What's the correct Flash plugin for Firefox?

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dclement

What's the correct Flash plugin for Firefox?

Post by dclement »

Hello,

We've just set up a Netgear Arlo surveillance system. It has revealed what looks like a Flash issue:

In Chromium (flashplugin 28.0.0.126), we are able to watch the video feeds. But we much prefer Firefox...

In Firefox, we get a ":connection failed" error. Many Netgear Arlo users report this and point to a Flash issue. So I checked in Synaptic, and I was surprised to find all these packages installed:
- mint-flashplugin 2016.12.24 (metapackage)
- mint-flashplugin-11 11.2.202.644
- mint-flashplugin-steam 11.2.202.460
- mint-flashplugin-24 28.0.0.126
Am I right to assume that only the last one should be kept? Perhaps the old ones interfere.

OTTH, the following are not installed:
- flashplayer-mozilla 3:28.0.0.126
- flashplugin-nonfree 1:3.6.1
Perhaps these could help?

I'm a bit lost among all these Flash packages. TIA for any insight. BR, Daniel
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
TomRoche

Re: What's the correct Flash plugin for Firefox?

Post by TomRoche »

dclement wrote:I checked in Synaptic, and I was surprised to find all these packages installed:
- mint-flashplugin 2016.12.24 (metapackage)
- mint-flashplugin-11 11.2.202.644
- mint-flashplugin-steam 11.2.202.460
- mint-flashplugin-24 28.0.0.126
Am I right to assume that only the last one should be kept?
I suspect not: Flash in Firefox WFM (per this test site), with

Code: Select all

$ date ; aptitude search '~i flash' -F '%c %p %V'
Wed Jan 10 17:12:57 MST 2018
i libhal1-flash            0.3.2-dmo2+bp2
i mint-flashplugin         2016.12.14
i mint-flashplugin-11      11.2.202.644
i mint-flashplugin-24      28.0.0.126
... except, now that I think about it, this box is actually running Waterfox (version=56.0.2), which is a fork of pre-Quantum Firefox. But when I run the command above, and the link above, on a box running gen-you-wine Firefox version=57.0.4, I get the same results. So ISTM the above packages should work on either pre- or post-WebExtensions foxen.
zorzi

Re: What's the correct Flash plugin for Firefox?

Post by zorzi »

Well, with LMDE2, I'm used to remove mintflashplugin.

I prefer using flashplayer-chromium (from dmo), coupled with browser-plugin-freshplayer-pepperflash (from backports).

This way, flash is working both with Chromium (and chromium-based browsers) and Firefox.
dclement

Re: What's the correct Flash plugin for Firefox?

Post by dclement »

Thanks to both for the replies,
TomRoche wrote:[...]Flash in Firefox WFM (per this test site)[...]
For me too, though it complains that Flash is slightly outdated ("Your version28.0.0.126 Latest Version28.0.0.137"). But unfortunately, I still get the same error (described in my post #1).
zorzi wrote:[...]I prefer using flashplayer-chromium (from dmo),
I have that one.
... coupled with browser-plugin-freshplayer-pepperflash (from backports). [...]
I hadn't noticed this one, because it is in backports. Unfortunately, adding it didn't solve my issue :(

[Edit:] However, adding browser-plugin-freshplayer-pepperflash and flashplayer-mozilla while removing mint-flashplugin did give the following "result". If I click the "play" button on each camera, I get either a "request timed out" message, or I'm back to the initial window (with a play button to click). No more :connection failed.
TomRoche

soooo ... why Flash?

Post by TomRoche »

dclement wrote:adding browser-plugin-freshplayer-pepperflash and flashplayer-mozilla while removing mint-flashplugin did give the following "result". If I click the "play" button on each camera, I get either a "request timed out" message, or I'm back to the initial window (with a play button to click). No more :connection failed.
So this, in addition to your previous history forces me to raise a question I had privately entertained earlier, when I read
dclement wrote:We've just set up a Netgear Arlo surveillance system. It has revealed what looks like a Flash issue:
Why use a surveillance system that streams with Flash? I'll just say upfront, I know nothing about this particular application space, e.g., what's available at what prices. I *do* believe (as I suspect you do also) that Flash is an obsolete and (empirically) declining technology. (IIRC it EOLs 2020.) Isn't there an available HTML5 alternative?
dclement

Re: soooo ... why Flash?

Post by dclement »

TomRoche wrote:[...]Why use a surveillance system that streams with Flash? [...]
That's because Arlo is the one and only system that I know of, which features 100% wireless waterproof cameras which run for 6+ months on batteries only.

Let me elaborate a little, provided you don't laugh at us. Granted, we probably don't use Arlo the way Mr Netgear has intended it. In fact we use it to survey... live tortoises (hermanni boettgeri) that we raise in our garden (in a suitable enclosure). Right now they should be hibernating, but the younger one refuses to do so, and we have to keep an eye on him all the time. Still, we have little use for the motion detectors :)
TomRoche

Re: soooo ... why Flash?

Post by TomRoche »

TomRoche wrote:[...]Why use a surveillance system that streams with Flash?
dclement wrote:100% wireless waterproof cameras which run for 6+ months on batteries only.
That does sound like a hard constraint. You might consider whining to Netgear to update to HTML5 video, given the already-scheduled Flash EOL.
dclement wrote:we have little use for the motion detectors
Or audio activation I'm guessing ... unless they scream when the have bad dreams ?-)
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