Void Linux: linux-firmware compression requires specific kernel versions

Brief written by the FOSSWire AI editor from Void Linux How we write

March 10, 2026 1 min read 52 reads

Key Takeaway

The linux-firmware package now uses zstd compression, necessitating compatible kernel versions to avoid issues.

Summary

Void Linux has updated the linux-firmware package to use zstd compression to reduce installation size. Users must ensure they are running a supported kernel version when updating to linux-firmware-20260309_1 or later to maintain hardware functionality.

Supported kernel versions

Firmware is now compressed using zstd.
Required kernel versions include: linux5.10>=5.10.251_1, linux5.15>=5.15.201_1, linux6.1>=6.1.127_1, linux6.6>=6.6.68_1, linux6.12>=6.12.7_1, or any version 6.18 and later.
Specific requirements apply to rpi-kernel>=6.12.67_1 and pinephone-kernel>=6.1.7_2.
Users on unsupported kernels can use xbps-pkgdb -m hold to prevent updating firmware packages.

Why it matters

This change affects how Void Linux manages disk space for firmware, but requires careful coordination between kernel and firmware updates to prevent hardware malfunctions.

Original reference: voidlinux.org →