I’ve been trying to install a Flash player in PB for a few hours to no avail.
I tried DLing the tar.gz from here: https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and following instructions, though I can’t find the plugins directory for PB. (tried putting it into extensions in .purism/Purebrowser… which didn’t work)
The apt download doesn’t work for me, just asks for a program to ‘run’ it even though I try to right click, save as…
Also installed browser-gnash-plugin viat apt-get, which did work on some flash videos, but not on the live stream website that I want to use it on (motogp.com)
The internet has moved on to HTML5. If I were you I’d start boycotting sites that still use Flash. They need to get into the modern age or fade into irrelevancy.
No solutions for your problem, just trying to talk you out of getting Flash. I think the new standards for the internet should be “Everything in SSL and HTML5 only”. I go as far as setting HTTPS everywhere to block all unencrypted requests, essentially boycotting all sites that don’t use SSL.
That’d make a lot of tabloid newspapers and the likes unavailable to you, but thankfully I don’t read that garbage anyway. Seriously - people that are still using non-SSL and Flash probably shouldn’t have your business because it shows their incompetence and unwillingness to put in the work on it’s own.
I’m just saying, it’s rather silly to have dropped so much money on this and expect everything to be the same as running a Windows computer with Chrome installed, which it kind of feels like that’s exactly what you did.
Other option is using Pepper API which is used as a solution to the end of first class support of Flash in GNU/Linux and the deprecation of NPAPI. Here is what wikipedia says about why it isn’t supported by Firefox:
As of 13 May 2010, Google’s open source browser, Chromium, was the only web browser to use the new browser plug-in model. Mozilla Firefox stated in 2014 that they would not support Pepper, as there is no full specification of the API beyond its implementation in Chrome, which itself is designed for use with Blink layout engine only, and has private APIs specific to the Flash Player plugin which are not documented.
My recommendation is not to install Flash as it should be a deprecated technology (and it will definitely be abandoned in 2020). But if you really need it, try the Mozilla’s guide, if it doesn’t work, the alternative is using Chromium as it has Pepper API implemented. I personally don’t recommend using Chromium. It’s not very privacy friendly because de default version is parasitized by Google, and it constantly sends data to their servers (but as it’s libre software you can find degoogled & comunity based versions of it).
I completely understand that mindset. I’d totally be onboard with the sentiment, but I’m paying for a service currently that unfortunately still uses Flash. The service doesn’t offer HTML5 video, and there is no other way to access that live stream AFAIK.
I also understand the security concerns (and that everyone’s trying to phase it out) but a permission based flash player (like gnash, but that actually works) in PB would be nice.
Also, thanks for the link @dharkael, I’ll check it out and report back if I get it working.
@Alex: just tried that link but it takes me back to the same DL page from Adobe. @dharkael: the last version of Firefox that link supports is 55. I think PB is based on 46 ESR.
Can anyone point me to where PB’s plugins directory is? I see an extensions directory, but placing the .so plugin in there doesn’t work.
If it’s based on Firefox then you just need to get the NPAPI Firefox plugin for Linux from anywhere and run it.
I completely understand that mindset. I’d totally be onboard with the sentiment, but I’m paying for a service currently that unfortunately still uses Flash. The service doesn’t offer HTML5 video, and there is no other way to access that live stream AFAIK.
I also understand the security concerns (and that everyone’s trying to phase it out) but a permission based flash player (like gnash, but that actually works) in PB would be nice.
Sounds like my experience with an old site I once used called Chatango. It was a chat site that to this day runs without HTTPS and in Flash, not to mention their password restrictions and password recovery process hints that they store passwords either as plaintext or a simple MD5 hash.
I put up with it for a long time and made several complaints, but with that falling on deaf ears and their servers also becoming incredibly slow with spambots and abusive users running rampant with no moderation team to clamp-down on them, it became obvious that they just don’t care and that there’s actually nobody maintaining the site anymore. So I finally just quit and left contact info on my profile should anyone want to get in touch. It’s a shame because it was a site I knew quite a few people on, and a hotspot for fellow weebs.
Ultimately, I cared more about my privacy and security than I did having the ability to use that site. Figured anyone from there that viewed me as a real friend would be comfortable adding me elsewhere.
Websites need to get into the modern era. I’ve officially given up on that site and a few others. It doesn’t pay to be stubborn or lazy and I lose my respect and interest in people that are going to be that way.
Totally agree. It’s a joke that large websites and services haven’t made the switch yet. But I frickin love MotoGP and they don’t show it free-to-air here.
Yoooo good news y’all! GNASH works just fine with Firefox 57 for the sites I was looking to stream video from. Please update Purebrowser ASAP to this version
