The Linux kernel has released several point updates to address boot issues on some PCs. The latest versions include 6.19.2, 6.18.2, 6.12.73, and 6.6.126, which all contain the same fix for a driver-core change that was causing system crashes during startup. This change, introduced in the driver core, forced every call to driver_match_device() to hold device_lock, but this protection never made it into older branches of the kernel, leading to "unable to acquire device lock" errors. Reverting this change is seen as a pragmatic move, allowing users to continue using their systems while maintainers work on cherry-picking necessary patches to fix the issue.
Linux kernel 6.19.2, 6.18.2, 6.12.73, and 6.6.126 fixes regressions that broke boot on some PCs
The newest point releases of Linux kernel 6.19.2, 6.18.2, 6.12.73 and 6.6.126 pull back a recent driver‑core change that was crashing a handful of machines during startup. The article explains what went wrong, why the revert is sensible and how users can stay on the safe side until the upstream fixes land.
What actually triggered the boot failures
A commit introduced in the driver core forced every call to driver_match_device() to hold device_lock. In theory that should have prevented race conditions, but the lock‑enforcement never made it into older branches. As a result, systems that still ran drivers without the backported protection started hitting “unable to acquire device lock” errors early in the boot sequence. One user reported a laptop that refused to pass the initramfs stage after a routine kernel update – the screen stayed stuck on “Loading Linux …” until power‑cycled.
Why reverting the change is the pragmatic move
The offending commit (bc82e5f4d7dc…) was upstreamed without the accompanying driver updates. Rolling it back eliminates the immediate deadlock while giving maintainers time to cherry‑pick the necessary patches. It may look like a step backwards, but keeping a system that refuses to boot is far worse than temporarily living with an unpatched race condition on a platform where it never manifested.
Linux kernel 6.19.2 released
Linux kernel version 6.19.2 is now available:
Full source: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.19.2.tar.xz
Patch: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/patch-6.19.2.xz
PGP Signature: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.19.2.tar.sign
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/stable/ds/v6.19.2/v6.19.1
Linux kernel 6.18.12 released
Linux kernel version 6.18.12 is now available:
Full source: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.18.12.tar.xz
Patch: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/patch-6.18.12.xz
PGP Signature: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.18.12.tar.sign
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/stable/ds/v6.18.12/v6.18.11
Linux kernel 6.12.73 released
Linux kernel version 6.12.73 is now available:
Full source: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.12.73.tar.xz
Patch: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/patch-6.12.73.xz
PGP Signature: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.12.73.tar.sign
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/stable/ds/v6.12.73/v6.12.72
Linux kernel 6.6.126 released
Linux kernel version 6.6.126 is now available:
Full source: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.6.126.tar.xz
Patch: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/patch-6.6.126.xz
PGP Signature: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.6.126.tar.sign
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/stable/ds/v6.6.126/v6.6.125
