Designed for a
Linux-first experience

How we work with Linux distributions

We design our systems for Linux from the start, working upstream to ensure support lands in the mainline kernel and reaches distributions naturally.

We collaborate across three levels: deep partnerships with select distros, support for widely used community projects, and hardware seeding to expand compatibility over time.

The goal is simple: a Linux experience that works reliably across as many distributions as possible.

Official partners

Ubuntu and Fedora are officially supported Linux distros where we have deep engineering collaboration in place with partners who have the structural stability and resourcing to enable a robust and reliable experience on Framework hardware. For these distros, Framework provides official customer support. We use shared checklists and validations plans and have technical escalation paths available to prevent and resolve regressions and ensure stable kernel driver support. On some of our products, we also participate in the Ubuntu Certified and Fedora Ready programs.

Community supported

This tier offers a formal path for community-driven distributions that are widely used by Framework customers but may not meet the size or structural requirements of official partnership. Community supported distros commit to testing their distros on Framework hardware, self-validating with compatibility checklists, and publicly documenting known issues. While we don’t perform internal validation, we support these distros through hardware seeding and community programs and maintain open lines of communication for issue escalation.

Hardware seeding

We also seed hardware to a range of emerging and relevant distros to encourage compatibility testing and open source innovation, even if they don’t fall into a formal partnership tier.

Open source sponsorships

We’ve always believed that open source moves forward fastest when the people and companies who benefit from it actively give back. That's why we’ve continued to invest in the Linux ecosystem, not just in building support for Framework hardware but in sustaining projects that make that support possible. So far, that has taken the form of monetary and hardware sponsorships across distributions, drivers, tools, and infrastructure that the Framework community depends on. You can find a list of the open source projects we’ve partnered with over on our blog.