What is the Linux community going to do about the Adobe flash plugin discontinuation.

Originally Posted by resetreset May I ask why you say so, craig? What is it about Flash that you dislike?

For starters it is a proprietary pos. Not to mention it has always been a giant security hole on any OS.

The Linux version has always been buggy. The quickest way to crash Firefox has always been Flash.


html5 is the future. All of the popular browsers support it already.

Adobe has dropped support for amd64 multiple times.

They have also discontinued support for Android.

We have roughly 5 years to worry about not having flash, as the current version will be supported until then.

90% of what the average person uses Flash for is Youtube and Facebook games.

Most Youtube videos can be viewed using html5, or with Minitube, or by downloading and viewing in mplayer or vlc.

Flash will continue to be supported in Google Chrome using the PepperApi.

Flash (2 files) - Version: 11.3.31.109
Shockwave Flash 11.3 r31
Name:	Shockwave Flash
Description:	Shockwave Flash 11.3 r31
Version:	11.3.31.109
Location:	/opt/google/chrome/PepperFlash/libpepflashplayer.so
Type:	PPAPI (out-of-process)

Name:	Shockwave Flash
Version:	11.2 r202
Location:	/usr/lib/flashplayer-mozilla/libflashplayer.so
Type:	NPAPI
disabled

Let it die and be happy when it is actually dead. The web will be a better place without Flash.

The world will be a better place without flash anyway.

I think that the simple reality is that: "Flash is dead. Long live the Flash."

Steve Jobs (R.I.P...) killed it. Or, rather, he stated what was already plainly known to already be the case.

I'm pretty iffy on using Google Chrome myself. At one time Google was using Chrome as a way to spy on people's web surfing habits. I'm not sure if that is still the case though, but when it comes to privacy concerns, I tend to have a very long memory. So I stick with Firefox. Also isn't Android Linux based?

+1 Graigevil, HTML5 is the way to go and all modern browsers support about 75% of it now anyway and multimedia is supported across the board as well.

Originally Posted by Arcosanti I'm pretty iffy on using Google Chrome myself. At one time Google was using Chrome as a way to spy on people's web surfing habits. I'm not sure if that is still the case though, but when it comes to privacy concerns, I tend to have a very long memory. So I stick with Firefox. Also isn't Android Linux based?

That's why there is Chrome and Chromium. Use Chromium for a "slightly" more incognito surfing experience.

Originally Posted by k3lt01 That's why there is Chrome and Chromium. Use Chromium for a "slightly" more incognito surfing experience.

But Chromium does not come with flash like Chrome does. Chrome is using a newer version of flash now and that is why it is suggested as a browser for those wanting to use flash.

Whilst I'm all in favour of HTML5 and I have no particular liking of Flash its loss may force me to pay for an OS for the first time in years. It's already not possible to use services like Netflix on Linux and since all the TV channels here use Flash for online content the loss of Flash will effectively reduce my TV viewing to Youtube only, which is too little.
I know I'm a strange case and I could mess around with TV cards and scheduled recording, but that's vastly less comvenient than the current state of things.
Flash was the one option for showing DRM'd online video that we could get on Linux, and that may be the reason the BBC chose it over Silverlight. Until a viable alternative to Flash or Silverlight for DRM is found Linux will become slowly locked out of a lot of online video.
(I know about get-iplayer and it's useful but I have seen content missing which turns up on the web page, and it's only a solution for one channel.)

Originally Posted by 273 Whilst I'm all in favour of HTML5 and I have no particular liking of Flash its loss may force me to pay for an OS for the first time in years. It's already not possible to use services like Netflix on Linux and since all the TV channels here use Flash for online content the loss of Flash will effectively reduce my TV viewing to Youtube only, which is too little. I know I'm a strange case and I could mess around with TV cards and scheduled recording, but that's vastly less comvenient than the current state of things. Flash was the one option for showing DRM'd online video that we could get on Linux, and that may be the reason the BBC chose it over Silverlight. Until a viable alternative to Flash or Silverlight for DRM is found Linux will become slowly locked out of a lot of online video. (I know about get-iplayer and it's useful but I have seen content missing which turns up on the web page, and it's only a solution for one channel.)

So you would rather pay for an OS than use Chrome?

Amazon Instant Video works just fine on Linux. If you want to become a Prime Member than you get a similar service to Netflix (possibly a better selection) plus a lot more (free two day shipping on Amazon orders, free kindle books) at a cost that is less than Netflix. Plus with Amazon, you have access to newer movies if you want to rent them.

Originally Posted by scorpioofthewoods So you would rather pay for an OS than use Chrome? Amazon Instant Video works just fine on Linux. If you want to become a Prime Member than you get a similar service to Netflix (possibly a better selection) plus a lot more (free two day shipping on Amazon orders, free kindle books) at a cost that is less than Netflix. Plus with Amazon, you have access to newer movies if you want to rent them.

I've not heard of a Netflix client for Linux being released, last I heard it required full Silverlight, as do most others.
I've not used Amazon's video but if it's not using Flash or Silverlight I would be extremely surprised.
Yes, there's Chrome if pushed but I was talking more about if Flash goes or goes on Linux -- If I'm forced to use a spyware browser I don't want I won't be happy though.
My post was directed more at the "Flash should die now" comments than the current situation, though the current situation is still annoying.

My two cents worth -- good riddance when Flash dies within the next five years. I'm still on a dial-up connection and all those flash ads are awful at 3kbs. So I have Flashblock installed and rarely do I have it enabled. Funny, I don't seem to miss Flash at all. I know, "But hey man, what about all those Youtube Flash videos you're missing?" Nope. Don't miss 'em. To me 90% are a waste of time and bandwidth. I'd rather cruise photo.net's photo gallerys. People who post their work there actually care about things like creativity and food for the soul -- things that are rare on sites like Youtube.

I just wanted to say that making sites with HTML and CSS is a ROYAL PAIN.
From *whatever* little I know about Flash website design, it could be a bit more intuitive, and make life easier than writing HTML, or even using Dreamweaver, i.e. you can simply Draw on the screen, and that is how it'll look in the final movie, you don't have to worry about AAAAAAAAALL the things you have to with HTML.
So - I don't want FLash to die.

Originally Posted by resetreset you don't have to worry about AAAAAAAAALL the things you have to with HTML. So - I don't want FLash to die.

So you have rather that I lot of people can't see your creations, as stay to the standard and do a little more work so everyone can enjoy it.

Originally Posted by craigevil For starters it is a proprietary pos. Not to mention it has always been a giant security hole on any OS.

+1

Good riddance to it - the sooner it goes the better.

Originally Posted by Arcosanti I'm pretty iffy on using Google Chrome myself. At one time Google was using Chrome as a way to spy on people's web surfing habits. I'm not sure if that is still the case though, but when it comes to privacy concerns, I tend to have a very long memory. So I stick with Firefox.

They're still spying on you - that's their line of business. Personally I don't touch their products.

Originally Posted by resetreset I just wanted to say that making sites with HTML and CSS is a ROYAL PAIN.

And I just want to say writing a multi page website with all that formatting on every page is more of a pain than writing one, maybe 2 css pages.

Originally Posted by resetreset I just wanted to say that making sites with HTML and CSS is a ROYAL PAIN. From *whatever* little I know about Flash website design, it could be a bit more intuitive, and make life easier than writing HTML, or even using Dreamweaver, i.e. you can simply Draw on the screen, and that is how it'll look in the final movie, you don't have to worry about AAAAAAAAALL the things you have to with HTML. So - I don't want FLash to die.

You're doing it wrong

Seriously, creating some little bits of a website in Flash might sometimes be needed but writing entire websites in flash is wrong on so many levels:

1. editing/updating
2. Finding errors
3. Accessibility
4. SEO
5. Security (bugs)
6. Proprietary model
7. Flash is dying and it's probably one of the very few good things that Mr Jobs might have contributed to.