Kernel Space: CPPC HighestFreq, Phomemo, and LVFS Sponsorship Announcement (IBM Ropes in Lenovo, Dell)

posted by Roy Schestowitz on May 07, 2026,
updated May 08, 2026

• Neowin ☛ Linux exposes important AMD Ryzen performance feature that's also heading to backdoored Windows 11

  Linux has revealed a key AMD Ryzen performance feature that is being worked on. This enhancement is also expected to arrive in backdoored Windows 11 too.

  [...]

  Over time, additional CPPC features have been added to the kernel, which include the recent "performance priority" feature that's on track for introduction in AMD's Zen 6 architecture (the company currently has the Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series on the desktop). As such, we expect Windows 11 26H2 and 27H2 to have optimizations for them.

• Linux mailing lists ☛ Add CPPC HighestFreq support

  On some systems, the boost ratio cannot be accurately calculated
  using linear interpolation of CPPC performance values because the
  performance-to-frequency mapping is not linear across all cores.
  
  
  This series introduces support for the CPPC HighestFreq register.  This
  register is under a proposal with ASWG at the moment and trending for
  inclusion in ACPI 6.7.
  
  
  This optionally provides the actual highest frequency eliminating
  the need for interpolation. When available, this frequency value is used
  for more accurate CPU capacity calculations and boost ratio determination.
  
  
  This series brings the existing CPPC definitions up to ACPI 6.6 and then
  adds support for the ACPI 6.7 proposal.
  

• Barry Kauler ☛ Phomemo thermal printer drivers for Linux

  I posted recently about purchasing a Phomemo P831 thermal transfer printer: [...]

  I have made the Linux drivers into a PET package, this is for the full range of Phomemo thermal printers, and it will be builtin to the next release of EasyOS.

• GNOME ☛ IBM's Richard Hughes: LVFS Sponsorship Announcement

  Some great news: I’m pleased to announce that both Dell and Lenovo have agreed to be premier sponsors for the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) as part of our new sustainability effort.

Update

More on that last one:

• Dell and Lenovo Join Linux Vendor Firmware Update Project | TechPowerUp

  The LVFS (Linux Vendor Firmware Service) is a firmware update project that's been gaining traction in recent years, especially with distributions like Bazzite and SteamOS serving as simplified operating systems for devices like gaming handhelds, and manufacturers like Framework and System76 releasing Linux-first hardware. While Dell and Lenovo have previously allowed firmware updating for a number of their devices, it was just announced by Richard Hughes, a Gnome developer and maintainer, that both Dell and Lenovo have recently become premier sponsors of LVFS, meaning they each donate in excess of $100,000 annually to keep the project sustainable and fund development.

Mels Dees:

• Dell and Lenovo are making significant investments in the Linux firmware platform LVFS - Techzine Global

  Dell and Lenovo have joined as lead sponsors of the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS), the open-source platform that distributes firmware updates on Linux. This not only gives the project additional financial resources but also broader support from the PC industry.

  Together with Fwupd, LVFS forms a key infrastructure for managing firmware updates on Linux systems. Through this combination, users can install updates for laptops, desktops, and peripherals without relying on separate Windows tools or manual installations. This is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly within enterprise Linux environments.

Also here:

• Dell and Lenovo join LVFS as top-tier sponsors

  Dell and Lenovo have joined the Linux Vendor Firmware Service as top-tier sponsors, giving the Linux firmware update project direct financial support from two of the largest PC vendors. LVFS is used by Linux distributions to deliver firmware metadata to clients such as fwupdmgr and GNOME Software.