cannot install flash player in ubuntu hardy heron 8.0.4.

Jazz44 · 09-23-2008, 08:28 AM

hi everyone

i have tried to install flash player 9 so that i can watch you tube but no matter what i type in terminal it still wont go for me even though i downloaded it. i have a 5 year old dell dimension 2400 with a pentium 4 processor with xp as the windows operating system.the following is an example of the some of the commands ive typed.

noel@noel-desktop:~$ tar xvzf install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz
tar: install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
noel@noel-desktop:~$ cd install_flash_player_9_linux/./flashplayer-installer
bash: cd: install_flash_player_9_linux/./flashplayer-installer: No such file or directory
noel@noel-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install nspluginwrapper flashplugin-nonfree lib32nss-mdns
[sudo] password for noel:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package nspluginwrapper
noel@noel-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install_flash_player_9_linux
E: Invalid operation install_flash_player_9_linux
noel@noel-desktop:~$ flash_player_9_linux
bash: flash_player_9_linux: command not found
noel@noel-desktop:~$
since switching linux this damned terminal refuses to budge. its constantly saying no such files exist whenever i try to install files even though i have downloaded them. Any help would be appreciated. i hope im not adopting an abrasive tone here and i like a challenge but i'm begining to wonder if swicthing OS'es was a good idea. thanks as always

noel

tredegar · 09-23-2008, 08:50 AM

Code:

noel@noel-desktop:~$ tar xvzf install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz
tar: install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

It's telling you it can't find the file /home/noel/install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz
Maybe you dowloaded the file to your Desktop?

Code:

noel@noel-desktop:~$ ls Desktop

Do you see the file listed?

If so, move it to your home, like this:

Code:

noel@noel-desktop:~$ mv  /home/noel/Desktop/install_flash_player_9_linux.tar.gz  /home/noel

Then continue with the instructions.

tezli · 09-26-2008, 11:47 PM

Hi,

I can't install flash player either, but not for the same reasons. When I "click to install missing plugins" the dialog box that opens doesn't offer any plugins. It's blank. So I've been trying to install flash player 9 manually, using the directions on the ubuntu page.

I open nautilus, navigate to the file, double click on flashplayer-installer, click "run in terminal" and the terminal flashes as if it is trying to open, and then disappears. Nothing else happens. I am able to open the terminal at other times. Not really knowing what I'm doing, I've even attempted opening the terminal first and then clicking on "run in terminal". No luck.

What am I missing here?

tredegar · 09-27-2008, 05:37 AM

Quote:

I've been trying to install flash player 9 manually, using the directions on the ubuntu page.

WHAT "ubuntu page"? There are millions of them!

You haven't told us which distro you are using: Please put it in your profile (See mine, at the left?)

Go here: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/downl...ShockwaveFlash

and follow the instructions.

Welcome to LQ

Illuvator · 09-27-2008, 05:38 AM

Is there a particular reason why none of you are simply:

Code:

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredegar

You haven't told us which distro you are using: Please put it in your profile (See mine, at the left?)

See the title of the thread from the OP: cannot install flash player in ubuntu hardy heron 8.0.4.

Il

Illuvator · 09-27-2008, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tezli

I open nautilus, navigate to the file, double click on flashplayer-installer, click "run in terminal" and the terminal flashes as if it is trying to open, and then disappears. Nothing else happens. I am able to open the terminal at other times. Not really knowing what I'm doing, I've even attempted opening the terminal first and then clicking on "run in terminal". No luck.

What am I missing here?

This could be because you're running the installer as your normal user, not with extended privileges (i.e. sudo to install as root)

The simplest idea to install flashplayer via apt-get (see post above) if you want further information perhaps check out Ubuntu Guide (google it)

Il

tezli · 09-27-2008, 12:01 PM

I have gone to http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/downl...ShockwaveFlash and downloaded from there. The archive manager comes up but there are no instructions to follow, as tredegar suggests, and this isn't intuitive for me, as I've only been using linux for about 5 days.

So I googled how to install it manually and found this page
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/flashmanual

Those are the instructions I have been trying to follow. I don't think I'm trying to run the installer as a normal user, because I've done alt+F2 and entered gksudo nautilus

Where do I enter the code
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfreein the terminal?

tredegar · 09-27-2008, 12:43 PM

OK, there are different ways to install flash.
Either get the download from adobe or try Illuvator's method.

I hope you have downloaded the .tar.gz file somewhere (maybe your Desktop ?)
A .tar.gz file is a bit like a windows zip file - there's a lot of stuff in it, but it needs extracting.

Double-click on it. For me, ark opens and there's a button to "Extract" the archive.
Click this button.
Make sure the "Destination Folder" is set to your home: ( /home/tezli/ probably )
Click OK
The files are extracted.
Close ark
Open your filemanager.
You will see that a new directory has been created /home/tezli/install_flash_player_9_linux

Now close all your browser windows.

Now we need to use the terminal.
Open a terminal.
Navigate to this new directory by typing this into the terminal, then pressing RETURN key on your keyboard:

Code:

cd  install_flash_player_9_linux

[ A quick way to do this is to type cd inst then hit the TAB ey, the rest should be auto-completed for you, so just press RETURN ]

Your prompt will change to show you you are in the install_flash_player_9_linux directory
List the files in this directory with this command (Don't forget to press RETURN):

Code:

ls

You should see 2 files, something like this:

Code:

tred@vaio:~$ cd  install_flash_player_9_linux/
tred@vaio:~/install_flash_player_9_linux$ ls
flashplayer-installer  libflashplayer.so
tred@vaio:~/install_flash_player_9_linux$

Now run the installer like this (Don't forget to press RETURN):
./flashplayer-installer
Notice the "dot". It is needed.

It will want to know where your firefox installation is.
The answer is /usr/lib/firefox

I think that is all there is to do.
Close the terminal
Open firefox

Put aboutlugins (Stupid smiley icon, that should read about "colon" plugins) into the firefox address bar. Press RETURN
You should see Shockwave Flash listed.
If so, it is working.

jay73 · 09-27-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Where do I enter the code
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfreein the terminal?

The terminal is under Applications > Accessories.
IMHO, you don't need it, though. Just go to System > Admin > Synaptic to install anything at all.

oskar · 09-27-2008, 02:17 PM

Applications - Add/Remove - Choose "show all" to the left of the search field, then search for "flash". First result should be the macromedia flash plugin. check the checkbox then click Apply.

When you install from the command line you are effectively doing the exact same thing. The Add/Remove app is just a GUI for apt.

apt-get install [package name]

Is the same as going as opening the add/remove app and installing it from there.

oskar · 09-27-2008, 02:20 PM

To add more confusion - synaptic is the advanced version of the add/remove app in ubuntu. It tells you the actual package name and might be confusing to some, that's why I tend to recommend the add/remove thingy. Can't go wrong there.

tezli · 09-27-2008, 02:38 PM

So close....I followed tredegar's instructions and right after entering ./flashplayer-installer
i got this error message

ERROR: Your architecture, \'ppc\', is not supported by the
Adobe Flash Player installer.

What does this mean? That my computer is too old or lacking something to handle Flash? If that's the case, sorry to have put this thread through all of this. I just bought this machine at Freegeek (awesome not-for-profit recycling organization in Portland, Oregon with a thrift store of computers they build from donated parts) and don't know much about it at all.

jay73 · 09-27-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Your architecture, \'ppc\', is not supported by the
Adobe Flash Player installer.

It means that ppc macs are not supported.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#Java

swooshmaiden · 10-06-2008, 09:12 PM

hey, I have Hardy Heron and using the code sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree worked perfectly for me, once I rebooted the computer

:-) thanks for the tip