Ok,

Attempted to upgrade via normal method as stated on 
https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Upgrading_Alpine#Upgrading_to_latest_release

Set repositories to edge (was v3.17)

Ran apk update

fetch http://mirrors.ocf.berkeley.edu/alpine/edge/main/x86/APKINDEX.tar.gz
fetch 
http://mirrors.ocf.berkeley.edu/alpine/edge/community/x86/APKINDEX.tar.gz
v3.18.0-8650-gc1ec0163002 
[http://mirrors.ocf.berkeley.edu/alpine/edge/main]
v3.18.0-8549-g92eac4101ee 
[http://mirrors.ocf.berkeley.edu/alpine/edge/community]
OK: 19850 distinct packages available

Ran apk add --upgrade apk-tools

(1/3) Upgrading musl (1.2.3-r5 -> 1.2.4_git20230717-r2)
(2/3) Upgrading zlib (1.2.13-r0 -> 1.2.13-r2)
(3/3) Upgrading apk-tools (2.12.10-r1 -> 2.14.0-r5)
Executing busybox-1.35.0-r29.trigger
OK: 551 MiB in 109 packages

Ran apk upgrade --available

It attempted to install/upgrade 116 packages. Most were successful, but 
got the following errors:

(41/116) Upgrading doas (6.8.2-r3 -> 6.8.2-r6)
Executing doas-6.8.2-r6.post-upgrade
Illegal instruction
Illegal instruction
Illegal instruction

(108/116) Upgrading shadow (4.13-r0 -> 4.13-r6)
Executing shadow-4.13-r6.post-upgrade
Illegal instruction

At the end of the package installs/upgrades, this is what it printed out:

Executing busybox-1.36.1-r6.trigger
Executing ca-certificates-20230506-r0.trigger
Executing kmod-30-r4.trigger
Illegal instruction
Executing mkinitfs-3.8.1-r0.trigger
==> initramfs: creating /boot/initramfs-lts
Illegal instruction
xargs: modinfo: terminated by signal 4
Executing syslinux-6.04_pre1-r15.trigger
/boot is device /dev/sda1
OK: 362 MiB in 116 packages

Subsequent reboot caused failure to find the hard drive.

Reinstalled 3.17 and then tried to upgrade to edge. Followed same steps 
as previous. This time only 83 packages were slated for upgrade/install.

Same errors on the doas file:

(36/83) Upgrading doas (6.8.2-r3 -> 6.8.2-r6)
Executing doas-6.8.2-r6.post-upgrade
Illegal instruction
Illegal instruction
Illegal instruction

And also after all 83 packages were completed:

Executing kmod-30-r4.trigger
Illegal instruction
Executing mkinitfs-3.8.1-r0.trigger
==> initramfs: creating /boot/initramfs-lts
Illegal instruction
xargs: modinfo: terminated by signal 4
Executing syslinux-6.04_pre1-r15.trigger
/boot is device /dev/sda1
OK: 345 MiB in 82 packages

Again, subsequent reboot caused failure to find and mount the hard drive.


So, I'll be reinstalling 3.17 again in the morning. Can't really test 
the pae backout change when right now it can't even upgrade correctly.