CPU bug fixes lead to Ubuntu 16.04 machine does not start
Some Ubuntu 16.04 users reported that after they updated their systems that received fixes for Meltdown and Specter, they found that they could not boot the system and were forced to roll back to using the earlier Linux kernel.
In the Ubuntu forums, Ubuntu Launchpad bug tracker and Reddit posts, we can see that a large number of users are reflecting this issue. It is currently discovered that only Ubuntu users using the Xenial 16.04 series will be affected.
All users who reported this issue said they could not start the system after upgrading to Ubuntu 16.04 with kernel version 4.4.0-108.
Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, deployed Linux kernel image 4.4.0-108 on January 9 as part of the Ubuntu Xenial 16.04 user security update. According to the Ubuntu Security Advisories USN-3522-1 and Ubuntu Wiki pages, this is an update that provides fixes for Meltdown and Specter.
Canonical spokespeople have yet to comment on the issue, but as of press time, they saw two new Ubuntu 16.04 updates using Linux kernel image 4.4.0-109 [ 1, 2 ].
Some users who reported problems earlier said the new kernel was working properly. However, in addition to upgrading to the latest version, roll back to use the 4.4.0-104 kernel can also repair failed to start the problem.
Source: BleepingComputer
