Lenovo is best known amongst Linux users for its range of ThinkPad laptops, which are perhaps the laptop of choice for many Linux developers - and by some margin!Īnd those owning the latest ThinkPad models, or select ThinkStations, will benefit from the new partnership first. Install ThinkPad Firm Upgrades on Linux Easily It’s easily the best-known front end to the firmware update tool fwupd, though KDE Discover recently added support for it, too. Updating firmware on any OS, using any tool, can be scary: Multiple reboots! Terminal text spewing across the screen! Strange noises! So fwupd aim to make the process of updating firmware on Linux as automatic, safe and (most importantly) reliable as possible.Īnd what’s more reassuring that GNOME Software, the place you get all your other app updates from. Users can install firmware updates alongside software updates via a GUI.Automatic detection of compatible hardware.OEMs don’t need to create manufacturer-specific tools.The LVFS takes the hassle out of distributing firmware upgrades to Linux users, while fwupd takes the hassle out of installing them. These firmware updates can be installed from inside the OS using a command-line tool or a GUI, such as GNOME Software. The LVFS helps OEMs, ODMs and other equipment makers to distribute UEFI firmware updates to Linux users. Which is where the Linux Vendor Firmware Service comes in. Most major hardware vendors only provide ‘official support’ Microsoft Windows OS and only provide Windows-specific flashing tools to their customers. Upgrading the firmware of motherboards, peripherals, and other hardware on Linux hasn’t been the easiest thing to do historically. It’s a pretty big deal, with tens of thousands of Linux users set to benefit from the partnership.īut first, let’s recap what the LVFS is and why it’s becoming increasingly important to Linux users. Tens of thousands of ThinkPad users will see firmware updates listed in GNOME Software in the coming weeks…

Lenovo system update