MX Linux Forum

Hi, out of doubt I was just wanting to make sure that the discontinued and highly insecure flash plugin isn't going to be installed in MX 21 unlike with MX 19

It's gone for good now in Adobe and thus in all distros AFAIK.

great, thank you for your answer

it was also removed from the 19.4 isos.

< MX 20 still has this in the repo and it is broken (disable existing flash and I consider that update MALWARE):

adobe-flashplugin (1:20170411.1-0ubuntu0.12.04.1 => 1:20201208.1-1mx19+1)

That one DISABLES flash if you update to it.

For me, I MUST have flash. Just have far too many flash things to just throw them all in the garbage. YEARS worth. And there is no suitable software in Linux to convert them into something usable without all that command line nonsense.

Flash can still be of value if you run a virtual machine with an OS running flash too.

Too bad Linux won't auto sandbox Adobe Flash so you can still use flash, albeit safely.

Would be nice if I could select what I DON'T want updated instead of being forced to update everything. And keep it selected until I choose otherwise via a GUI.

You can pin what you don't want updated. Nobody is forcing you to apply all the updates that are provided for you.


https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/help-synaptic/
Look for the pinning section.

I am using the default MX Updater.
I was advised to NOT use synaptic if I can avoid it and stick with what the experts advice that make the operating system.

I have noticed that there is no 'pin' selection in synaptic.
Choices are remove, remove all, sometimes reinstall, and install.
There is no pin choice for me.

Additionally, there are far more updates available in synaptic than in mx updater.

Updates can be problematic. Either lose functionality (as with flash) or lose performance or lose everything.
Not rich enough here to afford an external RAID array.

Flash is dead, if you want that changed talk to Adobe, that’s the bottom line. It doesn’t matter what Distro it is.

If there is no pin option that means there is nothing to pin to.

adobe's last update for flash disables flash. that was recommended a year ago when flash was End of Life by adobe.

I don't think we have older versions of flash in our repo anymore. you could possible use mx19.2 and get a copy that way. I think synaptic calls pinning "Force version".

Stick a fork in flash, it's done. There should be no decent website that still uses flash. The only reasonable use case is if you have a webcam or similar device that requires flash to access the web interface but even then it's a sign that you probably need to replace that hardware.

I have an old .deb copy of flash that does work. Have to remove existing flash first.

Just looking for an EASY way (aka NO TYPING) to stop the updater from listing flash (really just need it ti ignore flash altogether).

Until I can get updates without tampering with flash. I am stuck not getting updates or trying to get them manually.

An 'ignore this update' per item choice would be NICE!

Could work for other issues as well.

Post 7.

My guess is the two flash packages installed, flashplugin and flash properties.

Here is what I had to do to get flash working:

sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove adobe-flashplugin

Then I installed this deb file:

adobe-flashplugin_20170411.1-0ubuntu0.12.04.1_amd64.deb

Flash worked for the most part.

Problem is that flash updates in the MX Updater forces me to update that newest version with everything else it lists.

Without a GUI that actually will convert flash to MP4 I am stuck using flash.
Oh and I have some flash games I like to play sometimes.
I do not believe that those can be converted.

I spent years downloading all those flash files and there are no replacements available for them anymore.

I also play some online games that still use flash.

Problem with the updater is that there is no check boxes to prevent certain things from being updated with the other updates.

Another prime example of the problem is that firefox esr was updated to a newer one and extensions no longer work nor are available.
I would have preferred to uncheck that one for upgrade.

Firejail can help if there is a security problem.
Or I can just run another linux in a virtual machine without security issues.

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

Without a GUI that actually will convert flash to MP4 I am stuck using flash.

We have had GUIs to convert .flv video to MP4 in the Debian and MX repos for many years. Even the stock VLC we ship can do it. What about Selene, qwinff or winFF on your Stretch-based MX 18, or MystiQ if you have MX 19 or above. MystiQ is pretty simple to use, but we have no idea if you require a very specific type of mp4 or not.

If you still want to use that rubbish, flash does have the Enterprise Enablement option.

Adrian wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:39 pm Stick a fork in flash, it's done. There should be no decent website that still uses flash. The only reasonable use case is if you have a webcam or similar device that requires flash to access the web interface but even then it's a sign that you probably need to replace that hardware.

I have a webcam from 2001 that doesn't need flash. The devices that rely on Flash aren't brilliant.

Enterprise enablement option?
That something you have to pay for?

A web cam is not the same as a flash video file or a flash game.
Besides I don't own a web cam nor a microphone for that matter.

As stated, there are many tools to convert flash video to other formats, Ciano in the MX Test Repo (use MX Package Installer > Test Repo tab) is supposed to be able to convert flv. There are others, I just don't know what those are. The games... we'll that's not so easy, but if the developers of those games abandoned them and didn't convert them... its just a sad loss.

If any online games still require flash... that's a good sign that you shouldn't be playing those... the people running those sites are doing a disservice to the web and the world and everyone living in/on both.

crazysquirrel wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 12:05 am Enterprise enablement option?
That something you have to pay for?

A web cam is not the same as a flash video file or a flash game.
Besides I don't own a web cam nor a microphone for that matter.

Maybe the Google can be of assistance. I don't have any use for Flash myself and have never done this. A handful of sites have popped up which have converted thousands of Flash games into HTML5-based forms.
Of course, the other option is to move onto something else. Is nostalgia worth the security risk? How many people still use carbon-arc lighting?

Flash games we have are generally self contained. No virus program has ever found a problem with them.
They are usually played offline too.

Those sites converting require me to use my expensive data program to both upload the original file and download the new one.
Those sites may also have issues with copycrap laws as well. Not to mention I think that they want to charge something for their efforts.

There are some web sites that still use flash.

crazysquirrel

Go to:

https://www.adobe.com/support/flashplay ... .html#fp15

Download:

Download the Flash Player Projector (64-bit)

Extract
Open folder
execute - flashplayer

Earl

Thank you Earl.
Adobe stopped allowing all Flash related software to be downloaded.
I did however, find a solution.
Thread may be closed now.

And what was the solution? You can mark the thread solved by clicking the checkmark in the upper right of the post that holds the solution.

Solution was to install flash from a deb file someone else had.
Once installed, I set it to stay that way so it is not overridden or removed.
I have enough flash files to fill a small hard drive.
And no way to convert them (for free and offline).
Closing threat if I can manage it.

Eadwine Rose wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:45 am And what was the solution? You can mark the thread solved by clicking the checkmark in the upper right of the post that holds the solution.

Umm there is nothing there for me to click on and certainly nothing that says solved or closed.

The checkmark on the post that holds the solution. I didn't say it said solved or closed

Solution was to install flash from a deb file someone else had.
That was the solution but there is no checkbox anywhere.

Only things there are Edit, Report, Quote.

You don't have the V button to the right of the quote?

Only have exclamation point and the quote symbol for quoting. Next thing to the right is a picture of a tree and your name underneath it.




Awfully tiny screenshot.....

Once logged in, you should see a check Mark on the previous posts.



Click this and it marks solved - on that post