November 29, 2025
Firmware funding, fandom feuding
Framework Computer Now Sponsoring LVFS / Fwupd Development
Framework funds Linux firmware updates; fans cheer, critics call out ties
TLDR: Framework is the first PC maker to sponsor LVFS, the service that makes firmware updates easier on Linux, with around $10k/year. Comments celebrated the move, cracked jokes, and sparred over Framework’s ties to DHH, while urging other hardware brands to fund LVFS and require support across devices.
Framework just put real money behind Linux firmware updates, sponsoring LVFS—the Linux Vendor Firmware Service that makes device upgrades simple—and the crowd lit up. Lead dev Richard Hughes says Framework is the first PC maker to actually sign the new sponsor deal, reportedly around startup-level dues (~$10k a year), and praised them for pushing suppliers to support the firmware updater (“fwupd”).
Fans showed up fast: one called LVFS an “absolute game changer”, and a Framework voice chimed in that LVFS is “critical infrastructure” for their laptops. Cue the confetti—and the drama. A vocal commenter vowed to avoid Framework over perceived ties to tech figure DHH, turning a feel-good moment into a values debate. Meanwhile, the peanut gallery dropped memes: “the net finally caught something actually useful,” turning firmware updates into fishing jokes.
Beyond the discourse, folks want momentum. With Red Hat, the Linux Foundation, and contributors like AMD already backing the project, the thread begged other big brands to put up cash and mandate LVFS support so Linux users stop juggling sketchy manual updates. Verdict from the comments: applause for progress, side‑eye for politics, and a collective “your move, OEMs.”
Key Points
- •Framework Computer is the first hardware vendor to sign a sponsorship agreement under LVFS’s new funding efforts.
- •LVFS has served more than 135 million firmware update downloads to Linux users.
- •Red Hat (via Richard Hughes), the Linux Foundation, and AMD’s Mario Limonciello are highlighted as major contributors to LVFS/fwupd.
- •Framework is listed as a “Startup Sponsor,” estimated at around $10,000 USD in annual dues.
- •Framework is credited with pushing its suppliers to support fwupd/LVFS and already integrates the technology across its devices, including the Framework 16.