Linux 5.4 Continues Sound Open Firmware, Improvements For AMD/NVIDIA HDMI Audio

Linux 5.4 will sound better. Well, at least provide audio support on more hardware with this next kernel release thanks to the latest batch of open-source sound improvements.

SUSE's Takashi Iwai submitted the sound/audio subsystem changes early on in the kernel merge window as he is accustomed to doing. With Linux 5.4 some of the sound changes include:

- New audio hardware supported by Linux 5.4 includes the Cirrus Logic CS47L15/CS47L92, Freescale i.MX7ULP / FreeScale i.8MQ, Meson G12A and NXP UDA1334

- Initial support for Intel's Sound Open Firmware initiative on the i.MX8 SoC. Additionally, there has been a lot of SOF work in general for Linux 5.4 with continuing to advance this open-source sound firmware project.

- Support for the Scarlett Gen 2 mixer interface, a high-end USB audio interface for musicians by Focusrite that retails for around $160 USD.

- Support for Audio Component handling for the Radeon and NVIDIA HDMI codecs. That work is spelled out in more detail here but will improve the HDMI audio state for Nouveau and Radeon with this HDA driver change though the associated DRM driver changes are still pending.

More details on the sound changes for Linux 5.4 via this pull request.