What is a good replacement for Adobe Flash? A number of people don't like the additional software that comes with Flash. Or that Flash requires updates so often. Where I volunteer, a number of people apply updates without looking and don't know where they get all the extra crap. I did a Google and found recommendation on Tom's Hardware for DivX, but the one time I tried it wouldn't play web video. Apparently the website must be formatted for DivX web player, it won't play the same streaming video as Adobe Flash Player. What will play web video, won't crash, won't install adware or other crap, and free? Thanks, Rob Dyck
On 16-02-03 11:37 PM, Robert Dyck wrote:
What is a good replacement for Adobe Flash?
Short answer: there isn't one.
A number of people don't like the additional software that comes with Flash. Or that Flash requires updates so often. Where I volunteer, a number of people apply updates without looking and don't know where they get all the extra crap.
That's what restricted user accounts are for... why do your general users have admin privileges on the workstations?
I did a Google and found recommendation on Tom's Hardware for DivX, but the one time I tried it wouldn't play web video. Apparently the website must be formatted for DivX web player, it won't play the same streaming video as Adobe Flash Player. What will play web video, won't crash, won't install adware or other crap, and free?
Use one of a bazillion plugins or websites to download the .FLV file first, then use VLC to play it. If you want embedded in-browser playback, your option consists of... Flash. -Adam
Google Chrome has flash built in, so it updates automatically with Chrome's updates, which are also automatic, so nothing to click for the user. Switching browsers requires a lot of reeducation though, as well as compatibility testing for anything that the clients might need. If the flash objects you're dealing with aren't business oriented then I would uninstall it and tell everyone to suck it up. Flash is clinging to life only because people let it, the more people that deal with giving it up, the quicker it's going to finally die. -- Wyatt Zacharias On Thu, Feb 4, 2016 at 12:07 PM, Adam Thompson <athompso@athompso.net> wrote:
On 16-02-03 11:37 PM, Robert Dyck wrote:
What is a good replacement for Adobe Flash?
Short answer: there isn't one.
A number of people don't
like the additional software that comes with Flash. Or that Flash requires updates so often. Where I volunteer, a number of people apply updates without looking and don't know where they get all the extra crap.
That's what restricted user accounts are for... why do your general users have admin privileges on the workstations?
I did a Google and found recommendation on Tom's Hardware for
DivX, but the one time I tried it wouldn't play web video. Apparently the website must be formatted for DivX web player, it won't play the same streaming video as Adobe Flash Player. What will play web video, won't crash, won't install adware or other crap, and free?
Use one of a bazillion plugins or websites to download the .FLV file first, then use VLC to play it. If you want embedded in-browser playback, your option consists of... Flash.
-Adam
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On 02/04/16 14:04, Wyatt Zacharias wrote:
Google Chrome has flash built in, so it updates automatically with Chrome's updates, which are also automatic, so nothing to click for the user.
Not relevant to unix, but Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 is the same deal. When pointing this out, it's also worth mentioning that for both Chrome and Edge, the flash implementation is Adobe Flash, Google and Microsoft have deals with Adobe to embed and rebuild it their code. They didn't use the public spec and write their own implementation. There are some free software projects that have tried to do so like Gnash. A noteworthy contrast if anyone worries about compatibility.
What do you guys think of Gnash? I notice it hasn't been updated since 2012. Haven't tried it yet. https://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/ Rob Dyck
On 2016-02-04 05:15 PM, Robert Dyck wrote:
What do you guys think of Gnash? I notice it hasn't been updated since 2012. Haven't tried it yet.
https://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/
Rob Dyck
As you noted, not updated since 2012. Last time I tried it (last year, IIRC) it was... useless. -- -Adam Thompson athompso@athompso.net +1 (204) 291-7950 - cell +1 (204) 489-6515 - fax
I haven't really been keeping up on such things, but haven't all the major sites replaced flash with some kind of embedded HTML5 compatible video streaming? I thought the browsers tried that first, then reverted to flash if necessary? John On Thu, Feb 4, 2016 at 9:33 PM, Adam Thompson <athompso@athompso.net> wrote:
On 2016-02-04 05:15 PM, Robert Dyck wrote:
What do you guys think of Gnash? I notice it hasn't been updated since 2012. Haven't tried it yet.
https://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/
Rob Dyck
As you noted, not updated since 2012. Last time I tried it (last year, IIRC) it was... useless.
-- -Adam Thompson athompso@athompso.net +1 (204) 291-7950 - cell +1 (204) 489-6515 - fax
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-- John Lange www.johnlange.ca
On 2016-02-04 John Lange wrote:
I haven't really been keeping up on such things, but haven't all the major sites replaced flash with some kind of embedded HTML5 compatible video streaming? I thought the browsers tried that first, then reverted to flash if necessary?
No such luck. I'd say at least 75% of the videos embedded in ~50 various news / blog sites I frequent don't play without flash. This is most frustrating when reading them on my Android phone. So much for HTML5 video (for now)... For a Windows user I think Wyatt's / Mark's Chrome/Edge idea is best. No update fuss. Gnash is pretty much only good for viewing (most ancient) SWF files you've already downloaded from elsewhere. AFAIK it's not an in-browser thing.
Given that most of those sites use it for pop-up ads that auto-play with sound that are highly annoying; I've decided to do my part and disable flash entirely in Chrome. I'll be interested to see if anything useful stops working. John On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 1:42 AM, Trevor Cordes <trevor@tecnopolis.ca> wrote:
On 2016-02-04 John Lange wrote:
I haven't really been keeping up on such things, but haven't all the major sites replaced flash with some kind of embedded HTML5 compatible video streaming? I thought the browsers tried that first, then reverted to flash if necessary?
No such luck. I'd say at least 75% of the videos embedded in ~50 various news / blog sites I frequent don't play without flash. This is most frustrating when reading them on my Android phone. So much for HTML5 video (for now)...
For a Windows user I think Wyatt's / Mark's Chrome/Edge idea is best. No update fuss.
Gnash is pretty much only good for viewing (most ancient) SWF files you've already downloaded from elsewhere. AFAIK it's not an in-browser thing.
-- John Lange www.johnlange.ca
I can think of about 20 things that stop working for me without flash, including mission-critical tools. VMware ESX's admin console comes to mind immediately. -Adam On February 5, 2016 11:17:44 AM CST, John Lange <john@johnlange.ca> wrote:
Given that most of those sites use it for pop-up ads that auto-play with sound that are highly annoying; I've decided to do my part and disable flash entirely in Chrome.
I'll be interested to see if anything useful stops working.
John
On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 1:42 AM, Trevor Cordes <trevor@tecnopolis.ca> wrote:
On 2016-02-04 John Lange wrote:
I haven't really been keeping up on such things, but haven't all the major sites replaced flash with some kind of embedded HTML5 compatible video streaming? I thought the browsers tried that first, then reverted to flash if necessary?
No such luck. I'd say at least 75% of the videos embedded in ~50 various news / blog sites I frequent don't play without flash. This is most frustrating when reading them on my Android phone. So much for HTML5 video (for now)...
For a Windows user I think Wyatt's / Mark's Chrome/Edge idea is best. No update fuss.
Gnash is pretty much only good for viewing (most ancient) SWF files you've already downloaded from elsewhere. AFAIK it's not an in-browser thing.
-- John Lange www.johnlange.ca
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
participants (6)
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Adam Thompson -
John Lange -
Mark Jenkins -
Robert Dyck -
Trevor Cordes -
Wyatt Zacharias