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> This site is used by all major Linux distributions to provide metadata for clients such as fwupdmgr and GNOME Software. Actually means: "This site is used by

> This site is used by all major Linux distributions to provide metadata for clients such as fwupdmgr and GNOME Software. Actually means: "This site is used by author's apps 'fwupdmgr' and 'GNOME Software'" Wants you to believe it means: "This site is used by all major Linux distributions to serve firmware for all your devices". What all major Linux distributions use is this git repo hosted by Linux Foundation: https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-... which is made available and automatically upgradable as "linux-firmware" system package. Sorry for sounding harsh, I just couldn't stay quiet on that misleading claim.

olau 9y ago
Eh, I'm not an expert on this, but as I understand this project is about firmware that needs to be flashed onto devices. The kind of thing where people in the old days formatted a floppy disk and booted from that. So I think your comparison is incorrect. I would expect more clients to pop up once this gets a bit more traction.
- andrey_utkin 9y ago
  Ah, you are right: > NOTE: This service should only be used to distribute firmware that is flashed onto non-volatile memory. It is not designed for firmware that has to be uploaded to devices every time the device is used.
Aissen 9y ago
You are comparing two different things. linux-firmware is composed of blob files used by kernel drivers when they do request_firmware(); for devices that load the firmware in RAM and work from that, and have (mostly) no permanent storage. This project is for firmware blobs that 1/ are already on the device; 2/ for which the update method is traditionally a vendor-provided windows binary; the fwupdmgr incorporates plugins that implement all the different update methods for those devices. There's nothing maliciously misleading here, and vendors do know the difference between those two.
- andrey_utkin 9y ago
  I see that I was wrong in my comparison. Yet I see the claim "This site is used by all major Linux distributions (for whatever)" misleading. Linux distributions directly don't use this site for anything. They happen to provide package for mentioned apps, that's all. E.g. I can claim that my HDD-testing app is available in distros, but I would be wrong claiming that all major Linux distributions use my app to test HDDs.
  - Rondom 9y ago
    I have Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian systems. All come with fwupd installed by default. I don't have a RHEL7 system to check, but it is in the repos of CentOS7. Whether it is activated by default, I don't know, but given that it is in the repos, I think it is. Linux Mint probably uses GNOME Software as well in its Cinnamon and Mate environments. I am not sure about Arch and of course there is KDE (OpenSUSE/SUSE) left. Still I think calling it a "misleading claim" a bit of a stretch given that "all the major distros" (or nearly) ship it in their default install. Oh and don't get into quibbling about what "use" means here. If I follow that argument, Linux distribution don't "use" or "do" anything. All they do is shipping software.
merb 9y ago
fwupd is for firmware in external/flashable devices or uefi/bios stuff. the linux-firmware can only install cpu/gpu/everything which loads firmware everytime related firmware.

olau 9y ago

Eh, I'm not an expert on this, but as I understand this project is about firmware that needs to be flashed onto devices. The kind of thing where people in the old days formatted a floppy disk and booted from that. So I think your comparison is incorrect. I would expect more clients to pop up once this gets a bit more traction.

andrey_utkin 9y ago
Ah, you are right: > NOTE: This service should only be used to distribute firmware that is flashed onto non-volatile memory. It is not designed for firmware that has to be uploaded to devices every time the device is used.

Aissen 9y ago

You are comparing two different things. linux-firmware is composed of blob files used by kernel drivers when they do request_firmware(); for devices that load the firmware in RAM and work from that, and have (mostly) no permanent storage. This project is for firmware blobs that 1/ are already on the device; 2/ for which the update method is traditionally a vendor-provided windows binary; the fwupdmgr incorporates plugins that implement all the different update methods for those devices. There's nothing maliciously misleading here, and vendors do know the difference between those two.

andrey_utkin 9y ago
I see that I was wrong in my comparison. Yet I see the claim "This site is used by all major Linux distributions (for whatever)" misleading. Linux distributions directly don't use this site for anything. They happen to provide package for mentioned apps, that's all. E.g. I can claim that my HDD-testing app is available in distros, but I would be wrong claiming that all major Linux distributions use my app to test HDDs.
- Rondom 9y ago
  I have Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian systems. All come with fwupd installed by default. I don't have a RHEL7 system to check, but it is in the repos of CentOS7. Whether it is activated by default, I don't know, but given that it is in the repos, I think it is. Linux Mint probably uses GNOME Software as well in its Cinnamon and Mate environments. I am not sure about Arch and of course there is KDE (OpenSUSE/SUSE) left. Still I think calling it a "misleading claim" a bit of a stretch given that "all the major distros" (or nearly) ship it in their default install. Oh and don't get into quibbling about what "use" means here. If I follow that argument, Linux distribution don't "use" or "do" anything. All they do is shipping software.

merb 9y ago

fwupd is for firmware in external/flashable devices or uefi/bios stuff. the linux-firmware can only install cpu/gpu/everything which loads firmware everytime related firmware.