AMD Ryzen 3000 processors don’t work with recent Linux distributions due to bug

AMD’s new Ryzen 3000 processors do not currently work with recent Linux distributions such as Ubuntu 19.04. It goes wrong when booting; the systemd services do not start. The processors do work with LTS versions such as Ubuntu 18.04.

Linux website Phoronix concludes that in its review of the Ryzen 9 3900X and the Ryzen 7 3700X. The author tried to get the new AMD hardware working with recent Linux distributions, but was unsuccessful. Both Ubuntu 19.04, Manjaro Linux and Fedora Workstation 31 fail to boot. When using a Linux version that has long-term support, or older versions, there are no problems.

AMD tells Phoronix that there is a problem with the Linux kernel 5.0.9, but does not provide further details. It doesn’t seem to be a kernel issue, though, as Phoronix says the new Ryzen processors will boot if Ubuntu 18.04 is used in conjunction with kernels 5.0, 5.1, or 5.2. The processor manufacturer says it has largely tested the processors with Ubuntu 18.04, the most recent LTS version.

According to Phoronix, it is not clear exactly where the error lies. It could be an issue between the Linux kernel and the new processors, or a problem with the X570 chipset. With older Ryzen processors, there are no such problems.

Linux users who want to get started with a Ryzen 3000 processor will have to fall back to a version such as Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or another enterprise distribution that is not based on the latest kernel until a solution is found. It is not yet known when a solution will be found.