Flash player

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Flash is a popular format for interactive online content, including animation, video, and games. The Browse activity on the XO can display Flash content embedded in web pages, provided that an appropriate Flash plugin is installed.

Adobe makes the official Flash plugin, but OLPC cannot ship it on the XOs because it is legally restricted and doesn't meet the OLPC's standards for open software. Instead, the OLPC ships with Gnash, an open source Flash plugin that can play some (but not all) Flash content; in particular, it can't play YouTube videos.

As an individual, you can download and install Adobe's Flash plugin to view all Flash content. Instructions are on the RestrictedFormats page.

Gnash

See Gnash.

Codecs

Flash uses video codecs to decode and show video. Some have patent issues, so it isn't legal for us to ship them. YouTube, for instance, apparently uses h.263.

The rest of this page is rather old...

Will the OLPC have a Flash Player, RealPlayer or OpenQuicktime?

• The OLPC will offer SVG support.
• The OLPC will include gstreamer (which may include OpenQuicktime), see: Software components#Libraries and Plugins
• The OLPC will include helix (which can play Flash, among other formats), see: Software components#Applications (and ports) under development for B2

See also

• Ask OLPC a Question about Software#Include Flash Player?
• Ask OLPC a Question#RealPlayer in OPLC and applications download
• Web Browser#Flash in the default web browser