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December 2014

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Subject:
From:
Yasha Karant <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Yasha Karant <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:24:37 -0800
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On 12/22/2014 09:51 AM, Yasha Karant wrote:
> We have end users that we support on machines currently running IA-32 
> SL6x who need Adobe Flash capability in a Mozilla Firefox browser.
>
> From Adobe (presumably under the influence/control of the Microsoft 
> monopoly):
>
> *NOTE*: Adobe Flash Player 11.2 will be the last version to target 
> Linux as a supported platform. Adobe will continue to provide security 
> backports to Flash Player 11.2 for Linux.
>
> Is there a replacement for the Adobe Flash Player?  Is there a 
> version/replacement that properly works with x86-64 SL7 using a 64 bit 
> Firefox?
>
> Yasha Karant
I found the following information:

http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

*Linux* 	Mozilla, Firefox - NPAPI (Extended Support Release) 	11.2.202.425
Chrome (embedded), Chromium-based browsers - PPAPI 	16.0.0.235


I have searched on the web for PPAPI for Mozilla Firefox; the most I 
could find was:

https://bryanquigley.com/crazy-ideas/adobe-flash-on-firefoxlinux-eol-summaryrecap

Other options considered.

  * We default to Chromium  – nope, let’s specifically NOT switch
    browsers over Flash.
      o Outcome: That would send the completely wrong message.
  * We default to a compatible Flash alternative (Shumway, Gnash,
    Lightspark)
      o Outcome: That would just be a stop gap measure.  And we’ll
        always be playing catchup.
  * We add PPAPI support to Firefox ourselves / Hack it in
      o Outcome:  Non-starter.  Unless Mozilla adds it we don’t want the
        maintenance burden.


End quote.

Note that because Flash is not an ISO standard (unlike PDF), compatible 
Flash alternatives evidently always will be reverse engineering
and thus playing catchup.  Unfortunately, many end users and many IT 
units (that are business management based with little or no
concern for computer science but only for-profit vendor technology) use 
and thus demand Flash.

Any suggestions?

Yasha Karant

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