HowTo Install a Flash Player

[fullmetalgerbil]

Uhm, I've found it much easier to load Adobe Flash 10 by simply deselecting swfdec from synaptic, going to the Adobe site, downloading the Flash 10 .deb (it says for Ubuntu but it still works perfectly) and then running dpkg -i to install it. It works fine, at least on Lenny.

[craigevil]

Too bad swfdec and gnash both suck. When they work as well as Adobe Flash then they will be worth using. As it is there are too many sites neither one will work on. If you do not believe hang out in #debian for a few days and look at all the people that have issues with swfdec/gnash.

apt-get install flashplayer-mozilla or apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree works on any flash site.

I run debian because it works and is easy to install/maintain not because I am a "free" zealot.

[Soul Singin']

Too bad swfdec and gnash both suck. When they work as well as Adobe Flash then they will be worth using. ...

I run debian because it works and is easy to install/maintain not because I am a "free" zealot.

I can see both sides of the coin. On the one hand, you're right. Swfdec and Gnash do suck. They don't work as well as Adobe Flash, so -- if your only objective is to have a good web browsing experience -- then it's hard to justify running Swfdec or Gnash.

On the other hand, Adobe Flash works better because Flash is Adobe's proprietary file format, which Swfdec and Gnash have to reverse engineer. So the Swfdec and Gnash developers need people to test their product and contribute to its development.

If you don't want Microsoft to control your office documents, then contribute to the development of Free/Open Source alternatives, so that they can better convert MS Office file formats. Similarly, if you don't want Adobe to control your web browser, then contribute to the development of Swfdec and Gnash, so that they can better convert Adobe Flash.

Am I a Free/Open Source Software Zealot? Perhaps. Am I anti-capitalist? Absolutely NOT! I believe that a more competitive market is a healthier market, so I want competition in computer software. I love the way GNOME, XFCE and KDE battle it out to produce a better desktop. I love the competition between AbiWord, Gnumeric and OpenOffice.

In computer software however, the fastest way to crush your competition is to quickly develop a proprietary file format (of any quality) and distribute it widely, so that it becomes the "de facto standard." Then -- once everyone coalesces around your format -- sell developer kits for thousands of dollars per seat and leave your competition out in the cold. Technological development will grind to a halt under the oppressive weight of your monopoly, but what do you care? You're making big money!

I don't want monopolies Microsoft and Adobe to control my office documents and my web browser. I want technological progress. I want a competitive market. And if I have to subsidize a weaker product to help restore competition and progress, then so be it.
.

[Frannie]

EMD Hi,

I presume, the red and green print in the following code you supplied earlier, means you only type ini the green or red wording or do you type in both the green and red wording?

Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------

Now, if you want AGG to do the rendering, run:

# apt-get install gnash gnash-common gnash-common gnash-cygnal gnash-tools konqueror-plugin-gnash klash mozilla-plugin-gnash

[Frannie]

At last, I managed to get Adobe Flash to install.

I'ts the .deb version. The tr. version didn't want to know.

I've no idea what piece of advice helped, but lots of thanks to everyone who offered solutions.

[Soul Singin']

Here's a good method:

First, install Gnash. ... Really. Install Gnash and use Gnash as your Flash player. You don't want Adobe setting monster cookies on your system.

OK. Now let's be honest. Some sites simply don't work with Gnash . With any luck, we should have a much better Free/Open Source plugin soon, but in the meantime there may be a site that you absolutely must view and you absolutely must use Adobe Flash to view it.

So here's what you do: Download the DEB from Adobe's website, but do NOT install it. Instead crack it open (e.g. with Ark) or from the command line:

Code: Select all

mkdir extract_flash/
dpkg-deb -x install_flash_player_10_linux.deb extract_flash/

Then move the library to a "storage directory" and get rid of everything else:

Code: Select all

mkdir /home/xxxx/.store-adobeflash/
mv extract_flash/usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so  /home/xxxx/.store-adobeflash/.
rm -r extract_flash/

Finally, for the sites that you absolutely must view with Adobe Flash, set up a pair of scripts which automatically install and remove the Adobe Flash library. For example, Gnash is working great, but this one particular site doesn't work with Gnash and you absolutely must view the site and you absolutely must use Adobe Flash. At that point, you'll close Iceweasel and run the following script (which I place in my /home/xxxx/.bin/ directory):

/home/xxxx/.bin/install_adobeflash.sh

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

## simple script to install Adobe Flash
## separate script removes it and the cookies it leaves behind

## remember that you'll have to restart Iceweasel to use it

cp /home/xxxx/.store-adobeflash/libflashplayer.so /home/xxxx/.mozilla/plugins/.

exit

Then, after you've viewed the site, close Iceweasel once again and get rid of that horrid, proprietary plugin with the following script:

/home/xxxx/.bin/remove_adobeflash.sh

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

## this removes Adobe Flash and the cookies it leaves behind
## remember that you'll have to restart Iceweasel to revert to Gnash

rm /home/xxxx/.mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so

rm -r /home/xxxx/.adobe/
rm -r /home/xxxx/.macromedia/

exit

Hope this method keeps you sane!
- Soul Singin'
.

[Tweenman]

Is this still the best/cleanest way to go about this for Lenny?

[bugsbunny]

Is this still the best/cleanest way to go about this for Lenny?

For lenny and adobe flash:
1) Enable backports
instructions [Debian Backports]
2) Install flashplugin-nonfree

Code: Select all

# aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree/lenny-backports

That should be it. If you ever need to upgrade to a newer version:

Code: Select all

# update-flashplugin-nonfree --install

will do the trick