I don't see the issue you are reporting. I don't have the storage device that uses this driver, but I am able to install the new kernel from PPA and load the qla2xxx driver on our P9. ubuntu@dradis:~$ uname -a Linux dradis 4.15.0-20-generic #21-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 24 06:14:44 UTC 2018 ppc64le ppc64le ppc64le GNU/Linux ubuntu@dradis:~$ sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:ubuntu-power-triage/lp1770003 ubuntu@dradis:~$ apt search linux-image-unsigned Sorting... Done Full Text Search... Done linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic/bionic 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 ppc64el Linux kernel image for version 4.15.0 on PowerPC 64el SMP ubuntu@dradis:~$ apt search linux-modules Sorting... Done Full Text Search... Done linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic/bionic 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 ppc64el [upgradable from: 4.15.0-20.21] Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.15.0 on PowerPC 64el SMP linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic/bionic 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 ppc64el [upgradable from: 4.15.0-20.21] Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.15.0 on PowerPC 64el SMP ubuntu@dradis:~$ sudo apt install -y --assume-yes linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required: linux-headers-generic Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it. Suggested packages: fdutils linux-doc-4.15.0 | linux-source-4.15.0 linux-tools The following packages will be REMOVED: linux-generic linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic linux-image-generic The following NEW packages will be installed: linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic The following packages will be upgraded: linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic 2 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 3 to remove and 2 not upgraded. Need to get 50.1 MB of archives. After this operation, 72.7 kB of additional disk space will be used. Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-power-triage/lp1770003/ubuntu bionic/main ppc64el linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic ppc64el 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 [6143 kB] Get:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-power-triage/lp1770003/ubuntu bionic/main ppc64el linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic ppc64el 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 [12.5 MB] Get:3 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-power-triage/lp1770003/ubuntu bionic/main ppc64el linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic ppc64el 4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7 [31.5 MB] Fetched 50.1 MB in 1min 10s (714 kB/s) (Reading database ... 64762 files and directories currently installed.) Removing linux-generic (4.15.0.20.23) ... Removing linux-image-generic (4.15.0.20.23) ... dpkg: linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic depends on linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic | linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic; however: Package linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic is to be removed. Package linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic is not installed. Removing linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.21) ... W: Removing the running kernel W: Last kernel image has been removed, so removing the default symlinks /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools: update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub: Generating grub configuration file ... done Selecting previously unselected package linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic. (Reading database ... 64752 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic_4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7_ppc64el.deb ... Unpacking linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) ... Preparing to unpack .../linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic_4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7_ppc64el.deb ... Unpacking linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) over (4.15.0-20.21) ... Preparing to unpack .../linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic_4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7_ppc64el.deb ... Unpacking linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) over (4.15.0-20.21) ... Setting up linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) ... Setting up linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) ... I: /boot/vmlinux.old is now a symlink to vmlinux-4.15.0-20-generic I: /boot/initrd.img.old is now a symlink to initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic I: /boot/vmlinux is now a symlink to vmlinux-4.15.0-20-generic I: /boot/initrd.img is now a symlink to initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic Setting up linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) ... Processing triggers for linux-image-unsigned-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.23~lp1770003+build.7) ... /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools: update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/ast_dp501_fw.bin for module ast /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub: Generating grub configuration file ... Found linux image: /boot/vmlinux-4.15.0-20-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic done ubuntu@dradis:~$ sudo reboot ubuntu@dradis:~$ uname -a Linux dradis 4.15.0-20-generic #23~lp1770003+build.7-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 10 14:31:31 UTC 2018 ppc64le ppc64le ppc64le GNU/Linux ubuntu@dradis:~$ sudo modprobe qla2xxx ubuntu@dradis:~$ lsmod | grep qla2xxx qla2xxx 929342 0 nvme_fc 37652 1 qla2xxx scsi_transport_fc 66824 1 qla2xxx ubuntu@dradis:~$