[bitfolk] Latest kernel update seems broken on 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04 (Bionic Beaver)

Hi, If you aren't running 32-bit Ubuntu then you can probably skip this message. A customer reported that they'd updated their 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04 VPS and now the kernel doesn't boot. I had a look and indeed the latest 32-bit linux-image-generic immediately kernel panics. This means that if you're on 32-bit and you try to boot into it, your VPS won't boot. Also it means that currently 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04 installs aren't possible because the installer kernel won't boot. I haven't yet had any reports of the same thing happening in other versions of Ubuntu, but it might do since presumably there is some security patch being pushed out (I'm going to take a wild stab at 32-bit KPTI protection) that is broken, so it might hit any supported version of 32-bit Ubuntu. The only quick way I have found to work around this at present is to run a 64-bit kernel. Here's how you'd do that, assuming that your VPS is currently unbootable. xen-shell> rescue (boot and log in to rescue VM) $ sudo mount /dev/xvda1 /mnt $ sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev $ sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys $ sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc $ sudo chroot /mnt /bin/bash # dpkg --add-architecture amd64 # apt update # apt install linux-image-generic:amd64 # exit $ sudo halt xen-shell> arch x86_64 xen-shell> boot This: 1) Enables multi-arch on your VPS and says that amd64 architecture packages are acceptable 2) Installs a 64-bit kernel 3) Boots into it You will then be running a 64-bit kernel with a 32-bit user land. It should work fine and continue offering you updated 64-bit kernel packages and updates 32-bit packages for everything else. If you were brave you could completely cross-grade to amd64 but it is a complicated, risky and unsupported procedure. Another workaround may be to boot into rescue and do a chroot as above, but then downgrade the kernel package. I will attempt to replicate the problem and report it to Ubuntu. Cheers, Andy -- https://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting _______________________________________________ announce mailing list announce(a)lists.bitfolk.com https://lists.bitfolk.com/mailman/listinfo/announce