RPi3 issues with linux-rpi and bootloader after pacman -Syu

[MattM]

After today’s pacman -Syu on a Raspberry Pi 3 (aarch64), the system became unstable after upgrading these packages:
[2026-03-13T00:47:36+0100] [ALPM] upgraded raspberrypi-bootloader (20260302-1 -> 20260306-1)
[2026-03-13T00:48:04+0100] [ALPM] upgraded linux-rpi (6.18.15-1 -> 6.18.16-3)

After reboot, the kernel showed repeated firmware timeouts and VC4 failures.
Examples from dmesg:
[ 0.000000] Linux version 6.18.16-3-rpi (builduser@arch-nspawn-3038569) (aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu-gcc (GCC) 15.2.1 20260209, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.46) #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Mar 11 23:42:21 UTC 2026
...
[ 7.134650] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[ 7.134691] Firmware transaction 0x00030066 timeout
[ 7.134773] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 169 at drivers/firmware/raspberrypi.c:131 rpi_firmware_property_list+0x1f8/0x278
[ 7.134822] Modules linked in: vc4(+) snd_soc_hdmi_codec drm_client_lib snd_soc_core snd_compress snd_pcm_dmaengine snd_pcm snd_timer snd drm_exec drm_display_helper drm_dma_helper drm_kms_helper drm drm_panel_orientation_quirks backl
ight cec
[ 7.134928] CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 169 Comm: (udev-worker) Not tainted 6.18.16-3-rpi #1 PREEMPT
[ 7.134952] Hardware name: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Rev 1.2 (DT)
[ 7.134967] pstate: 60000005 (nZCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
[ 7.134986] pc : rpi_firmware_property_list+0x1f8/0x278
[ 7.135005] lr : rpi_firmware_property_list+0x1f8/0x278
[ 7.135023] sp : ffff800080dbb730
[ 7.135034] x29: ffff800080dbb750 x28: ffffa2fe0c461758 x27: 0000000000000000
[ 7.135061] x26: ffffa2fe80772f30 x25: ffff0000028d2080 x24: ffff000007586280
[ 7.135086] x23: 0000000000001000 x22: 000000000000000c x21: 0000000000000000
[ 7.135112] x20: ffff0000028d2080 x19: ffff80008067f000 x18: 0000000000000010
[ 7.135137] x17: 0000000000001000 x16: 0000000000000036 x15: 0000000000000020
[ 7.135163] x14: 00000000ffffffff x13: 0000000000000030 x12: 0000000000000008
[ 7.135188] x11: 0000000000000058 x10: 0000000000000018 x9 : ffffa2fe7ef4c84c
[ 7.135213] x8 : 0000000000057fa8 x7 : 0000000000000147 x6 : 0000000000000001
[ 7.135239] x5 : ffff00003b1ca488 x4 : 0000000000000000 x3 : 0000000000000027
[ 7.135264] x2 : 0000000000000000 x1 : 0000000000000000 x0 : ffff00002ea8a180
[ 7.135290] Call trace:
[ 7.135301] rpi_firmware_property_list+0x1f8/0x278 (P)
[ 7.135323] rpi_firmware_property+0x70/0xc0
[ 7.135342] vc4_drm_bind+0x380/0x3c0 [vc4]
[ 7.135448] try_to_bring_up_aggregate_device+0x174/0x1f0
[ 7.135470] component_master_add_with_match+0xb8/0x100
[ 7.135489] vc4_platform_drm_probe+0xc0/0x108 [vc4]
[ 7.135573] platform_probe+0x64/0xb8
[ 7.135592] really_probe+0xc4/0x2c0
[ 7.135609] __driver_probe_device+0x80/0x128
[ 7.135626] driver_probe_device+0xc4/0x188
[ 7.135643] __driver_attach+0x98/0x1a0
[ 7.135660] bus_for_each_dev+0x84/0x100
[ 7.135677] driver_attach+0x2c/0x40
[ 7.135693] bus_add_driver+0xec/0x220
[ 7.135709] driver_register+0x70/0x138
[ 7.135726] __platform_driver_register+0x28/0x40
[ 7.135745] vc4_drm_register+0x58/0xf98 [vc4]
[ 7.135829] do_one_initcall+0x5c/0x2a0
[ 7.135849] do_init_module+0x5c/0x270
[ 7.135868] load_module+0x1910/0x1ee0
[ 7.135885] __do_sys_init_module+0x150/0x200
[ 7.135903] __arm64_sys_init_module+0x20/0x40
[ 7.135921] invoke_syscall.constprop.0+0x48/0x100
[ 7.135941] el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0xc0/0xe8
[ 7.135959] do_el0_svc+0x24/0x38
[ 7.135975] el0_svc+0x34/0xe8
[ 7.135993] el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa0/0xe8
[ 7.136010] el0t_64_sync+0x198/0x1a0
[ 7.136027] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
[ 7.136057] vc4-drm soc:gpu: [drm] Couldn't stop firmware display driver: -110
[ 7.136227] vc4-drm soc:gpu: bound 3f400000.hvs (ops vc4_hvs_ops [vc4])
[ 10.206652] raspberrypi-clk soc:firmware:clocks: Failed to change fw-clk-arm frequency: -110
[ 11.125118] EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p2): mounted filesystem f8604c08-50c4-497d-a528-0c33378e4537 r/w with ordered data mode. Quota mode: none.
[ 13.278654] raspberrypi-clk soc:firmware:clocks: Failed to get fw-clk-arm frequency: -110
[ 16.350647] raspberrypi-clk soc:firmware:clocks: Failed to change fw-clk-arm frequency: -110
[ 19.422649] raspberrypi-clk soc:firmware:clocks: Failed to get fw-clk-arm frequency: -110
...
[ 242.653791] INFO: task kworker/u16:1:43 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
[ 242.653838] Tainted: G WC 6.18.16-3-rpi #1
[ 242.653852] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message.
[ 242.653867] task:kworker/u16:1 state:D stack:0 pid:43 tgid:43 ppid:2 task_flags:0x4208060 flags:0x00000010
[ 242.653898] Workqueue: async async_run_entry_fn
[ 242.653924] Call trace:
[ 242.653935] __switch_to+0xf0/0x1c8 (T)
[ 242.653956] __schedule+0x3d8/0xc30
[ 242.653973] schedule+0x3c/0x120
[ 242.653990] schedule_preempt_disabled+0x2c/0x50
[ 242.654007] __mutex_lock.constprop.0+0x51c/0xc88
[ 242.654026] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0x1c/0x38
[ 242.654043] mutex_lock+0x50/0x68
[ 242.654060] rpi_firmware_property_list+0xe4/0x278
[ 242.654079] rpi_firmware_property+0x70/0xc0
[ 242.654096] rpi_exp_gpio_get_direction+0x64/0x100
[ 242.654113] gpiochip_get_direction+0x20/0x50
[ 242.654133] gpiod_get_direction+0x84/0x178
[ 242.654150] gpiod_request_commit+0xa0/0x178
[ 242.654171] gpiod_request+0x48/0xc0
[ 242.654189] gpiod_find_and_request+0xa0/0x390
[ 242.654206] gpiod_get_index+0x60/0x90
[ 242.654227] devm_gpiod_get_index+0x28/0xa0
[ 242.654245] devm_gpiod_get_optional+0x20/0x48
[ 242.654262] bcm_get_resources+0xb4/0x290 [hci_uart]
[ 242.654303] bcm_serdev_probe+0xd0/0x1a0 [hci_uart]
[ 242.654334] serdev_drv_probe+0x38/0x58
[ 242.654355] really_probe+0xc4/0x2c0
[ 242.654373] __driver_probe_device+0x80/0x128
[ 242.654391] driver_probe_device+0xc4/0x188
[ 242.654408] __driver_attach_async_helper+0x50/0xc0
[ 242.654426] async_run_entry_fn+0x3c/0xf8
[ 242.654444] process_one_work+0x15c/0x3c0
[ 242.654461] worker_thread+0x18c/0x320
[ 242.654477] kthread+0x148/0x208
[ 242.654495] ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20
[ 242.654552] INFO: task kworker/u16:1:43 is blocked on a mutex likely owned by task sugov:0:77.

Rolling back to the previous versions restores normal operation:
sudo pacman -U \
/var/cache/pacman/pkg/raspberrypi-bootloader-20260302-1-any.pkg.tar.xz \
/var/cache/pacman/pkg/linux-rpi-6.18.15-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.xz

This looks like a regression affecting Raspberry Pi 3 in linux‑rpi 6.18.16‑3 or the corresponding bootloader/firmware.

[graysky]

6.18.17-2 is building. When it hits the repos can you plz try it and report back.

[dex77]

Same Issue still present with 6.18.18-2-rpi

[graysky]

6.18.18-3 is building. When it hits the repos can you plz try it and report back. Also, you need to downgrade both the kernel and the bootloader?

1. Does the bug trigger with raspberrypi-bootloader 20260306-1 and linux-rpi 6.18.18-3?
2. Does the bug trigger with raspberrypi-bootloader 20260302-1 and linux-rpi 6.18.18-3?

[dex77]

[quote="graysky"]6.18.18-3 is building. When it hits the repos can you plz try it and report back. Also, you need to downgrade both the kernel and the bootloader?

1. Does the bug trigger with raspberrypi-bootloader 20260306-1 and linux-rpi 6.18.18-3?
2. Does the bug trigger with raspberrypi-bootloader 20260302-1 and linux-rpi 6.18.18-3?[/quote]

1. yes
2. yes

[graysky]

Must be an upstream bug. Recommend you open a ticket:make_clickable_callback(MAGIC_URL_FULL, ' ', 'https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/issues', '', ' class="postlink"')