Update (1/11/18): Meltdown & Spectre Patches Causing Boot Issues for Ubuntu 16.04 Computers
Ubuntu Xenial 16.04 users who updated to receive the Meltdown and Spectre patches are reporting they are unable to boot their systems and have been forced to roll back to an earlier Linux kernel image.
The issues were reported by a large number of users on the Ubuntu forums, Ubuntu's Launchpad bug tracker, and Reddit thread. Only Ubuntu users running the Xenial 16.04 series appear to be affected.
All users who reported issues said they were unable to boot after upgrading to Ubuntu 16.04 with kernel image 4.4.0-108.
Update (1/10/18): Microsoft has shared details on potential performance impact
As with the other operating systems, Windows patches addressing Meltdown and Spectre are expected to take a non-insignificant toll, with older devices and operating systems suffering bigger hits. In a blog post, Microsoft Executive VP Terry Myerson explains the impact of these fixes can vary as follows:
Windows 10 on 2016-era PCs with Skylake, Kabylake, or newer CPU: Single-digit slowdowns, which most users won't notice.
Windows 10 on 2015-era PCs with Haswell or older CPU: Slowdown can be more significant. Some users may notice a decrease in performance.
Windows 8 or Windows 7 on 2015-era PCs with Haswell or older CPU: Most users will likely notice a decrease in system performance.
Windows Server (any CPU): Mitigations to isolate code within a Windows Server intance results in a more significant performance impact. According to Myerson, "This is why you want to be careful to evaluate the risk of untrusted code for each Windows Server instance, and balance the security versus performance tradeoff for your environment."
The note of caution regarding the impact on Windows Server performance is especially noteworthy. Microsoft is essentially recommending that admins consider holding off on updates on machines that don't run untrusted code.
Update (1/9/18): Microsoft has stopped delivering security update to AMD machines
Microsoft has received numerous reports of PCs running AMD processors not booting after installing the latest Windows security update. After investigating, the company confirmed there are issues, and has stopped delivering the update to AMD devices. Affected users need to visit Microsoft's support site for instructions on getting their machines back up and running.
Update (1/5/18): Microsoft warning users' AVs may prevent them from receiving update
Microsoft is reporting its security update is resulting in compatibility issues with a number of antivirus products. To help prevent errors, the company is only rolling out the Windows security update addressing Meltdown to devices with AV software confirmed to be compatible.
Per Microsoft:
Note: Customers will not receive these security updates and will not be protected from security vulnerabilities unless their anti-virus software vendor sets the following registry key:
Key="HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" Subkey="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\QualityCompat" Value="cadca5fe-87d3-4b96-b7fb-a231484277cc" Type="REG_DWORD” Data="0x00000000”
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