Hi Folks,

I just tested out these instructions on my OpenBSD 5.1 work station and I can watch youtube videos.

Alternative To Flash on OpenBSD

What!, you're using Firefox on OpenBSD - you should be using OpenBSD's native xxxterm

Using xxxterm and gnash is pretty good also.

I also use Chromium. I previously gave gnash a try, but, the video and sound quality for me was less than desirable. Good to hear that gnash and xxxterm works for you.

Isn't YouTube delivering HTML5 when Flash is not available? Why installing an extra piece of software and also a Firefox extension to accomplish the exact same thing?

I've had better luck with flash. I am pleased that HTML5 works for you.

My understanding is that YouTube is converting everything to HTML5, but the process isn't finished; some videos will still be available in Flash format only for the time being.

Using -current on OpenBSD, I can view many YouTube videos on stock Firefox 13.0 with no extensions or other collateral applications installed. I see smooth delivery on a i386 system with 4GB RAM (which means that it only uses 3GB...). On another i386 system with only 1GB RAM, delivery is choppy. On this system, I download YouTube videos through youtube-dl & play them through mplayer. This works fine.

At one time, I did use gnash on OpenBSD, but gnash likes to chew up all available memory. Other applications are available too.

Yes, Flash on OpenBSD has been a sore spot for quite some time, but with HTML5, it is becoming less of an issue, & a number of alternatives exist which may work when Flash is still the only choice.

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ocicat,

Many thanks for this helpful tip! I can confirm that your above-mentioned method also works very well on my FreeBSD 9.0 box, running a stock version of Firefox.

You can watch youtube and other video as it streams if you have youtube-dl and mplayer installed.
Save that as something.sh, make it executable. Run it and paste the URL in.

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Nothing like using one of the least secure software platforms available on one of the most secure OSes available

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Good to see you, man! Glad you approve, heh-heh.

LOL

Well OpenBSD is only secure at the time of install. What you do with it after that does indeed determine how prone it becomes to attack. I guess Theo pukes knowing people actually use flash with his OS

While this is a direct paraphrasing of the OpenBSD project's byline ("Only two remote holes in the default install, in a heck of a long time!"), it is also important to keep in mind that security is not simply a state or a question of using a particular product or feature. Security is the result of everything -- what software we use & how we use it.

OpenBSD provides tools & a source base which can be effectively used to maintain & attain a secure environment, but it cannot save the clueless from themselves.

Yes, quite true ocicat.

Interesting security points. Let us get back on topic. If anyone else has any other flash solutions please feel free to add them.

I know that Totem media player had a youtube plugin a while ago but stopped working at one point - not sure if this was sorted but I doubt it. The only other one I know of is Minitube.

Here endeth your options - probably...

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