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Anything goes - Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
JimC - 31.05.2006, 04:00 Uhr
Titel: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
For those of you that are not aware of it, it appears that Adobe is not going to release the Flash 8 Player for Linux.
I found out that this was announced by Emmy Huang (a Product Manager for Flash Player at Adobe) in November of last year. Here are some comments Emmy made about it in December (pointing users back to the original thread):
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/emmy/arch ... _there.cfm
Now, based on comments I saw from someone that claimed to meet with Adobe recently, it appears that their current plans are to release a Flash 9 Player for Linux three months after the release for Microsoft Platforms, putting it months away (and I wouldn't be surprised to see delays or changes in plans).
My wife is using Linux and a number of sites have already developed content requiring Flash 8 Player (including our ISP). So, I'm sending complaints to any web site I visit that requires Flash 8 Player, because effectively, the Linux community is being cut out of that content.
The developer of SimplyMepis posted a note on the main page at http://www.mepis.org about it:
Zitat:
Is Adobe-Macromedia Phasing Out Support for Flash in Linux?
After the heading, he made a short comment that included a link to send feedback:
Zitat:
Flash 8.0 and 9.0 are not available for Linux. You can give feedback to the Adobe-Macromedia development team at
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/ind ... e=wishform
So, you may want to let Adobe know how you feel about it.
I sent a complaint a while back when I noticed the issue, and I'm also sending complaints to any site I visit requiring Flash 8 Player now, pointing out that Adobe hasn't released it for Linux.
Chances are, Adobe will release a Flash Player for Linux in a few months and all of this will die down. But, Adobe probably isn't doing itself any favours by offending the Linux Community, and a lot of Web Developers are probably going to look for alternatives fo Flash for providing content.
Given that Photoshop is the most requested application by Linux users according to some of the surveys performed (and Linux popularity on the Desktop appears to be increasing), I don't understand why Adobe doesn't target this market. If they did, I'd imagine that a lot more users would switch from Windows to Linux (unless they've got an Agenda that favours Microsoft).
I know if I were developing content for web sites, I would remember it and look for alternatives to Flash, since I wouldn't trust that they wouldn't pull the same stunt in the future.
jackiebrown - 31.05.2006, 04:32 Uhr
Titel: RE: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
I lodged my complaint
wegface - 31.05.2006, 11:13 Uhr
Titel: RE: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
Two words- FUCK THEM! :-0
michael7 - 31.05.2006, 12:23 Uhr
Titel:
Complaint made.
kenyee - 31.05.2006, 15:04 Uhr
Titel:
be sure to ask for 64-bit Linux support (meaning plugin support for Mozilla) as well...I put it in Emmy's blog, too 
JimC - 31.05.2006, 16:34 Uhr
Titel:
Now, it looks like it might 2007 before we see it.
According to her blog, they plan on a pre-release to be available before the end of the year, with a full release in 2007 (and there is a disclaiimer at the bottom in case they decide to delay it longer).
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/emmy/
2007 ????? Are they trying to upset Linux users or something?
It looks like I'll be complaining to a lot of companies using Flash to provide content in the interim, if they require newer versions of Flash Player to see it on sites my wife or I visit.
phen - 01.06.2006, 02:42 Uhr
Titel:
wow, feels like my head explodes! sent my email ... 
mzilikazi - 01.06.2006, 05:07 Uhr
Titel: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
JimC hat folgendes geschrieben::
For those of you that are not aware of it, it appears that Adobe is not going to release the Flash 8 Player for Linux.
Yeah! W00T!!! Linux has the best features!!!
Zitat:
it appears that their current plans are to release a Flash 9 Player for Linux three months after the release for Microsoft Platforms, putting it months away (and I wouldn't be surprised to see delays or changes in plans).
Awwww shit........... just when it was getting good. 
Zitat:
My wife is using Linux
Right on Mrs. JimC!
If you truly need flash for your ISP (which I find incredulous) then you have other problems too my friend. 
Do you hate it when a web site blinds you with flashing advertisements for things you would never buy anyway? I do. (Thank ff & the gods for Flashblock).
I feel that whining to Adobe is only treating symptoms and not solving any problems at all. If anything you should be telling your ISP to use something other than Flash or at minimum offer a non-flash alternative. It simply isn't right to force a customer to use a proprietary software that isn't available for all operating systems. Going directly to website operators and letting them know how you feel can make a real difference.
Can I get an amen?
I can honestly say that if my ISP ever tried to pull such a stunt on me I'd switch providers before Acrobat could load (yeah I know that's only 3 or 4 minutes). Who is your ISP and do you really require flash? What for? Got some links to sites that require Flash8? I'm ready to send a few emails.
h2 - 01.06.2006, 06:46 Uhr
Titel: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
mzilikazi, you have an amen:
Zitat:
Yeah! W00T!!! Linux has the best features!!!
I almost never see any flash, I consider that a feature, not a problem. I have adblock lists running in both konqueror and firefox that pretty much block almost all flash, except for stuff that comes from the source website. I don't block the actual swf extension, just all the flash adservers, which means I almost never see flash.
But usually, if you want me to leave your site, use flash for the site navigation/pages and I'll be gone.
Depending on proprietary programs is not a good idea for linux in the first place, that's a slippery slope that has an unhappy ending. Especially for web stuff, but it's unfortunately still necessary. I suggest, rather than waste time emailing adobe, who know exactly what they are doing and why, email the contacts of the websites in question and explain to them that you can't click their ads, buy their stuff, or whatever, because their site doesn't work in firefox on linux. Tell them if they want your business to fix the issue. That works much better long term.
From what I read, adobe is going to release 8.5 flash for linux, it's a time/resources thing, plus probably a sneaky ms connected thing, but in the USA, linux has maybe 0.25% desktop market share, so even getting any stuff from adobe at all is huge progress, if you want to call it progress.
JimC - 02.06.2006, 00:12 Uhr
Titel: Re: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
h2 hat folgendes geschrieben::
From what I read, adobe is going to release 8.5 flash for linux, it's a time/resources thing, plus probably a sneaky ms connected thing, but in the USA, linux has maybe 0.25% desktop market share, so even getting any stuff from adobe at all is huge progress, if you want to call it progress.
There will not be an 8.5 for Linux according to Adobe. What was going to be called 8.5 for Linux will be Flash Player 9. The Linux version isn't expected to be released until 2007 now.
JimC - 02.06.2006, 00:16 Uhr
Titel: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
mzilikazi hat folgendes geschrieben::
I can honestly say that if my ISP ever tried to pull such a stunt on me I'd switch providers before Acrobat could load (yeah I know that's only 3 or 4 minutes). Who is your ISP and do you really require flash? What for? Got some links to sites that require Flash8? I'm ready to send a few emails.
Comcast.net (one of the largest providers of cable television and cable internet service in the U.S.).
You don't need flash for all content. But, you do need Flash 8 Player to see a feature they call "The Fan".
It's actually pretty slick. It's got entertainment and news stories that you can watch/hear. But, not if you're running Linux (since they started requiring Flash 8 to use it).
My wife likes this service. But, since Comcast decided to upgrade to Flash 8, she can't use "The Fan" anymore.
She's actually asked me if I could reinstall Windows for her, just because of this feature. I haven't given in yet (even though I'm still using XP).
jackiebrown - 02.06.2006, 01:55 Uhr
Titel: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
It's a cheat Jim, but have you tried this?
http://kanotix.org/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-18522.html
JimC - 02.06.2006, 22:35 Uhr
Titel: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
I only care about the player. I did find a few places that had instructions for getting the newer Players to work with Wine. But, I haven't tried them yet. Here is one example:
http://www.howtoforge.com/ubuntu_flash_player
The point is that Adobe is marketing Flash as being cross platform, and by skipping a version for Linux, they're not winning any points with me (especially since my wife likes to see some of the content that requires Flash 8 now, and Adobe decided not to release it for Linux).
The average user isn't going to jump through hoops trying to find solutions to get it working (and I'm a Linux novice with limited patience, too). I'm sure Adobe realizes that most Linux newbies won't know how to get a Windows version of Flash running under Wine, and it really makes me mad.
As some of you guys know, I'm still using XP on my desktop for the most part. What ticks me off is when vendors like Adobe appear to be throwing road blocks in front of users that want to switch to Linux. Something stinks about their position on it, if you get my drift.
I've got a feeling that they'll regret it in a few years, as Linux becomes more popular on the desktop, especially in countries with developing economies.
h2 - 10.07.2006, 21:12 Uhr
Titel: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
Found this thread, for those of you who require flash 8, I posted a simple way to do it, here.
drb - 10.07.2006, 23:23 Uhr
Titel:
h2,
Seems to work well - but the fonts look just like XP - nice to be with Linux!
drb
jackiebrown - 11.07.2006, 02:04 Uhr
Titel:
Even easier
http://www.mepislovers.org/modules/newb ... p;forum=11
h2 - 11.07.2006, 02:12 Uhr
Titel:
LOL, flash on firefox, should have thought of that one too, that's a good one. Fun with wine.
And then, if you really want to get into it, you can make the wine firefox user data files all become symbolic links to your real firefox user data stuff, cookies, bookmarks, that kind of thing. Haven't tested it, but I think it would work.
danone - 11.07.2006, 09:13 Uhr
Titel:
Just installed Windows Firefox 1.5.0.4 via EXE-Installer, installed Flash-Plugin 9 via inbuild plugin installation and shockwave plugin via EXE installer. Additionally added IE View Lite... I just changed a little detail: edit file ieviewOverlay.xul in your ~/.mozilla/firefox/....../chrome/content/ (use find, some strange sub dir) and replaced "in IE" with "in Windows Firefox"... Works like a charm. Although a native linux plugin would be better...
danone
EDIT: apt-getted libwine-alsa and used winecfg to choose alsa. Now flash plugin in Win-Firefox plays parallel to e.g. Kaffeine just like Linux-Firefox does using aoss-wrapper. Cool.
h2 - 11.07.2006, 20:07 Uhr
Titel:
What is the purpose of using IE View Lite? I've seen that mentioned elsewhere too. Is it a cosmetic thing, or does it have some actual application or functional thing to it?
danone - 11.07.2006, 20:32 Uhr
Titel:
not cosmetic but usability: you have a link that doesn't work with Linux-Flash, you right-click it and select "view in IE" (actually in Windows Firefox if you choose so) and you're done. Otherwise you would have to (a) use Windows-Firefox all the time or (b) manually insert non-working URL in it.
You can also predefine URLs that are automatically opened with Windows-FF or IE - when you know they always fail to work otherwise and you visit them frequently.
the cosmetic thing is my little string replacement....
danone
h2 - 11.07.2006, 20:59 Uhr
Titel:
Oh, I see, that makes sense, thanks for explaining that, I was thinking view in ie was in the windows version, now it makes sense, it's in the linux firefox. Now I see why the paths are set etc to point to the windows firefox/msie.
Swynndla - 12.07.2006, 12:23 Uhr
Titel: Re: RE: Re: Adobe Skipping Linux with Flash 8 Player
JimC hat folgendes geschrieben::
What ticks me off is when vendors like Adobe appear to be throwing road blocks in front of users that want to switch to Linux. Something stinks about their position on it, if you get my drift.
... yea eg micro$oft secretly agreeing to paying adobe not to support linux?
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