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posted by takyon on Monday September 26 2016, @10:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the flashy-future dept.

PCWorld reports that Adobe has decided to start supporting Flash player on Linux again. This seems to entail mostly security updates for now and not many new features. Also, Flash seems to be on the decline. However, it is still likely welcome news for those required to use sites with Flash, and who do not want to use Chrome browser..

Adobe just pulled a major about-face. After axing the NPAPI Flash plugin used by Firefox and other browsers on Linux in 2012, Adobe has decided to begin updating it again and to keep it updated after the previously announced 2017 end-of-life date.

The NPAPI version of Flash for Linux, used by Firefox and other browsers, has been stuck at version 11.2 since 2012. Adobe also axed its Adobe Reader and Adobe AIR software for Linux. Adobe's been providing security updates for Flash since then, but promised it would stop doing so in 2017.

The PPAPI Flash plugin for Linux, which is included with Google Chrome, has been kept up to date with the latest features. But many browsers, such as Firefox, must use the NPAPI plugin instead of the PPAPI plugin

Adobe just had a sudden change of heart and decided to update the NPAPI plugin for Linux. The NPAPI Flash plugin for Linux is about to catapult from version 11.2 to version 23 and will stay current with the other Flash plugins going forward. "We have done this significant change to improve security and provide additional mitigation to the Linux community," reads Adobe's blog post on the subject.


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  • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday September 27 2016, @02:35AM

    by edIII (791) on Tuesday September 27 2016, @02:35AM (#406819)

    You're not missing much. I turn it off everywhere I can and only let it run on YouTube occasionally.

    "HTML5 YouTube Everywhere" - It's broken at the moment, but it shows how once anyone opens the door to HTML5 video instead that many refuse to use anything else.

    I've made a couple of websites with video, and that is all HTML5 too. That will kill Adobe in the long run since even THEY have HTML5 authoring tools now.

    Which makes it more of a legacy supporting activity than anything. The writing is on the wall for Flash, and Adobe knows it.

    Continue disregarding Flash :)

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 27 2016, @02:20PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 27 2016, @02:20PM (#406956)

    I don't have Flash installed on either my Winders (work) or several Linux (home) boxen. I haven't found anything on youtube that won't play. You can comfortably abandon Flash and that extension.