linux-drivers/
drivers/firmware

Kernel firmware interface subsystem

An umbrella directory in the kernel tree that holds code for talking to platform firmware: things like UEFI/EFI services, the EFI boot stub, vendor-specific firmware tables, SMBIOS/DMI helpers, and assorted firmware test and helper modules. It is not a single driver for a single piece of hardware.

not-a-driver conf=1.00 deploy=none replacement=none subsystem=firmware category=not-a-driver
100%

recommendation

This is not actually a driver directory; it is a top-level subsystem tree that groups together many unrelated firmware interfaces, EFI libstub code, and self-tests. Any keep-or-remove decision has to be made on the individual modules inside it, not on the directory as a whole.

repository signals

246 files
101,263 source lines
1,548 commits, 5y
+67,662 / −17,767 lines added / removed, 5y
400 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 1,548 total · active in 61/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 10 commits · +148 −52 2021-05: 14 commits · +1,144 −30 2021-06: 20 commits · +718 −144 2021-07: 21 commits · +164 −73 2021-08: 29 commits · +1,546 −189 2021-09: 18 commits · +3,279 −55 2021-10: 15 commits · +786 −122 2021-11: 30 commits · +339 −159 2021-12: 28 commits · +380 −192 2022-01: 13 commits · +86 −39 2022-02: 20 commits · +813 −131 2022-03: 34 commits · +1,808 −815 2022-04: 17 commits · +340 −101 2022-05: 18 commits · +1,004 −82 2022-06: 28 commits · +694 −2,507 2022-07: 25 commits · +2,095 −305 2022-08: 11 commits · +203 −28 2022-09: 51 commits · +1,086 −660 2022-10: 52 commits · +1,462 −1,714 2022-11: 30 commits · +595 −418 2022-12: 20 commits · +761 −516 2023-01: 40 commits · +2,608 −327 2023-02: 23 commits · +197 −76 2023-03: 26 commits · +203 −82 2023-04: 13 commits · +209 −86 2023-05: 13 commits · +371 −102 2023-06: 17 commits · +637 −171 2023-07: 22 commits · +989 −365 2023-08: 40 commits · +2,239 −742 2023-09: 20 commits · +130 −318 2023-10: 49 commits · +1,767 −177 2023-11: 25 commits · +1,141 −433 2023-12: 29 commits · +190 −150 2024-01: 28 commits · +306 −103 2024-02: 37 commits · +860 −133 2024-03: 40 commits · +367 −159 2024-04: 27 commits · +1,483 −251 2024-05: 24 commits · +915 −283 2024-06: 19 commits · +554 −91 2024-07: 35 commits · +372 −174 2024-08: 58 commits · +3,055 −911 2024-09: 20 commits · +218 −42 2024-10: 37 commits · +911 −156 2024-11: 11 commits · +231 −91 2024-12: 51 commits · +17,712 −614 2025-01: 21 commits · +397 −195 2025-02: 39 commits · +1,920 −452 2025-03: 29 commits · +480 −134 2025-04: 26 commits · +2,194 −396 2025-05: 19 commits · +132 −68 2025-06: 15 commits · +153 −114 2025-07: 24 commits · +293 −74 2025-08: 17 commits · +219 −78 2025-09: 10 commits · +376 −41 2025-10: 39 commits · +1,616 −371 2025-11: 26 commits · +564 −359 2025-12: 38 commits · +1,393 −778 2026-01: 13 commits · +493 −69 2026-02: 11 commits · +144 −139 2026-03: 5 commits · +156 −118 2026-04: 1 commit · +1 −1

sources

No sources cited.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Not a driver directory: umbrella subsystem containing mixed firmware interfaces, helpers, EFI/libstub code, and tests rather than one kernel-bound hardware driver family.