Adobe to Linux users: Get Chrome or forget Flash | Computerworld

[VinDSL]

SOURCE: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224493/Adobe_to_Linux_users_Get_Chrome_or_forget_Flash

Computerworld - Adobe today said that it would stop offering direct downloads of Flash Player for Linux, telling users to move to Google's Chrome browser, which bundles Flash with its updates.

Today's demotion of Flash Player on Linux to Chrome-only was the second time in the last three months that Adobe has withdrawn some or all support from a version of the popular media software: In November, Adobe announced it was abandoning development of Flash for mobile browsers, including the new Chrome for Android.[...]

Flash Player 11.2 will be the last version for Linux that Adobe offers as a download from its own website, but it promised to support that edition with security patches for at least the next five years. [...]

Adobe's decision will impact Mozilla's Firefox on Linux, likely locking that browser into Flash Player 11.2: Mozilla has said it was "not interested in or working on Pepper at this time."

Mozilla did not reply to questions on whether it's now reconsidering its position on Pepper, and failing that, what it would recommend Firefox users running Linux do.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd probably be more concerned if Flash wasn't on it's way out. Besides, Gnash has worked pretty well for me for YouTube(though I do prefer Adobe :^O), and that's the vast majority of my Flash use.

 

[Jodell88]

For some reason the latest flash does not play well with Chromium for me. I get a bunch of 'missing plug-ins' errors.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That kinda sucks. As much as I royally hate flash, it's just a reality that so many sites require it. I would love to see it go away, and see something open take it's place. Never going to happen though. HTML5 is the closest thing, but from what I read on it, it's not really a replacement for flash. Sure there's the canvas tag, but I don't see it being as efficient for HD video.

At least it's going to work in Chrome, but it's in the hands of a single company now, they could easily decide to stop making Chrome for Linux, or stop bundling flash, if they wanted to.

 

[gmaster456]

While I don't like flash, there are no other alternatives at the moment. HTML5 still has a long way to go before it will able to completely replace flash based websites. The main issue is actually getting websites and developers to use it.

 

[some_guy]

For some reason the latest flash does not play well with Chromium for me. I get a bunch of 'missing plug-ins' errors.

I have an 11.04 ubuntu upgraded from 10.10 and after the last flash update only youtube videos(html5 probably from chromium) worked. I don't like running third party software but the guy that wrote flash-aid seems to be on the ubuntu forums staff so I ran it from mozilla. It fixed it like it did for other people. In fact, it seems to be working better that before the update.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1491268

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1927002

 

[Fox5]

So Adobe's flash everywhere vision has now become flash only on Windows PCs?

 

[Crow550]

Chromium doesn't have all of Googles baked in stuff like Flash and the Auto updater and such.

They mean Chrome: https://www.google.com/chrome?platform=linux

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_(web_browser)#Differences_from_Google_Chrome

Does any decent open source version of Flash exist yet?

I guess for other Browsers like Firefox you'll have to use one of those view in Chrome add-ons for Flash video? *Looks above. Oh and Gnash.*

Looking at Alternativeto.net: http://alternativeto.net/software/flash-player/?profile=linux&platform=linux

Gnash, Lightspark & Swfdec.

Now if only Netflix would get on Linux. Seems they are working on HTML5 but it's been a little rocky.

Don't know if Silverlight works in Wine and Mono Moonlight doesn't support DRM: http://www.mono-project.com/Moonlight

As for YouTube give the HTML5 video player a whirl: http://www.youtube.com/html5

 

[SickBeast]

Flash has always run terribly slow on Linux anyways.

I don't think it will be long until HTML5 takes over.

 

[zokudu]

Kinda sad about this. Web content is what I use my linux laptop for primarily. Now adobe pulls the plug on one of the cornerstones of modern web content. What a pain. I'm sure someone will take over with a true free alternative if this becomes a problem.

 

[Crow550]

There are some free alternatives. You'd have to test them to see how they work. lxskllr said above that Gnash works well for YouTube. I listed some others I found too.

If you use Firefox you can get a view in Chrome add-on that you can use for Flash content. There is a few add-ons. Just do a Firefox add-ons search for Chrome and see what pops up.

I'm sure similar browsers have similar solutions.

It is pretty lame though. At least Netflix is working on moving to HTML5 last I heard. However they have been hitting a few snags.

I'm sure someone will figure a way to use the Flash player in Chrome for other browsers.

 

[zokudu]

I thought Netflix ran on Silverlight not Flash?

 

[lxskllr]

I thought Netflix ran on Silverlight not Flash?

That's correct, and the DRM requirements make it problematic for GNU/Linux.

 

[Crow550]

They are working moving from Silverlight to HTML5. However they are hitting snags with getting the DRM added in.

 

[LumbergTech]

Will flash apps still be able to run on linux in general, or only from within the browser?

 

[SickBeast]

You know what, Firefox is still a great browser and I use it under Linux.

I just hope that they can weed the web of flash soon. I don't think they can, though. There are too many sites that use it and it's not like they're all going to change over. On a certain level, we will always need flash, even if it's just for 1% of websites.

 

[zokudu]

So funny story I aparently have Gnash installed and not the official adobe plugin anyway. Strange it has a few hiccups but I haven't noticed it wasn't the right plugin for at least 3 months. Yay open source!

 

[Hooray_Yogurt]

Welp, I'm forgetting flash then.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I hate using flash even under Windows, so why would I miss it under Linux?

 

[Away]

I hate using flash even under Windows, so why would I miss it under Linux?

This.

Adobe could die in a fire and it wouldn't bother me one bit.

 

[tuprox]

So Adobe's flash everywhere vision has now become flash only on Windows PCs?

Well if it is it is failing miserably IMO. My browser has been crashing a few times a day when I open a page that has video on it (I'm running Firefox - current version). It is a MAJOT PITA and I really hate flash on a number of levels. On a better note, flash seems to work fine in Chrome.