[Slightly OT] The Linux Vendor Firmware Project needs 15 minutes of your time

[Richard Hughes]

Hi all,

For the LVFS project, I need vendors making hardware to submit
firmware files with carefully written metadata so that they can be
downloaded in Fedora 23 securely and automatically. I also need those
vendors to either use a standardized flashing protocol (e.g. DFU or
UEFI) or to open the device specifications enough to allow flashing
firmware without signing an NDA.

Over the last couple of months I’ve been emailing various tech
companies trying to get hold of the right people to implement this. So
far the reaction from companies has been enthusiastic and apathetic in
equal measures. I’ve had a few vendors testing the process, but I
can’t share those names just yet as most companies have been testing
with unreleased hardware.

This is where you come in. On your Linux computer right now, think
about what hardware you own that works in Linux that you know has
user-flashable firmware? What about your BIOS, your mouse, or your
USB3 hub? Your network card, your RAID card, or your video card?

Things I want you to do:

* Find the vendor on the internet, and either raise a support case or
send an email. Try and find a technical contact, not just some sales
or marketing person
* Tell the vendor that you would like firmware updates when using
Linux, and that you’re not able to update the firmware booting to
Windows or OS-X
* Tell the vendor that you’re more likely to buy from them again if
firmware updates work on Linux
* Inform the vendor about the LVFS project : https://beta-lvfs.rhcloud.com/

At all times I need you to be polite and courteous, after all we’re
asking the vendor to spend time (money) on doing something extra for a
small fraction of their userbase. Ignoring one email from me is easy,
but getting tens or hundreds of support tickets about the same issue
is a great way to get an issue escalated up to the people that can
actually make changes.

So please, spend 15 minutes opening a support ticket or sending an
email to a vendor now.

Happy to take questions or comments, thanks.

Richard.