# the deal with flash?



## a59303 (May 9, 2012)

Hello,

I have used freebsd FreeBSD for some time on another (older) computer, and am aware that it is somewhat difficult for a novice to install flash (at least used to be).  I thought this would be a good place to get a good answer on what exactly the problem is with shipping flash with a distribution.

This is so I can understand why I should care, because some distributions make it easy, some harder.

Thanks,

a5'


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## SirDice (May 9, 2012)

a59303 said:
			
		

> I have used freebsd FreeBSD for some time on another (older) computer, and am aware that it is somewhat difficult for a novice to install flash (at least used to be).



Not that hard. Install these:
emulators/linux_base-f10
www/linux-f10-flashplugin11
www/nspluginwrapper

Then run, as a user:
`$ nspluginwrapper -v -a -i`

That should do it.



> I thought this would be a good place to get a good answer on what exactly the problem is with shipping flash with a distribution.


Licenses.


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## a59303 (May 9, 2012)

Thank you very much for the quick reply,



> Licenses.



I am more interested in what the actual conflict is in the license, does any one have a understanding of it that can clarify.  Furthermore which license, the flash license, mp3 license or freebsd FreeBSD license?  I just don't understand.  Does MS have a contractual agreement with adobe, or is it that adobe can sue MS?  I can download flash (no additional steps) for a MS machine why not an open source machine?  Is it because I can reverse engineer flash on a linux/unix machine, or something.  I apologize if this is ignorant but it is very vague and hands off or so it seems to me.


a5'


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## pkubaj (May 9, 2012)

FreeBSD is NOT a Linux distribution (I assumed that by distribution, you meant Linux one). It's a separate OS, looks like you didn't do your homework (you didn't check what you use). Also, why would Flash have to be installed by default on servers? It's enough that it's in ports.


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## SirDice (May 9, 2012)

a59303 said:
			
		

> I am more interested in what the actual conflict is in the license, does any one have a understanding of it that can clarify. Furthermore which license, the flash license, mp3 license or freebsd license? I just don't understand. Does MS have a contractual agreement with adobe, or is it that adobe can sue MS?


Neither, but Microsoft is also not allowed to _ship_ Windows with Flash pre-installed.

You asked what the problem was with _shipping_ Flash with a distribution. And that problem is one of licenses. You need a license from Adobe to be able to distribute Flash. It's as simple as that.



> I can download flash (no additional steps) for a MS machine why not an open source machine?


I don't quite understand the rant. I already showed you how you can download and install flash on FreeBSD. What more do you want?


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## adamk (May 9, 2012)

a59303 said:
			
		

> I can download flash (no additional steps) for a MS machine why not an open source machine?



You can.  Adobe produces a flash plugin for Linux that can be downloaded from Adobe's website.  Adobe does *not* produce a flash plugin for FreeBSD, which is why the steps SirDice mentioned are required.  

Adam


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## SirDice (May 9, 2012)

Ah, that's the confusion. In that case, go ask Adobe to create a FreeBSD native flash player. I wouldn't hold my breath in the mean time though. Version 11.2 will be the _last_ Linux flash player. They will support that version with security updates but there won't be an 11.3 or even 12 for Linux.

Nothing we can do about it. And to be honest, I'd rather see Flash go completely off the web.


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## kpa (May 9, 2012)

You can buy a computer with Windows OS that comes with flash preinstalled but even then it's not Microsoft that has made a deal with Adobe, it's the OEM that has put together the OS installation with flash preinstalled.


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## a59303 (May 9, 2012)

> FreeBSD is NOT a Linux distribution (I assumed that by distribution, you meant Linux one). It's a separate OS, looks like you didn't do your homework (you didn't check what you use). Also, why would Flash have to be installed by default on servers? It's enough that it's in ports.



Well, although this isn't directly related to this quote, I would like to say outright that this is in no way a complaint.

@pkubaj-
OK,


> Software distribution, a bundle of a specific software already compiled and configured
> 
> Linux distribution, one of several distributions built on the Linux kernel



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution

I apologize wrong terminology, although, I meant it loosely.

It's not installed by default on servers, makes perfect sense.  Although some use it as their desktop I believe.





> Neither, but Microsoft is also not allowed to ship Windows with Flash pre-installed.
> 
> You asked what the problem was with shipping Flash with a distribution. And that problem is one of licenses. You need a license from Adobe to be able to distribute Flash. It's as simple as that.



@SirDice
That IS true, hadn't thought it through, it is very easy though.  Right, you have to agree when you download and install it. OK.



> I don't quite understand the rant. I already showed you how you can download and install flash on FreeBSD. What more do you want?



@SirDice
Not rant, just wondering about the reason its more difficult.  More or less completely innocent.  In fact, I don't really have an interest in installing flash on the computer I have with FreeBSD. Its not even that its hard, its just not the reason for that computer.  Furthermore, I don't think I asked how to install flash. 




> You can. Adobe produces a flash plugin for Linux that can be downloaded from Adobe's website. Adobe does not produce a flash plugin for FreeBSD, which is why the steps SirDice mentioned are required.
> 
> Adam



@adamk
True, but it seems to me that its never that easy.  Why there isn't a flash plugin for FreeBSD isn't really that hard to understand.  I think.





> Ah, that's the confusion. In that case, go ask Adobe to create a FreeBSD native flash player. I wouldn't hold my breath in the mean time though. Version 11.2 will be the last Linux flash player. They will support that version with security updates but there won't be an 11.3 or even 12 for Linux.
> 
> Nothing we can do about it. And to be honest, I'd rather see Flash go completely off the web.




@SirDice
This is something that I may well agree with, although I would hope for some replacement, in the case of video (youtube) although I think that is less of an issue more recently.




> You can buy a computer with Windows OS that comes with flash preinstalled but even then it's not Microsoft that has made a deal with Adobe, it's the OEM that has put together the OS installation with flash preinstalled.



@kpa

Oh.  


I would like to say, that what I meant was why is it so hard, or rather harder, when there is such a large user base, for linux and even BSD's.  Even this thought might be considered stupid... but from a marketing and sales perspective why would you just shove off an entire group.

---

a5'


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## SirDice (May 9, 2012)

a59303 said:
			
		

> I would like to say, that what I meant was why is it so hard, or rather harder, when there is such a large user base, for linux and even BSD's.  Even this thought might be considered stupid... but from a marketing and sales perspective why would you just shove off an entire group.


Even with all the open source operating systems lumped together it still only constitutes 1%, maybe 2%, of the desktop users.


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## a59303 (May 9, 2012)

I hadn't realized it was that few, it seems like open source, free, open... these are signs of our time.

But the number of people that use the OS's, Yeah, hadn't realized.

Thanks,
a5'


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## zeissoctopus (May 13, 2012)

This is an alternative way to run flash in FreeBSD without Linux emulation by libflashcross project unoffically.


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## a59303 (May 13, 2012)

*I*nteresting, thanks for the info.

I really was not looking for a way to install flash on FreeBSD, at least not now. I'm not ungrateful just not what I was looking for. Funny though, one of the reasons for me to avoid flash on FreeBSD was the impression I got that it wasn't 'native'.  So, who knows.

*T*hanks,

a5'


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## akil (Nov 3, 2012)

Hi

For convenience, if you notice strong blue color during watching a flash mov, I encourage you to make below steps to prevent blue movies (in most cases that refers to youtube):

```
# mkdir -p /etc/adobe
# echo 'EnableLinuxHWVideoDecode=1' >> /etc/adobe/mms.cfg
# echo 'OverrideGPUValidation=true' >> /etc/adobe/mms.cfg
# chmod 644 /etc/adobe/mms.cfg
# chmod 755 /etc/adobe
```

That's all, maybe that will save some time for others to search trash (read Internet).


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## caesius (Nov 4, 2012)

akil said:
			
		

> Hi
> 
> For convenience, if you notice strong blue color during watching a flash mov, I encourage you to make below steps to prevent blue movies (in most cases that refers to youtube):
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot, this was driving me insane. This should be sticky'ed somewhere.


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## ColdfireMC (Nov 17, 2012)

akil said:
			
		

> Hi
> 
> For convenience, if you notice strong blue color during watching a flash mov, I encourage you to make below steps to prevent blue movies (in most cases that refers to youtube):
> 
> ...



hey! can this be added to handbook or pasted into a pkg-message? it works fine


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