The Linux Vendor Firmware Service is a webapp used by OEMs, ODMs and ISVs to distribute firmware updates safely and securely to millions of Linux users. In this talk I will give a quick overview of what the LVFS actually is, the extra services it provides and describe the ways the Linux client communicates with the server. I’ll explain how the LVFS is essential for OEMs and why ignoring the LVFS and Linux users is short-sighted from a technical and business point of view.

In the talk I’ll show lots of pictures and graphs, which will make some vendors feel good, and make other vendors feel bad. I’ll include lots of technical details that might be interesting to OEMs and Linux users who are deploying firmware updates at scale.

During the talk I’ll also hint at a future specification we’re working on, designed to raise the level of firmware security across the entire ecosystem. The talk will finish with a look to the future.