[Workaround] Flashplayer 11.2 problems

[tandrews16]

I have one computer, the one my brother uses, where the flashplayer plugin 11.2.x refuses to run with Firefox in Mageia 2. It either goes to a blank spot where the video should be, or a black screen. Versions before 11.2.x will work, but Firefox's nanny function is now disabling it and it has to be re-activated each time my brother attempts to run a video. The computer uses a Biostar M7VIG Pro motherboard, with 2GB DDR RAM, an Athlon XP 2200+ processor, and an nvidia Geforce 6200OC AGP video card. Two other computers, with newer, faster processors, the ones I use ( ),one of which uses the same model video card, work fine with 11.2.x. All are running 32-bit Mageia 2, and the latest version of Firefox from Mozilla. ndiswrapper was never installed.

I would like to do one of the following:

1. Install the latest flashplayer and have it work. Or,
2. Get Firefox to stop nagging my brother about it, so he'll stop nagging me about it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[doktor5000]

Yoiu have tried the tips from the MAQeia? viewtopic.php?f=34&t=880

[tandrews16]

Yes. This problem first appeared with the upgrade to version 11.2.x from the Mageia repositories. It has persisted through all updates to 11.2.x. Installing or not installing the KDE plugin makes no difference. The only thing that works is to use the last 11.1.x version (don't remember the numbers off the top of my head) which I downloaded from Adobe's archives. The only thing I haven't done is download Google Chrome and install that. My brother does have the latest chromium (just got an update, in fact), but never uses it. The perfect example of a clueless user, he wants to use the browser he's used to.

[oj]

You tried uninstalling the nspluginwrapper package?

[tandrews16]

According to MCC, it's not installed. I don't remember now if I removed it back when the problem first appeared, or if it was never installed in the first place.

[tandrews16]

If true, the information in http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linuxquestions-org-member-success-stories-23/getting-flash-plug-in-to-work-with-older-cpus-4175420481/ points out why I'm having the problem. It's the older AMD Athlon XP 2200+ cpu. The other two computers, the ones that are working, have newer cpus - one a Pentium 4, the other an AMD Sempron 64 3100+.

Apparently, there are two possible solutions: Replace the motherboard, cpu, and probably the RAM and video card - or just put up with it the way it is and stop complaining. I expect my brother will choose the second option, at least for now.

Not going to mark this as solved, because as far as I'm concerned it ISN'T solved. And in fact, I think it would be a good idea for Mageia to somehow warn users with older equipment that they may need an older Flashplayer when they attempt to install the latest from the repositories. Thank you to all who responded and tried to help.

[tandrews16]

A temporary workaround to this problem was posted in a thread in alt.os.linux recently. The basic problem is that starting with version 11.2, Adobe compiled the flash player plugin for cpus with SSE2 capability. Older cpus that use SSE can't use it. However, the 11.2 flash plugin included in Google Chrome (not Chromium) for Linux was compiled for SSE, and that one can be used in Firefox with older processors. The last version of Chrome to use the 11.2 plugin was v. 19. Newer Chromes use the Pepper versions of the plugin, and that won't work with Firefox.

To get 11.2 capability for older processors, first download Chrome 19 from http://diddywahdiddy.net/Puppy500/Google_Chrome-19-Lucid-2.pet (Strange place to get it, I know. If anybody knows of another, please post it.) and extract it. You are looking for the file libgcflashplayer.so. Use MCC to remove Flashplayer if you installed from the repositories, and remove any copies of earlier versions of libflashplayer.so from /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins, then copy libgcflashplayer.so there, and rename it to libflashplayer.so.

That should do it. That should give you Flashplayer 11.2.202.235, which for now at least will eliminate the annoying warning messages Firefox gives you if you are using Flashplayer 11.1 or lower, and gives you somewhat better security than using those older versions. Unfortunately, further updates, for Firefox at least, aren't possible - unless Adobe relents and starts compiling for SSE again. For the latest, most up-to-date developments in Flashplayer for Linux, you need to install and use Google Chrome.

[djennings]

Thanks for the excellent advice tandrews16. It helped me get Flash working on an old PIII laptop I have been liberating from Windows XP.

I have taken the liberty of incorporating your advice into a Wiki page on Flash
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Flash_Plugin_Installation