Inside System76: Building Open Hardware and a Linux-First Future

System76 didn’t just build Linux laptops, they’re redefining what open hardware means from the BIOS to the desktop.

In this episode of Nerding Out with Viktor, Viktor Petersson sits down with Carl Richell, founder and CEO of @System76 to dive into the company’s journey from bootstrapped Linux hardware startup to full-stack open source powerhouse.

Carl shares how System76 got its start shipping Ubuntu laptops before Linux compatibility was mainstream, and how that hands-on hardware work evolved into building open firmware, designing their own desktops, and creating their custom Linux distribution, POP!_OS.

We get into what it takes to build secure, auditable hardware in a post-supply-chain-crisis world, how the company’s open firmware journey began, and why Cosmic, their new Rust-based desktop environment, isn’t just a UI, but a platform for building entirely new user experiences.

Carl also talks candidly about what it means to build an open source company in a world where proprietary components still dominate, and why they're betting long on transparency, collaboration, and deep technical ownership, from BIOS to desktop.

Whether you’re a Linux enthusiast, open hardware advocate, or just curious how a 50-person company can outbuild the big guys, this episode is full of real talk and big vision from someone who's been fighting for open computing since 2005.

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Timestamps
00:00 - Intro: How Viktor and Carl met
01:05 - The origin of System76 and early challenges with Linux hardware
06:50 - Why open source matters: Carl’s foundational philosophy
13:05 - The Dell Linux experiment and how System76 navigated growing interest
22:00 - Working with Intel and the long road to Coreboot adoption
36:03 - Competing with clones and why branding, service, and support matter
44:23 - System76’s roadmap for modular, open source hardware
51:00 - The birth of POP!_OS and creating a user-focused Linux distro
57:43 - Building Cosmic: a modular desktop environment in Rust
01:03:03 - Wayland adoption and lessons from the display stack transition
01:06:51 - System76 in helicopters, space labs, and other unexpected places
01:08:11 - Final reflections on open source, longevity, and community impact