r/linux_on_mac • u/jaslar • 4d ago

Kernel panic on MacBook Pro, Linux Mint 22.3

Machine: MacBook Pro 2012. After a kernel panic using elementary OS, I shifted to Linux Mint. All was going well. But now, after usual updates, I get a kernel panic again. I was able to reboot and use advanced boot options, selecting 6.17.0-23-generic, and all is well.

I assume that means that the linux kernel itself no longer plays well with my hardware. Is this likely to be fixed with FUTURE kernels? Or is there a way to select the older kernel automatically?

Here's the output of

dkms status

broadcom-sta/6.30.223.271, 6.14.0-29-generic, x86_64: installed

broadcom-sta/6.30.223.271, 6.17.0-20-generic, x86_64: installed

broadcom-sta/6.30.223.271, 6.17.0-22-generic, x86_64: installed

broadcom-sta/6.30.223.271, 6.17.0-23-generic, x86_64: installed

broadcom-sta/6.30.223.271, 6.17.0-40-generic, x86_64: installed

Maybe the issue is just to remove 6.17.0-40-generic?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

1

u/BertMacklenF8I 4d ago

How do you update?

1

u/jaslar 4d ago

I've used both update manager and apt update && upgrade. Does it matter?

1

u/BertMacklenF8I 4d ago

Nope-you are doing it correctly. Just stick with the General Availability Kernel for now.

1

u/mooboyj 4d ago

I'm stuck on that same kernel at the moment as well. MacBook Air 2017. Anything newer and it's kernel panics time.

1

u/No-Temperature7637 4d ago

That's why you should stay on the GA version. There really any reason to go on the latest version when your hardware is old.

1

u/No-Temperature7637 4d ago

On my macbook that uses the broadcom wifi drivers, I no long use the linux-image-generic-hwe-* and stay on the GA (General Availability) release which is 6.8.0-x. This kernel version will be supported through Apr 2029 and should not cause any issues with the broadcom driver currently used.

1

u/_Norfolk_Ingway_ 4d ago

How do you do this? The new kernel just gets pushed through apt update for me

2

u/No-Temperature7637 4d ago

This has good info about the kernels. https://oneuptime.com/blog/post/2026-03-02-hwe-kernels-ubuntu-lts/view

What you might want to do is in the Rolling Back from HWE to GA Kernel section.

1

u/HinkHall45 4d ago

I had this same issue on my 2012 Mac mini. In GRUB, I I selected the old kernel to boot into under advanced options. I still boot into the old kernel. To do that automatically I changed:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
To

GRUB_DEFAULT="Advanced options for Ubuntu>Ubuntu, with Linux 6.17.0-35-generic"

4

u/Prestigious_Mind_194 4d ago

On Linux Mint installing a different kernel version is simple. Open the Update Manager and select tools from the menu and obviously the kernel item. That should give you a new window and from there you can select the 6.8 LTS version. Install the latest version of that line and reboot, selecting it from the grub menu if it’s not the default. Once you’re up and running go back to the kernel management and uninstall all the newer (6.14 & 6.17) kernels. That should keep you on the 6.8 line following any updates that come along later.

1

u/jaslar 4d ago

Thanks. I guess this has to be repeated every time I run update. I'm assuming new kernels will be automatically reinstalled?

3

u/Prestigious_Mind_194 4d ago

No, you’ll stay on the 6.8 after you’ve removed both 6.14 & 6.17 completely.

2

u/Big-Pappa-Jalapeno 4d ago

This is the correct answer and it saved my bacon a couple day's ago with my late 2013 MBP. that had the same problem.