# Open Source Firmware

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2022-10-31
- Length: 1h 24m
- Episode: 33
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/ba861b24

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company discuss the Open Source Firmware Foundation with founders Christian Walker and Philipp Deppenwiese of 9elements. They explore the history of the Open Source Firmware Conference (OSFC), the industry shift from proprietary to open source firmware driven by security concerns like Spectre and Meltdown, and the technical challenges of dealing with binary blobs in SoCs. The conversation highlights how customers like HPE are using purchasing decisions to enforce open source firmware, accelerating the transition in the hardware industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=0) Introduction: Time zones and Twitter Spaces logistics
- [5:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=347) History of the Open Source Firmware Conference (OSFC)
- [15:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=957) The shift from proprietary to open source firmware
- [29:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=1794) Establishing the Open Source Firmware Foundation
- [40:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=2445) Business models and the role of binary blobs
- [56:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=3366) Customer pressure: HPE and SSD vendors
- [1:06:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=4002) Security, binary blobs, and hardware APIs
- [1:18:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware#t=4727) How to get involved in the Open Source Firmware Foundation

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- 9elements (company)
- Open Source Firmware Foundation (other)
- Open Source Firmware Conference (other)
- HPE (company)
- Intel (company)
- AMD (company)
- Google (company)
- Facebook (company)
- AMI (company)
- Spectre (other)
- Meltdown (other)
- Cobalt (other)
- Linux Foundation (company)
- CNCF (other)
- Kubernetes (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [479: Make Your Voice Heard](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-06-13-479-make-your-voice-heard) (Embedded.fm)
- [Finding Hardware Flaws with Laura Abbott](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-05-23-finding-hardware-flaws-with-laura-abbott) (The Amp Hour)
- [Be Tidy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-10-02-be-tidy) (The Amp Hour)
- [How to Discover & Handle IoT Firmware Vulnerabilities | Terry Dunlap, Co-Founder & CEO, ReFirm Labs | #IoTFounders E027](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-05-15-how-to-discover-handle-iot-firmware-vulnerabilities-terry-dunlap-co-founder-ceo) (IoT For All Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-10-31-open-source-firmware. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.