Release occurred Memtest86+ 8.10, a free standalone program for memory testing, distributed under license GNU GPLv2. The project emphasizes that Memtest86+ is not a version of the closed freemium product MemTest86 from PassMark, but develops as a separate free branch.
Memtest86+ runs independently of the installed operating system — directly through BIOS/UEFI or via a bootloader that supports Linux boot protocols. This mode allows testing of almost all available memory, independent of the kernel, drivers, and user environment of the main system. The project supports x86, x86-64, and LoongArch64.
The main focus of Memtest86+ 8.10 is on compatibility with modern platforms and resolving boot issues. In particular, support for x2APIC, has been improved on systems with Intel Lunar Lake and Panther Lake, enhanced cache and memory bandwidth measurement, and the x86_64 build includes the use of SIMD/SSE2.
Among the changes:
Support for x2APIC has been added. x2APIC is an advanced local interrupt controller management mechanism in modern x86 systems. For Memtest86+, this is important because the program runs outside the operating system and must correctly detect and initialize CPU cores during memory testing.
Improved support for Intel Lunar Lake and Panther Lake. The release should work more accurately on new Intel client platforms, including hardware parameter detection and running tests on fresh systems.
Improved bandwidth measurement. In Memtest86+ 8.10, the cache and memory speed evaluation mechanism has been refined, and for the 64-bit x86 build, SSE2 instructions have been included. ([GitHub][3])
LPDDR5 timing issues have been fixed. This should improve the accuracy of memory parameter display on systems with modern mobile LPDDR5 modules.
Boot issues on AMI BIOS have been fixed. The developers specifically mention a fix related to the W^X policy change in new AMI UEFI firmware, which could prevent Memtest86+ from launching. ([GitHub][3])
Boot issues through older versions of GRUB have been fixed. Workarounds for Fedora GRUB EFI and the linux command have also been implemented.
The Secure Boot code has been refined for future shim verification. The binary file Memtest86+ is still not signed by Microsoft, so it's still recommended to disable Secure Boot on the project page for regular downloads, however, version 8.10 has fixed the PE/COFF structure and Secure Boot code to prepare the project for further integration with shim.
Improvements have been made for LoongArch64. In particular, display issues on Loongson 2K3000/3B6000M have been fixed, as well as temperature overflow and linker warnings about RWX segments.
Ready builds are available on the project website: the USB installer for Windows, ISO images for Linux, ISO with GRUB, binary files for PXE and chain booting, as well as the source code archive.
Source: linux.org.ru
