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Some weeks ago I updated to Linux kernel version 3.3 because Radeon Audio HDMI wasn't working on my laptop. The issue was fixed with the upgrade to version 3.3 (though Suspend still doesn't work).

I recently changed distributions, switching from Ubuntu to Mint and when I wanted to update to 3.3, I saw that 3.5 was out too (I'm not really kernel-aware).

But after updating, my Radeon HDMI Audio wasn't working.

So my question is: for me in logical order kernel 3.5 should have improvements from 3.3, except if it's a completely different branch which I don't know about. So why did it break my system? And is there any (easy) way to get the improvement made to Radeon drivers from 3.3 to 3.5?

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I would suggest moving this to Unix and Linux for such specific questions. – darnir Aug 19 '12 at 7:04
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Are you using exactly the same driver? (Catalyst/Radeon etc...) – Claudiop Aug 19 '12 at 7:05
yes open source radeon driver for both, thanks darnir, I will – eephyne Aug 19 '12 at 7:08
I have 3.4.8 kernel in my netbook (E-350@Arch Linux), and in fact i also think that HDMI doesn't works(i think that i don't test it since 3.3, but i can try again later). But makes no sense, since: phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTEyMjQ PS: Suspend always worked wonderfully, so that problem must be someway related to your hardware. – Claudiop Aug 19 '12 at 7:34
Claudiop , suspend didn't work with 3.3 kernel, with 3.2 or 3.5 it work – eephyne Aug 19 '12 at 7:44

closed as not constructive by Nifle, grawity, haimg, techie007, Gilles Aug 19 '12 at 22:22

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1 Answer

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Yes 3.3 and 3.5 are kernel different branches so it's always possible there are differences between the way the kernel operates that could cause issue with hardware.... but

AMD release the propriety Radeon drivers themselves external to the kernel. Try the newest for your card from here: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx instead of the packaged one's in Mint.

Also, if you are saying you went from Ubuntu 3.3 to Mint 3.5 and it's not working I'd suggest it's more likely to be a distribution/driver issue rather than a kernel issue.

Also also, for any linux driver issue, google is your friend. 99.99% of the time someone else who has run into the same problem or type of problem before and forums will detail solutions.

e.g. first result says: 

To get sound:

- install paman - pulse audio manager and pavucontrol - pulse audio volume control
- play a video
- open pulse audio volume control, and increase the volume on the hdmi output
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it's not relative to distribution i think (i'll test 3.3 in mint this afternoon). I'm not using the catalyst driver (it make suspend crash and it's not working with 3.3/3.5 anyway), i'm using radeon open source driver included in the kernel. The issue with hdmi audio in some radeon card is a well know issue in kernel 3.2. – eephyne Aug 19 '12 at 7:24
If you're confident it's kernel then maybe trawl the commit logs for 3.3.x and 3.5.x then? See where your kernels are and what might be left out. – mindthemonkey Aug 19 '12 at 12:08

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