Adobe Updates Flash for Linux.

cwizardone · 09-05-2016, 08:16 AM

Adobe Updates Flash for Linux:

Quote:

Linux users have access to both NPAPI and PPAPI versions of Flash Player. However, for the last four years, the NPAPI version has been held at 11.2 and regularly updated with only security fixes while the PPAPI version (used in Chrome and Chromium based browsers), is in line with the standard Windows and Mac releases.

Today we are updating the beta channel with Linux NPAPI Flash Player by moving it forward and in sync with the modern release branch (currently version 23). We have done this significant change to improve security and provide additional mitigation to the Linux community.

In the past, we communicated that NPAPI Linux releases would stop in 2017. This is no longer the case and once we have performed sufficient testing and received community feedback, we will release both NPAPI and PPAPI Linux builds with their major version numbers in sync and on a regular basis.

Because this change is primarily a security initiative, some features (like GPU 3D acceleration and premium video DRM) will not be fully implemented.

If you require this functionality, we recommend that you use the PPAPI version of Flash Player. That said, we believe that the new NPAPI build represents a significant step forward in functionality, stability, and security and look forward to hearing your feedback.

Currently we are distributing 32 and 64 bit binaries only, we will package these in proper installers after additional testing and feedback. Users should manually back-up their existing Flash Player plugin file from the appropriate system plug-in folder and copy the new binaries into place to use them. Please note that our initial release does not support Fedora based distributions. For more information, see our release notes.

You can download the new NPAPI binaries today by visiting the Adobe Labs download page.
- See more at: https://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/....yBrLKeeQ.dpuf

https://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/....yBrLKeeQ.dpbs

GazL · 09-05-2016, 08:45 AM

I wonder what changed their minds.... Not that it will have any impact on me: flash and I parted ways a few years back now.

cwizardone · 09-05-2016, 08:58 AM

Well, being the cynic that I am, I would guess google must have missed a payment.

rokytnji · 09-05-2016, 09:50 AM

I've already updated the libflashplayer.so in the /usr/lib/flashplayer-nonfree folder.
Backed up my 11.2 in ~/backups folder.

Since I am running 32 bit instead of 64 bit. Which google stopped supporting.

Code:

harry@biker:~
$ cd /usr/lib/flashplugin-nonfree/
harry@biker:/usr/lib/flashplugin-nonfree
$ ls
libflashplayer.so  pubkey.asc

hitest · 09-05-2016, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GazL

Not that it will have any impact on me: flash and I parted ways a few years back now.

I have partially kicked the flash habit. I still have it on some machines.

Skaendo · 09-05-2016, 01:34 PM

Maybe they figured out that .webm is a terrible format.

I don't mind flash so much, at least they finally stepped up and realized that there is a growing market in Linux.

khronosschoty · 09-05-2016, 02:16 PM

I'm sort of happy to see this but I'm also one who kicked flash to the curb a few years back and I have no intention of using it again.

rokytnji · 09-05-2016, 02:53 PM

Well, I keep it around because of certain sites I visit like

http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

STDOUBT · 09-05-2016, 03:04 PM

rokytnji,
I wonder if the site you linked has updated and no longer requires Adobe Flash?
I started several films at openculture, and they all played just fine. No Adobe Flash here!

rokytnji · 09-05-2016, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STDOUBT

rokytnji,
I wonder if the site you linked has updated and no longer requires Adobe Flash?
I started several films at openculture, and they all played just fine. No Adobe Flash here!

I used that link as a example. I know a lot of the videos there are tied into youtube which uses html5. Hence no problem for you. Other sites I visit though use jwplayer <I think that is it's name> which is a Windows thing but Flash handles those sites I go to OK.

kikinovak · 09-05-2016, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwizardone

Adobe Updates Flash for Linux:

https://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/....yBrLKeeQ.dpbs

Adobe Flash, that borderline bipolar ex asking to return to the marital bed with the promise not to shit the bed anymore every couple of weeks.

Jeebizz · 09-05-2016, 08:32 PM

My reaction is more of a 'meh'...

Major sites work ok for me, and I was really hoping with the support for HTML5 on Youtube more people would just ditch flash and even better maybe other websites will just outright ditch flash, I know I am probably dreaming though. Too bad Google didn't outright remove flash from Youtube just like they did with their Chrome browser. HTML5 works great, and no need for flash for streaming videos.

I suppose if Adobe plans to this time keep updating flash for non Windows (looks like nothing for Mac users yet, lol) , maybe I can get my parents back on Linux at one point. Only because of some stupid ass gaming sites wanting only flash, and all the alternatives I have tried wouldn't work, so I had no choice but to put them back on Windows.

Who knows what is the real reason why Adobe now has made a 180 on Flash for Linux - maybe Youtube may have been a reason - considering even Windows users that do not use IE and have Chrome was probably the fire under their ass or something I dunno.

I am just hoping that they are just delaying the inevitable. Flash is a terrible waste of resources, and you can definitely see that not only in mobile devices, but even today's pc hardware still. Its probably worse than Java though not by much.

At one point it had its uses, particularly in the beginning days when people had limited bandwidth and flash was actually useful in delivering somewhat of a 'multimedia' experience on slow to basic broadband connections. Now however, I just do not see the point of it, and it just needs to go away and die horribly!

Also, being the ever 'optimist' that I clearly am, whats to stop Adobe in changing their minds again anyways?

For those who need it under Linux, great go for it. I will be going without it.

-edit

Oh, and remember also that even a security chief from Facebook, wants it gone so that should tell you something.

So if Google really wanted to put the pressure on Adobe, they'd just outright remove the flash player from Youtube, and Facebook drop flash all together, maybe that would get the ball rolling for other sites to follow suite.... One can dream can he?

number22 · 09-08-2016, 07:17 AM

html5 has no buffering control yet.
glad adobe finally come to its sense.

suppy · 09-08-2016, 12:11 PM

Nice! Finally I'll be able to use flash properly on linux again. Good going adobe!

Had uninstalled the old version because it was simply too bug-ridden, but quite a few sites I use stopped working without it, so this is great news!

ReaperX7 · 09-08-2016, 03:51 PM

Being the type of thinker I am:

Adobe fired a chum for brains developer who grew too long in the tooth and thought his or her ideas were best and killing Flash was a worthwhile idea on Linux to force usage of Google's Pepper or Windows onto people because he or she simply hated Linux, or got some serious kickbacks from Google and/or Microsoft to grease the wheels.

But, you never know.