Linux Mint Forums

Hello Forum,
some months ago I installed Mint 13 Mate 32 Bit (for the first time Mint) and was overwhelmed: all of my hardware worked from scratch without having to mingle with any hassles.
Especially my TechniSat SkyStar 2 HD worked from scratch in Kaffeine, found all the stations also in HD, showed picture & sound. It simply worked - and still does (!). So did my two printers, found & installed drivers and simply worked - and still do (!) (Canon Pixma iP4500 and Samsung B/W-Laser ML-1910).

Now I've tried to upgrade/update and get the same results in Mint 14.1 (both 32 & 64 Bit) - both Mate and Cinnamon.

The result is: The Samsung-printer can only be installed in Mate (32 & 64), but not in Cinnamon (no driver?). And the TV-SAT-card finds all the stations allright plus the actual program - but won't show neither picture nor sound!
So I want to know: how can it possibly be, that Mint 13 Mate works perfectly with these devices but Mint 14.1 won't?
Does this have something to do with the Ubuntu beneath, 12.04 LTS vs. 12.10 ?

Who can possibly help, who can explain, tell Me what do to, how to proceed? I'm certainly no Linux crack, only an average user, sorry to say... Or shall I better stay with Mint 13 Mate and try to install the 64-Bit-version instead (just to be able to make full use of the memory)? And see what happens?
Or keep the working 32-Bit-version (never change a running system) and leave the upgrade alone... ?
Frustrated, Boy

The reason any hardware support changed was because of the upgrade from kernel 3.2 in Mint 13/Ubuntu 12.04 to 3.5 in Mint 14(.1)/Ubuntu 12.10. Usually kernel upgrades add support, but sometimes these (or other factors) can remove some support between releases. However, unless you need to upgrade to Mint 14.1, then you are fine sticking with Mint 13, which will be supported until April 2017.

Thank you for the enlightenment!
Then I'll stick to Mint 13 (try to install 64-Bit-version) and hope for the best.
What differences are there between "Mate" and "Cinnamon" regarding printer- and TV-SAT-support? It seems "Cinnamon" won't support neither of them…?
Also it seems only "Mate" supports "Compiz" effects?

Update 1 day later:
Finally the installation seems to be an almost full success - The 64-Bit-version of Linuxmint Mate including Cinnamon, Unity, Mate and others plus SAT-TV and all works.
But: in Cinnamon there's no Terminal/Console-Window-Icon; in order to access the Terminal Window (i. e. in order to update grub) I must get back to Mate...
That is a bit strange (!), don't you think?

Everything else are minor issues... on the way.

Best regards, Boy

...
Newer is not always better.
That isn't to say we should try newer things.
But we need to recognize when the newer thing doesn't work,
return.......

IMHO - stay with LTS for at least 2 years.
Again IMHO the LTS version is better looked after.
Stay with LTS unless you really need something IMPORtANT LTS can't give you.

"If it isn't broke, don't fix it."
...

Yep, thank you, sounds wise!
A perfectly working OS (incl. Compiz) is great fun to work with.

Greetings, Boy