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Why Is Adobe Flash On Linux Still Broken?

Posted by kdawson on from the where-there's-a-will dept.

mwilliamson writes "As I sit reading my morning paper online I still cannot view the embedded videos due to auto-detection of my Flash player not working. One in every three or four YouTube videos crashes the browser. I remember sometime back reading that Adobe has a very small development team (possibly only one) working on the Linux port of Flash. It has occurred to me that Flash on Linux is the one major entry barrier controlling acceptance of Linux as a viable desktop operating system. No matter how stably, smoothly, efficiently, and correctly Linux runs on a machine, the public will continue to view it as second-rate if Flash keeps crashing. This is the worst example of being tied down and bound by a crappy 3rd-party product over which no Linux distribution has any control. GNASH is nice, but it just isn't there 100%. I really do have to suspect Adobe's motivation for keeping Flash on Linux in such a deplorable state."

4 of 963 comments (clear)

  1. Fixed in FF2 as well by schon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Running Slackware 12, with FF 2, and it works for me.. I watch a lot of youtube - it's never been a problem.

    Interestingly, FF on my fedora box at work will hang randomly when I leave a flash site (especially Youtube) - it doesn't appear to be dependent upon the video or site, because I can re-visit the same one and have no problems.

    I'd say it's a distro problem, not a flash problem.

  2. Re:Probably... by Chaos+Incarnate · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Unfortunately, that's a point that seems to go whooshing over the heads of many a Linux zealot.

    --
    Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
  3. Re:so in other words by mccabem · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    your answer is no. the more you spout off the crazier you sound. have you personally read every line of code for every app on your system?

    BillG (sorry to out you): You make it sound like there's no point to open sourcecode just because every user can't read every line.

    Aren't you rich enough?! Now go away!

    -Matt

  4. I've never had these problems by jrothwell97 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I've used Flash on many distros, both on x86 and x64 platforms. I've never had much of a problem with it. Gnash, on the other hand, is slow, doesn't adhere to the Flash specification, and I've never got it to work properly. (It's a bit like WINE was five years ago - absolute crap when displaying anything other than "Hello World".)

    --
    Those using pirated Tinysoft signatures(TM) are a real threat to society and should all be thrown in jail.