Linux Vendor Firmware Service Celebrates 100M+ Firmware Updates

LVFS has surpassed 100M firmware updates delivered to Linux machines worldwide.

SAN FRANCISCO — DECEMBER 18, 2023 — The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, is excited to announce that the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) has surpassed 100M firmware updates delivered to Linux machines worldwide. This significant milestone reflects the widespread adoption and impact of LVFS in ensuring Linux users have access to secure and up-to-date firmware for their devices.

LVFS's commitment to user freedom is evident in its unique approach—over 100M updates have been supplied to devices around the world. LVFS allows users to freely redistribute updates without tracking, and large companies or agencies can mirror the entire LVFS for offline use. This decentralized model suggests that the actual number of updates deployed is likely far higher than reported.

The journey began eight years ago when Red Hat decided to make firmware updates work on Linux. Today, LVFS hosts a diverse set of projects that prioritize user freedom and privacy, with an ecosystem that includes a growing number of hardware vendors – with two or three new vendors joining every month.

"Firmware proliferation is a fact of life in our industry," said Mike McGrath, Vice President of Core Platforms Engineering, Red Hat. "Trying to bridge the gap between hardware vendors and our open source practices in a way that is convenient and practical was a must-have for us.  We couldn't be happier with this milestone and it's great to see work has benefited Linux users everywhere"

The strategic importance of being a part of the LVFS community is underscored by its logistical, security, and commercial implications. Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs), Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs), and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) now recognize that not being part of LVFS is a critical oversight.

Over the past decade, Red Hat has played a pivotal role by providing financial support and driving the project forward. The growing use of fwupd and LVFS is evident, with planning for new device support happening months in advance to ensure compatibility with long-term support distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Partnerships with industry leaders such as Google and Collabora have been instrumental in encouraging vendors to ship updates on LVFS and supporting fwupd in ChromeOS. The collaborative spirit extends to side-projects like GNOME Firmware, Host Security ID, fwupd friendly firmware, and uSWID as an SBoM format, which have evolved into independent projects that further enrich the ecosystem.

The LVFS community is excited about the long-term future of both fwupd and LVFS. While specific plans are under wraps, the commitment to transparency, open source principles, and user privacy remains unwavering. For more information about LVFS, please visit https://fwupd.org.

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Media Contact

Noah Lehman

Manager

The Linux Foundation

nlehman@linuxfoundation.org