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<noinclude>{{ GoogleTrans-en | es =show | bg =show | zh-CN =show | zh-TW =show | hr =show | cs =show | da =show | nl =show | fi =show | fr =show | de =show | el =show | hi =show | it =show | ja =show | ko =show | no =show | pl =show | pt =show | ro =show | ru =show | sv =show }}</noinclude>{{Users}}
<noinclude>{{ GoogleTrans-en | es =show | bg =show | zh-CN =show | zh-TW =show | hr =show | cs =show | da =show | nl =show | fi =show | fr =show | de =show | el =show | hi =show | it =show | ja =show | ko =show | no =show | pl =show | pt =show | ro =show | ru =show | sv =show }}</noinclude>{{Users}}
{{G1G1 Support FAQ}}
{{G1G1 Support FAQ}}
This page is about '''Adobe Flash''', a proprietary player for Flash media. For the free software player that comes with each XO, see [[Gnash]].

==Overview==
{{proprietary}}
{{proprietary}}


Adobe Flash must be avoided.
'' [http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/ Adobe Flash] '' 9.x, a [[RestrictedFormats|Restricted Format]] can be installed for both the [[Browse]] Activity and the [[Opera]] activity. This installation must be repeated after any [[olpc-update|Update]].


* see [https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa15-05.html Adobe Security Bulletin APSA15-05] for a critical remote control vulnerability. No update will be available for XO-1, XO-1.75 or XO-4 laptops.
To install the latest version of Adobe Flash, which plays a larger variety of Flash pages, follow the [[#Installation|installation instructions]].


* see [https://theconversation.com/using-flash-is-like-leaving-your-home-doors-open-and-sending-invites-to-criminals-44741 Using Flash is like leaving your home doors open and sending invites to criminals] by David Glance, Director of UWA Centre for Software Practice at University of Western Australia.
To check which version of Adobe Flash is installed for your browser, take the [http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_15507 Adobe Flash Browser Version Test]. The version should show '''LNX''' not '''GSH'''.


Adobe Flash support for all platforms is [https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2017/07/adobe-flash-update.html ending] in favour of more recent technologies.
Flash files are not played by default when a website is opened; you need to click on the flash window to load flash. The [[#Click to Play|Click to Play]] can be disabled.


Adobe Flash is a [[RestrictedFormats|Restricted Format]]. A free software player [[Gnash]] comes with each XO laptop, but does not work with all web pages, because not all web sites have taken care to make sure that Gnash works.
===Flash-intensive Sites===


Adobe Flash Player is a proprietary player for Adobe Flash media. Adobe Flash Player plays a larger variety of Flash media than Gnash, but has license restrictions that prevent easy distribution. More information on Adobe Flash Player can be found on the [http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/ Adobe Flash Player] web site.
The XO [[Browse]] Activity is loaded with [[Gnash]], a [[FOSS|Free and Open Source Software]] that is compatible with Flash Applications to version 8.x, but sites like Webkinz requires at least [[Adobe Flash]] version 9.0.


==Overview==
Webkinz.com and other Flash-intensive sites can be accessed with the XO Browse activity after some careful modifications to the XO's Sugar environment. These modifications must be repeated after every [[olpc-upgrade|upgrade]].


Adobe Flash Player can be [[OS_Builder/Add_Adobe_Flash_support|added during build]], for some laptop models, subject to permission from Adobe. Adding during build is the method supported by OLPC, because it works with our operating system {{Code|[[olpc-update|olpc-update]]}} feature.
Please note that Webkinz.com, Disney.com and other popular children's websites generally require browser computers to have more than 1GB of free disk space, while the XO has a total of 1GB. Please be aware that successive uses of these sites may quickly fill up your free memory.


Adobe Flash Player is ''not'' included in OLPC OS, because of the restrictions on redistribution. But it can be added after install. Such changes are lost on {{Code|[[olpc-update|olpc-update]]}}.
Also, visting sites like Papervision3D.org which use software 3D engines on Adobe Flash 9 may freeze your browser and your machine. Avoid CPU & memory intensive sites such as those that run on software Flash 3D Engines.


Both Adobe and OLPC provide an Adobe Flash Player plugin, depending on the model of laptop:
To successfully access sites that require Flash 9:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|valign="top"|[[XO-1]]
|Adobe do not provide a compatible player.<br>See [http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/devel/2012-October/036209.html technical details].<br>
|-
|valign="top"|[[XO-1.5]]
|Adobe provide a player, <br>follow the [[#Installation on XO-1 and XO-1.5|instructions for XO-1.5]],<br>
|-
|valign="top"|[[XO-1.75]]
|OLPC provide a player, <br>please negotiate with OLPC regarding the payment of Marvell license fees for video drivers, then <br>follow the [[#Installation on XO-1.75 and XO-4|instructions for XO-1.75]],
|-
|valign="top"|[[XO-4]]
|OLPC provide a player, <br>follow the [[#Installation on XO-1.75 and XO-4|instructions for XO-4]], <br>because OLPC has paid the Marvell license fees.
|}


== Checking Version ==
# Close all [[Activities]]
# Ensure that the XO is connected to the [[internet]]
# Install [[Adobe Flash]], and follow the advanced instructions to disable '''Click to Play'''
# [[Disable Gnash]]
# [[Reboot]] the XO


To check which version is installed, visit the [http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/find-version-flash-player.html Adobe Flash Browser Version Test].
For best performance, wait until the Flash module is fully loaded before using the module.


==Installation==
== Installation on XO-1.75 and XO-4 ==
===[[Browse]] Activity===


OLPC support will provide a file {{Code|libflashplayer.so}} at the same time as providing access to the [[Vmeta|video drivers]].
'''1.''' Make sure you are connected to the Internet


*download and [[Vmeta|install the video drivers]],
'''2.''' Open the "[[Terminal Activity]]". '''Note:''' there are ways to cut-and-paste the text commands on this page from a web page into the Terminal activity. See [http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Terminal#Limitations Pasting Text from a web page into the terminal] (Note: this likely requires an external 3-button mouse.).
*copy the {{Code|libflashplayer.so}} file to the XO-1.75 or XO-4,
*start the [[Terminal Activity]],
*check the clock shows the correct date,
*copy the plugin, paste this:
sudo cp libflashplayer.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so
*wrap the plugin<ref>these instructions to wrap the plugin are derived from and maintained in the [http://dev.laptop.org/git/projects/olpc-os-builder/tree/modules/adobe_flash Adobe Flash module in OS Builder].</ref>, paste this [[Compound_commands|compound command]]:
sudo yum -y install nspluginwrapper && \
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper*.so && \
sudo /usr/lib/nspluginwrapper/npconfig -n \
-p nswrapper_32_32 \
-d /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped \
-i /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so && \
sudo yum remove -y gnash gnash-plugin && \
sudo chmod a-x /usr/bin/mozilla-plugin-config
*start Browse and [[#Checking_version|check version]],
*for the first video played, raise the volume in the playback window.


==Installation on XO-1.5 ==
'''3.''' Retrieve and install latest working version (version 115) of Adobe Flash for the [[Browse]] Activity. Version 115 does not work with [[#Opera|Opera 9.12 OLPC edition]] on the XO, but runs perfectly well with [[#Opera|Opera 9.52 desktop version]].


*use ''My Settings'' and ''About my Computer'' to check what release of OLPC OS you are using,
[[su -l]]
*connect the XO laptop to the internet,
wget flash90124.notlong.com
*stop Browse,
rpm -i flash-plugin-9.0.124.0-release.i386.rpm
*start the [[Terminal Activity]],
exit
*check the clock shows the correct date,
*download and install the plugin, paste this:
sudo rpm -F http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/linux/i386/adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
sudo yum install flash-plugin
*wait for the above to complete, it may take a few minutes before the terminal prompt reappears,
*if this is the first time the plugin has been installed, wrap it and remove gnash, paste this [[Compound_commands|compound command]]:
sudo yum -y install nspluginwrapper && \
sudo /usr/lib/nspluginwrapper/npconfig -n \
-p nswrapper_32_32 \
-d /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped \
-i /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so && \
sudo yum remove -y gnash gnash-plugin && \
sudo chmod a-x /usr/bin/mozilla-plugin-config
*stop Terminal,
*start Browse and [[#Checking_version|check version]],


== Updating ==
<!--- We should move the v.48 install to the advanced section ~~~~ --->
''
* http://flash90124.notlong.com is simply an alias for http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/flash-plugin-9.0.124.0-release.i386.rpm for ease of typing.
''


To update to a later plugin, repeat the steps above. This must be done after any {{Code|[[olpc-update|olpc-update]]}}.
'''4.''' Check to ensure that Flash is installed properly.


== Test Cases ==
Browse to the [http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_15507 Adobe Flash Browser Version Test].


* [http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/find-version-flash-player.html Adobe Flash Browser Version Test],
The Version should be '''LNX''' not '''GSH'''.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0DPdy98e4c a count down short test video],
* [http://khanacademy.org/cs/programming/intro-to-programming/v/programming-intro Khan Academy Introduction to Programming].


== Local Flash Media ==
See http://www.abdulqabiz.com/blog/archives/flash_and_actionscript/flash_player_trust_f.php for hints on how to disable security questions popping up when using content from the drive rather than the internet.


See [http://www.abdulqabiz.com/blog/archives/flash_and_actionscript/flash_player_trust_f.php hints on how to disable security questions popping up when using local content].
=== Alternative: an automatic script ===


== Click to Play ==
Alternatively, you can also use an [[Flash player/Installation script|installation script]] to install Adobe Flash v. 9.0.48.0 on your XO. However, this has not been thoroughly tested, and will not install the very latest version.


On OLPC OS prior to 13.2.0<ref>the exact version that fixed the click to play is unknown, but it was probably between 11.3.1 and 13.2.0</ref>, Flash media is not played immediately; click on the media to start playing. You can upgrade the version of Browse or the OLPC OS version to fix this.
== Uninstallation ==
Linux RPM removal:
* As root, enter in terminal: # rpm -e flash-plugin
* Click Enter and follow prompts


== Advanced options ==
== Issues with Adobe Flash ==
{{developers}}
=== Opera ===


See the main article on [[Adobe_Flash_Issues|issues with Adobe Flash]].
The latest version of ''Adobe Flash'' is not fully compatible with the [[Opera|Opera 9.12 OLPC Edition]] activity but runs fine with [[Opera|Opera 9.52 desktop edition]]. To install ''Adobe Flash'' for Opera 9.12, follow the standard installation instructions for the [[#Browse Activity|Browse Activity]] replacing '''124''' in the file names with '''48''' to use the older version.


=== Webcam Support ===
== Notes ==
<references/>


== Developer Discussions ==
Support for the XO's built-in camera seems to be problematic.
{{Developers}}
{{outdated}}
===Flash-heavy Sites===


Note that media-rich and script-heavy Flash media can be very taxing on the CPU and may perform poorly.
In both the Browse Activity and Opera 9.52:
* Browsing Flash apps that use the webcam will turn on the indicator light above the webcam
* Flash 9.0.124.0 shows just a black screen
* Flash 10 Beta shows red and green static which reacts to motion. This means the camera is working, but isn't talking quite correctly with Flash.
* Tested on Update.1 711


The XO [[Browse]] Activity is loaded with [[Gnash]], a [[FOSS|Free and Open Source Software]] that was compatible with Flash 8. A number of sites, however, require at least [[Adobe Flash version 9 and higher]] running the newer Actionscript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2) and Actionscript 3.0 code.
More information may be found here:
http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=3676.0


To successfully access sites that require Adobe Flash 9 and above:
=== Click to Play ===
To avoid the '''Click to play''' prompt when playing flash in the browser, remove two files by typing the following in the Terminal ([[User:Patrick.surry|PDS]] Note in build 703 /usr/share/activities looks like it's moved to /home/olpc/Activities):


# Close all [[Activities]]
su -l
# Ensure that the XO is connected to the [[internet]]
# for older systems:
# Install [[Adobe Flash]], and follow the advanced instructions to disable '''Click to Play'''
# cd /usr/share/activities/Web.activity
# optional: [[Disable Gnash]]
# or for newer systems:
# [[Reboot]] the XO
cd /home/olpc/Activities/Browse.activity
mkdir bak
mv agent-stylesheet.css bak
mv clickToView.xml bak
exit


*Please note that a lot of websites such as popular children's sites Webkinz.com (Flash 9+ required) and Disney.com are generally geared towards systems that have a lot of free disk space for browser cache files. The XO only has a total storage of 1GB so be aware that successive use of these sites may quickly fill up your free storage.
undo using Terminal:


*Also note that the [[Browse]] and [[Firefox]] activities zoom-in pages by default to improve readability. Because of this, Flash applets are artificially scaled up above native resolution and the CPU is taxed even more because more pixels have to be rendered by Flash. Zooming out or using a browser that runs at native resolution like [[Opera]] will improve performance.
su -l
cd /usr/share/activities/Web.activity/bak
cp agent-stylesheet.css ..
cp clickToView.xml ..
exit
NEWBIES (like me): This works like a charm to get rid of the double Flash elements on each page, but remember:
text entered in the terminal is '''CaSe SEnsITiVe.'''


*Additional performance increase at the sacrifice of visual quality may be gained by running Flash in low-quality mode. This may be achieved by right-clicking on the flash applet to access the context menu, then selecting QUALITY -> Low. Note that a lot of Flash applets disable the right-click context menu.


A forum thread at the following URL documents a workaround that will start the Adobe Flash plugin in low-quality mode by default: http://www.olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=845.msg7429 note that the guide was written with Flash 9 in mind and has been documented to crash the browser on Flash 10: http://www.olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=3804.0
{{Developers}}
Older versions of flash are available here:


=== Flash Video ===
http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/installers/archive/fp9_archive.zip
Installing the latest version of Adobe Flash will allow users to run sites like Youtube.com and GoogleVideo.com and play Flash Video. Note however that decoding video is a CPU-intensive activity. Due to the XO's limited CPU, Flash Video will play at very low framerates. Sound in general will play at full speed.
Running Flash in low-quality mode (detailed in the previous section) may improve Flash Video performance.


=== Flash 3D ===
Information about how to load other restricted formats is found [[Restricted Formats|here]].


3D in Flash is achieved via software rendering and is not hardware accelerated. Because of this, 3D in Flash is very CPU and memory-intensive, and the XO's limited 433MHz CPU and 256MB RAM may not be able to cope.
== Gnash ==
Adobe Flash has been reported to conflict sometimes with Gnash; but this has not been reproduced. If you have a site that works for you with Adobe Flash installed but not with ''both'' Adobe and Gnash installed, please describe this in detail on the talk page here (after doublechecking the [http://adobe.com/go/tn_15507 version of flash] your browser seems to be running).


Visiting sites that use Flash 3D engines such as Papervision3D.org, the demo pages of FlashSandy.org and AlternativaPlatform.com may freeze the browser '''*AND* the entire machine''' thus requiring a reboot.
What's happened to me is still more different. After re-installing Adobe Flash which seemed to be overridden with gnash after uploading to 653, when I tested the flash version it continued to show GSH. I uninstalled gnash, then no response when I clicked on a flash element. I then reinstalled gnash and verified that Adobe flash still appeared to be installed, but the same effect -- no flash capability at all.


Because of this, avoid visiting sites which make use of 3D in Flash.
* Gnash that comes with 656 has rendering errors with Actionscript-driven dynamic color changing

* Gnash that comes with 711 has problems with AS-driven dynamic text rotation/positioning
=== Webcam Support ===
* Gnash that comes with 8.20 joyride fixes the above problem

Support for the XO's built-in camera seems to be problematic.

In both the Browse Activity and Opera browser:
* Browsing Flash apps that use the webcam will turn on the indicator light above the webcam
* Flash 9 shows just a black screen
* Flash 10 shows red and green static which reacts to motion. This means the camera is working, but isn't talking quite correctly with Flash.
* Tested on Update.1 711

More information may be found here:
http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=3676.0


[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Linux software]]

Latest revision as of 23:01, 25 July 2017

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  For the general public
This page is part of the XO Support FAQ.     Support Index | Print This Page
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This page describes third-party software that does not meet the OLPC standards for software freedom. The use of such software is unsupported; OLPC does not endorse or encourage its use.

Adobe Flash must be avoided.

Adobe Flash support for all platforms is ending in favour of more recent technologies.

Adobe Flash is a Restricted Format. A free software player Gnash comes with each XO laptop, but does not work with all web pages, because not all web sites have taken care to make sure that Gnash works.

Adobe Flash Player is a proprietary player for Adobe Flash media. Adobe Flash Player plays a larger variety of Flash media than Gnash, but has license restrictions that prevent easy distribution. More information on Adobe Flash Player can be found on the Adobe Flash Player web site.

Overview

Adobe Flash Player can be added during build, for some laptop models, subject to permission from Adobe. Adding during build is the method supported by OLPC, because it works with our operating system olpc-update feature.

Adobe Flash Player is not included in OLPC OS, because of the restrictions on redistribution. But it can be added after install. Such changes are lost on olpc-update.

Both Adobe and OLPC provide an Adobe Flash Player plugin, depending on the model of laptop:

XO-1 Adobe do not provide a compatible player.
See technical details.
XO-1.5 Adobe provide a player,
follow the instructions for XO-1.5,
XO-1.75 OLPC provide a player,
please negotiate with OLPC regarding the payment of Marvell license fees for video drivers, then
follow the instructions for XO-1.75,
XO-4 OLPC provide a player,
follow the instructions for XO-4,
because OLPC has paid the Marvell license fees.

Checking Version

To check which version is installed, visit the Adobe Flash Browser Version Test.

Installation on XO-1.75 and XO-4

OLPC support will provide a file libflashplayer.so at the same time as providing access to the video drivers.

sudo cp libflashplayer.so /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so
sudo yum -y install nspluginwrapper && \
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped/nswrapper*.so && \
sudo /usr/lib/nspluginwrapper/npconfig -n \
    -p nswrapper_32_32 \
    -d /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped \
    -i /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so && \
sudo yum remove -y gnash gnash-plugin && \
sudo chmod a-x /usr/bin/mozilla-plugin-config 
  • start Browse and check version,
  • for the first video played, raise the volume in the playback window.

Installation on XO-1.5

  • use My Settings and About my Computer to check what release of OLPC OS you are using,
  • connect the XO laptop to the internet,
  • stop Browse,
  • start the Terminal Activity,
  • check the clock shows the correct date,
  • download and install the plugin, paste this:
sudo rpm -F http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/linux/i386/adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
sudo yum install flash-plugin
  • wait for the above to complete, it may take a few minutes before the terminal prompt reappears,
  • if this is the first time the plugin has been installed, wrap it and remove gnash, paste this compound command:
sudo yum -y install nspluginwrapper && \
sudo /usr/lib/nspluginwrapper/npconfig -n \
    -p nswrapper_32_32 \
    -d /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins-wrapped \
    -i /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so && \
sudo yum remove -y gnash gnash-plugin && \
sudo chmod a-x /usr/bin/mozilla-plugin-config 

Updating

To update to a later plugin, repeat the steps above. This must be done after any olpc-update.

Test Cases

Local Flash Media

See hints on how to disable security questions popping up when using local content.

Click to Play

On OLPC OS prior to 13.2.0<ref>the exact version that fixed the click to play is unknown, but it was probably between 11.3.1 and 13.2.0</ref>, Flash media is not played immediately; click on the media to start playing. You can upgrade the version of Browse or the OLPC OS version to fix this.

Issues with Adobe Flash

See the main article on issues with Adobe Flash.

Notes

<references/>

Developer Discussions

The contents of this page are considered outdated and some of the information may be stale. Please use information here with caution, or update it.

Flash-heavy Sites

Note that media-rich and script-heavy Flash media can be very taxing on the CPU and may perform poorly.

The XO Browse Activity is loaded with Gnash, a Free and Open Source Software that was compatible with Flash 8. A number of sites, however, require at least Adobe Flash version 9 and higher running the newer Actionscript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2) and Actionscript 3.0 code.

To successfully access sites that require Adobe Flash 9 and above:

  1. Close all Activities
  2. Ensure that the XO is connected to the internet
  3. Install Adobe Flash, and follow the advanced instructions to disable Click to Play
  4. optional: Disable Gnash
  5. Reboot the XO
  • Please note that a lot of websites such as popular children's sites Webkinz.com (Flash 9+ required) and Disney.com are generally geared towards systems that have a lot of free disk space for browser cache files. The XO only has a total storage of 1GB so be aware that successive use of these sites may quickly fill up your free storage.
  • Also note that the Browse and Firefox activities zoom-in pages by default to improve readability. Because of this, Flash applets are artificially scaled up above native resolution and the CPU is taxed even more because more pixels have to be rendered by Flash. Zooming out or using a browser that runs at native resolution like Opera will improve performance.
  • Additional performance increase at the sacrifice of visual quality may be gained by running Flash in low-quality mode. This may be achieved by right-clicking on the flash applet to access the context menu, then selecting QUALITY -> Low. Note that a lot of Flash applets disable the right-click context menu.

A forum thread at the following URL documents a workaround that will start the Adobe Flash plugin in low-quality mode by default: http://www.olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=845.msg7429 note that the guide was written with Flash 9 in mind and has been documented to crash the browser on Flash 10: http://www.olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=3804.0

Flash Video

Installing the latest version of Adobe Flash will allow users to run sites like Youtube.com and GoogleVideo.com and play Flash Video. Note however that decoding video is a CPU-intensive activity. Due to the XO's limited CPU, Flash Video will play at very low framerates. Sound in general will play at full speed. Running Flash in low-quality mode (detailed in the previous section) may improve Flash Video performance.

Flash 3D

3D in Flash is achieved via software rendering and is not hardware accelerated. Because of this, 3D in Flash is very CPU and memory-intensive, and the XO's limited 433MHz CPU and 256MB RAM may not be able to cope.

Visiting sites that use Flash 3D engines such as Papervision3D.org, the demo pages of FlashSandy.org and AlternativaPlatform.com may freeze the browser *AND* the entire machine thus requiring a reboot.

Because of this, avoid visiting sites which make use of 3D in Flash.

Webcam Support

Support for the XO's built-in camera seems to be problematic.

In both the Browse Activity and Opera browser:

  • Browsing Flash apps that use the webcam will turn on the indicator light above the webcam
  • Flash 9 shows just a black screen
  • Flash 10 shows red and green static which reacts to motion. This means the camera is working, but isn't talking quite correctly with Flash.
  • Tested on Update.1 711

More information may be found here: http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=3676.0