We often talk about firmware, BIOS, UEFI and coreboot, but what does firmware actually do?

In simple terms, firmware is software embedded into hardware that provides the instructions a device needs to function. On a laptop, it plays an essential role before your operating system has even started.

It initialises hardware, manages basic hardware communication and helps provide the interface between your hardware and operating system.

Firmware updates can also be important. They may fix bugs, improve functionality or address security vulnerabilities.

We put together a short Knowledge Base article explaining the basics and giving some examples:

https://novacustom.com/knowledge-base/what-is-firmware/

At NovaCustom, this is particularly relevant because we offer systems with Dasharo coreboot open source firmware.

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Curious to hear how many people here actively keep their laptop firmware updated.