firmware_request_cache(9)

firmware_request_cache(9) 🫶 Kernel API Manual

Okay bestie, this is the firmware_request_cache(9) page from the Kernel API Manual — and yes, it’s giving “tiny firmware helper with big resume energy” ✨

💖 NAME 💖

firmware_request_cache — cache firmware for suspend so resume can use it

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int firmware_request_cache (struct device *device , const char *name );

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• device — device for which firmware should be cached for 🫶
• name — name of firmware file 📁

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So some devices have this optimization that enables the device to not require loading firmware on system reboot. Iconic, honestly. But that optimization may still require the firmware present on resume from suspend.

That’s where this routine comes in: you can use it to ensure the firmware is present on resume from suspend in these situations. Basically a little “keep it warm for resume” moment 🔥

🚨 Important compatibility tea: this helper is not compatible with drivers which use request_firmware_into_buf or request_firmware_nowait with no uevent set. Not a vibe, just the rules.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Kernel file ./drivers/base/firmware_loader/main.c — plus the whole squad:

• request_firmware(9)
• firmware_request_nowarn(9)
• request_firmware_direct(9)
• firmware_request_platform(9)
• request_firmware_into_buf(9)
• request_partial_firmware_into_buf(9)
• release_firmware(9)
• request_firmware_nowait(9)
• firmware_request_nowait_nowarn(9)
• request_firmware_nowait_cancel(9)
• cache_firmware(9)
• uncache_firmware(9)
• device_cache_fw_images(9)
• device_uncache_fw_images(9)
• device_uncache_fw_images_delay(9)

Source/version ./drivers/base/firmware_loader, date October 2026, page firmware_request_cache(9) — okay that’s the whole thing, bestie. Stay cached, stay iconic 💖✨👑