

I wonder what changes this will bring to home users. I mean, whether it's called AGESA or OpenSIL, it doesn't matter much. A BIOS update is a BIOS update regardless.

 

[dgianstefani]

I wonder what changes this will bring to home users. I mean, whether it's called AGESA or OpenSIL, it doesn't matter much. A BIOS update is a BIOS update regardless.

Well, AGESA is a borderline joke of a codebase written by outsourced coders, so open-source will be a significant improvement.

Community can and will fix things faster than AMD.

 

[unwind-protect]

I thought this is binary blobs with open source glue?

 

[AusWolf]

Community can and will fix things faster than AMD.

That depends on what community we're talking about. Open-source can also lead to a mess of infinite versions from various different communities. Take Linux, for example. There are so many distros that there's no way of telling which one is good for you unless you know a lot about Linux in general - it's what I like to call "open source, closed community".

That is, unless AMD takes the open source route to include the best community fixes in official versions, which I'll welcome.

 

[Super Firm Tofu]

It’s a step in the right direction.

Maybe I’ll consider AMD again sometime after 2026.

Maybe.

 

[Vya Domus]

written by outsourced coders

The vast majority of software written these days for major corporations is outsourced, this doesn't mean anything.

 

[devilblessed]

will this be compatible with previous generation?

 

[Easo]

Well, AGESA is a borderline joke of a codebase written by outsourced coders, so open-source will be a significant improvement.

Community can and will fix things faster than AMD.

That's far from guaranteed. Linux had security holes more than decade old - and that's with basically thousands of high level and skill contributors.

 

[Daven]

It’s a step in the right direction.

Maybe I’ll consider AMD again sometime after 2026.

Maybe.

Freesync
FSR open source
RSR/FSR supported on Intel/Nvidia/AMD GPUs
OpenSIL
Stacked cache
Extreme CPU power efficiency

I’m a proud owner of AMD products.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Freesync
FSR open source
RSR/FSR supported on Intel/Nvidia/AMD GPUs
OpenSIL
Stacked cache
Extreme CPU power efficiency

I’m a proud owner of AMD products.

Nvidia RTX Remix (open source)

I'm a proud owner of an Nvidia GPU.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Well, AGESA is a borderline joke of a codebase written by outsourced coders, so open-source will be a significant improvement.

Community can and will fix things faster than AMD.

You're not counting that AGESA is a critical secured piece of FW, so even if it's open source you won't be able to fix and patch anything as you won't have the signing keys for it.
And even if you had you have to integrate it into a bios file that your system will take(the easiest part as there are lots of tools for that nowadays, but even then i don't think the modded bios pass secure boot requirements)

 

[bug]

Title:

openSIL will Replace AGESA by 2026

Article:

The change will not come soon, and according to details, it will be a slow process starting in 2026.

Kudos.

 

[wNotyarD]

Title:


Article:

Both are correct, if you follow the roadmap. openSIL will be production-ready by 2026, which is when it'll start being deployed to replace AGESA. Until it does so completely, it'll be a somewhat lengthy process.

 

[bug]

Both are correct, if you follow the roadmap. openSIL will be production-ready by 2026, which is when it'll start being deployed to replace AGESA. Until it does so completely, it'll be a somewhat lengthy process.

By that logic, we've already replaced ICE cars with EVs

 

[Dirt Chip]

If it ain't broken - don't fix it.

 

[phanbuey]

This sounds interesting but also somewhat unstable?

 

[dgianstefani]

If it ain't broken - don't fix it.

Have you... been following the news?

This sounds interesting but also somewhat unstable?

As opposed to now?

 

[phanbuey]

Have you... been following the news?

As opposed to now?

It just seems like the conversation went like:
"hey we need more stability, and uh our last agesa started melting chips, should we hire some testers?"
"nah, let's just move to an open source model"
"ok, whatever you say, boss"

 

[R-T-B]

That's far from guaranteed. Linux had security holes more than decade old - and that's with basically thousands of high level and skill contributors.

Almost all software more than a decade old has security holes more than a decade old, the important thing is in open source eventually they are found.

 

[Solaris17]

You're not counting that AGESA is a critical secured piece of FW, so even if it's open source you won't be able to fix and patch anything as you won't have the signing keys for it.
And even if you had you have to integrate it into a bios file that your system will take(the easiest part as there are lots of tools for that nowadays, but even then i don't think the modded bios pass secure boot requirements)

to be fair that is likely not how this will work.

they may end up using there own platform svn if they don’t use git.

in either case they would be the branch owners. Not sure if you have ever used git before but I’m guessing not.

they would do what many other open source friendly companies/divisions do and host the source public while maintaining and owning the repo.

anyone can work on it and create a pull request which they as a company would look over and then merge.

at such a point they deem the repo code meets the next milestone they will make it, compile, host, sign and distribute.

 

[dgianstefani]

to be fair that is likely not how this will work.

they may end up using there own platform svn if they don’t use git.

min either case they would be the branch owners. Not sure if you have ever used git before but I’m guessing not.

they would do what many other open source friendly companies/divisions do and host the source public while maintaining and owning the repo.

anyone can work on it and creat a pull request which they as a company would look over and then merge.

at such a point they deem the repo code meets the next milestone they will make it compile host sign and distribute.

It's worked for Intel and Linux, alongside many others for years, why would this be any different.

 

[Dirt Chip]

Have you... been following the news?

I have, it's a subtle insinuation

 

[Solaris17]

It's worked for Intel and Linux, alongside many others for years, why would this be any different.

Mailing lists are scary but if people took a moment to read commit requests I think it would widen there perspective of these companies if not the engineers people love to hate so much.

People would be surprised to see how many engineers from MS, Intel, AMD nvidia etc contribute to the kernel. Even new technologies that don’t appear on windows until much later. I don’t think it crosses peoples mind that these things are tested on linux first because it’s faster to prototype.

like what bro you thought windows was just going to install the drivers for your prototype GPU?

 

[dgianstefani]

Mailing lists are scary but if people took a moment to read commit requests I think it would widen there perspective of these companies if not the engineers people love to hate so much.

People would be surprised to see how many engineers from MS, Intel, AMD nvidia etc contribute to the kernel. Even new technologies that don’t appear on windows until much later. I don’t think it crosses peoples mind that these things are tested on linux first because it’s faster to prototype.

like what bro you thought windows was just going to install the drivers for your prototype GPU?

Not only that, but in my opinion, Clear Linux is literally the best distro. I use it on an AMD 4300U Thinkpad