# Void Linux: linux-firmware compression requires specific kernel versions

> **Key takeaway:** The linux-firmware package now uses zstd compression, necessitating compatible kernel versions to avoid issues.

**Published:** 2026-03-10T00:00:00+00:00 
**Source:** Void Linux Announcements 
**Category:** distro-news 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/changes-to-linux-firmware-may-require-manual-intervention.html 

## 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.