Flash 7 for Linux Released

molarmass192 writes "Looks like Macromedia has finally made good on their word and provided Linux with a current version of Flash player. Improvements over Flash 6 include a speed boost and support for SOAP. Here's the requisite download link. I took a few seconds to get it set up and the response is noticeably snappier than version 6. In particular, the audio/video sync problems in version 6 seems to have been taken care of. Now, I wonder where they hid that Shockwave player for Linux?"

Comments

Flash + Wine is on its way, they claim

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently they are working to make future versions of Flash Wine-compatible. It may not be a Linux version, but it's not a Windows version, either. It's a Wine API version. That's pretty cool. Of course we would all prefer native binaries, but having something certified as Wine-compatible is in some ways even better in the short term, because it validates that as an option for all the other Windows software companies. Making something Wine compatible is usually fairly simple.

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mobile porn

Read the EULA?

[jcuervo]

1. You may not make or distribute copies of the Software, or electronically transfer the Software from one computer to another or over a network.

Just DOWNLOADING it violates the EULA.

Re:Read the EULA?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why did this get a troll? It's a good example of how stupid terms get thrown into EULA's all the time.

Another good example is NVIDIA's driver EULA. Apparently, you can only have one copy of the NVIDIA drivers installed, even if you have more than one NVIDIA vidio chipset.

SuSE Works

[managementboy]

Tried the install package on SuSe 9.0 and works like a charm. The only drawback is that the user needs to know where their mozilla/firefox is installed. Works noticably faster than before (I also have the feeling that it eats much less CPU time). Next improvement: no flash at all! ;-)

Needs more work, still

[etymxris]

By chance I downloaded the newest version as I was reinstalling everything else too. But it still has "jerks" whenever I play a flash game. My slower windows box doesn't have this problem. The problem is reproducible on all three of my linux machines, no matter the processor speed. It makes it especially difficult to play a game like this since there are unexpected jerks in movement.

What about PPC flash player?

[strider_starslayer]

Where is my PPC flash player? Where oh where is it!?!

Does it finally exist? I do so hope....

No PPC version again I fear

[tuxzone]

No PPC version again I fear. At least I couldn't find it.

Bummer!

Re:Now if only...

[Atrax]

Yes, but I think Flash designers/developers are in a Catch-22 there. Many would switch if Flash were available for Linux, I'm fairly convinced.

Please can we GNU/Linux on PPC peeps have one too

[niks42]

I've had many emails passed back and forth with Macromedia tech support .. there are versions for most Unix implementations, and MacOS 9 and X .. but not for Linux/PPC *sigh* .. it wouldn't be that difficult to run just one more compile, would it ?

Can't use it :(

[Per Wigren]

It's nice to see companies supporting Linux, but unfortunately I can't use it until they make a amd64-version since 64-bit browsers can't use 32-bit plugins..

The Linux kernel can run 32-bit code but can't link to 64-bit code so to have a 32-bit browser I'd have to also have 32-bit versions of all the libraries it depends on, and their dependancies, all the way down to glibc and ld.so.. Not worth it.

Is it possible to run isolated 32-bit code inside a 64-bit program? Something like an exec32() libc-function or something? To make 64-bit Mozilla run Flash and make 64-bit MPlayer load win32-codecs.. I'm sure you'll have to make some kind of wrapper-code to convert int-sizes etc when sending/getting data from/to the library, but would it be possible at all?

mod parent up

[ErichTheWebGuy]

The parent poster has an excellent point. If these developers write quality code, and I have no reason to suspect that they do not, why not drop a few hundred bucks on a single PPC box that you can start a GCC make on, and let it run for a week if need be?

At the very least, you would have an excellent testbed. AND, IIRC, the US Navy is moving to PPC/Linux. Imagine the wargames... Flash/Shockwave Battleship!!!

Macromedia Sales: Would that not make it WAY easier to land a HUGE contract with the Defense Dept?

Re:Also available as package

[Eivind]

Is the installer otherwise similarily brainless ?

I used the rpm for Mandrake 10.0, and the EULA came with a new, and previously atleast for me unseen level of stupidity:

It had a freaking timer in the lower-rigth corner counting down from 15 seconds and being labeled: "Time left until auto-decline"

Offcourse it can easily be proven in a court of law that it is not humanly possible to read, understand and click accept on the eula in such a short time. Thus it's no longer the case, as is typically the case that the user agreed to an eula, *choosing* not to read it.

No, it's *enforced*, to install the program you *have* to accept an eula without being given any possibility of reading it.

It's probably not a stretch that idiocy like this will further weaken the already more than questionable legal force of terms stated in eulas.

I could'nt find any chage

[santhu]

Mozilla with flash player 7.0 opens the flash animations, in the same way as it used to do with flash player 6.0. I could'nt find any difference with the new plugin. If somebody could tell me a way to find the difference, it would be great.

Re:Now if only...

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh yeah, no copyright respecting Linux user would ever pay for software. As opposed to those pirating Windows users, who only paid for the OS that came with the machine, not even the one they're running.

I remember using Windows. Needing a program? Ask a friend, and get a copy of something he got a copy of, registered to a name even he had never heard of.

Since I switched to Linux, I see the advantage of copyright law (if just everyone would use software they could pay for, we would have way more Linux users), and I pay for my software. I have bought about half the titles Loki released (the rest didn't really interest me), and even Windows games for running under Wine. Actually, I bought more Windows games for running under Wine, than I ever bought when running Windows.

I am not the only one. Linux users on average have much more respect for copyright than Windows users.

Downloading from a windows box?

[incuso]

Is there any way to download the linux version (debian) from a windows box?

Thanks
M.

64bit Version

[�nertia]

ARG... Still no 64bit release... this is really anoying.. If I want to use 64bit native browser I can't have flash... grrr...

I wonder where I can try that out

[rauhest]

I wonder where I can try that out... It seems that in the past few months I have adblock'ed all flashes on the sites I usually visit :)

Skip Intro? No, Skip Site

[mulesex]

I flat out refuse to download Flash until Macromedia releases the source code

Having the source code available would not suddenly make Flash a useful technology.

Flash is anti-useful.

It is an excuse for web developers to use eye-candy instead of content (as if they needed one) on their sites. And so continues the gradual and complete dilution of useful content on the internet. The bonus is that it is an effective way of marking a site 'useless' during long and painful web searches.

Future Wine support is a monstrous idea. Releasing a version for Linux makes business sense, but are people seriously considering running Wine just to browse the internet?

I allow for exceptions, but I have seen very few sites which actually use Flash to present useful content in a sensible way. This would, unfortunately, force me to use it. I have seen none recently, because I don't use the plug-in. I flat out refuse.

Clause 3.g of the EULA

[polished look 2]

You shall not use the Software to develop any software or other technology having the same primary function as the Software, including but not limited to using the Software in any development or test procedure that seeks to develop like software or other technology, or to determine if such software or other technology performs in a similar manner as the Software.

Re:Now if only...

[tzanger]

Can you meaningfully use OpenOffice with pipes and cron? No.

Actually you can (cron, but not so much pipes) -- OO supports quite a few command line switches and it also has remote control protocols and macros which make things like converting between formats, searching for text and other goodies easily done from the CLI or from remote.

I am very happy

[tSade]

One of my major problems with the flash 6 for linux was how it handled the fade ins and outs that you find in a lot of things on newgrounds. It took 5 to 10 times longer to actually do it compared to the Windows version. Some games also had a problem with the same timing. For a long time, I used crossover office just for the flash plugin but I got frustrated with it crashed constantly and having to reload or cleanup just to download a new flash. Thankfully, the new version actually does a fade in and out properly and one of my favorite music videos in flash, There she is! is almost perfect on my box.