I don't get it - ANOTHER Adobe flash update ?

[punkbiscuit]

Barely a month goes by without another update for security bugs.

Why ?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I was concerned about that update because I don't even think I have Flash installed 9and I don't want anything from Adobe installed on any of my machines!). I searched with Catfish, searched in the start menu, and used the software manager to look for it and I didn't see any entries showing it installed. Have I missed any other way to make sure that it isn't installed?

[Pjotr]

I was concerned about that update because I don't even think I have Flash installed 9and I don't want anything from Adobe installed on any of my machines!). I searched with Catfish, searched in the start menu, and used the software manager to look for it and I didn't see any entries showing it installed. Have I missed any other way to make sure that it isn't installed?

Check with Synaptic. Software Manager shows only a limited selection.

@punkbiscuit: Adobe Flash Player is traditionally under heavy attack by the bad guys; it's a high-risk package. You might try doing without it.

[stormryder]

Barely a month goes by without another update for security bugs.

Its really about job security, not your security.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I was concerned about that update because I don't even think I have Flash installed 9and I don't want anything from Adobe installed on any of my machines!). I searched with Catfish, searched in the start menu, and used the software manager to look for it and I didn't see any entries showing it installed. Have I missed any other way to make sure that it isn't installed?

Check with Synaptic. Software Manager shows only a limited selection.

@punkbiscuit: Adobe Flash Player is traditionally under heavy attack by the bad guys; it's a high-risk package. You might try doing without it.

Thanks! Turned out, I did have it. Notice I said "did".

[cliffcoggin]

Barely a month goes by without another update for security bugs.

Why ?

Because barely a month goes by without another another vulnerability being found in Flash. Thankfully it will be dead by the end of the year.

[Ragz]

Just what does Adobe flash player do on a system? I have the plugin and looking on Synaptic it states it's for the Chromium and Mozilla browsers. Along with this update today came updates for the Chromium and Mozilla Browsers. Does it run the video's on the browsers?

[Moem]

It shows moving and/or interactive content on the rare sites that still use it. If you don't need it, so much the better; if you (still) do, better keep it updated.

[punkbiscuit]

Well I'm struggling to know where the Adobe components are being used on my system.
I assumed that reading FLASH or an Adobe format stuff was done by independent Linux source ?

How would I find out ?

Does FF or Chromium use it somewhere maybe.
Lots of questions .

It just seems to crazy that for years now, both on Linux and Windows that barely a month goes by without another update
to fix ANOTHER 99 bugs.

Are these guys really so stupid, or as one poster mentioned, it just keeps these buggers employed to write fixes for the
newly bugs they built in ?

[Pjotr]

It just seems to crazy that for years now, both on Linux and Windows that barely a month goes by without another update
to fix ANOTHER 99 bugs.

Are these guys really so stupid, or as one poster mentioned, it just keeps these buggers employed to write fixes for the
newly bugs they built in ?

You might also be appreciative for the efforts they put into keeping Flash Player as secure as possible. Just sayin'.

[punkbiscuit]

You might also be appreciative for the efforts they put into keeping Flash Player as secure as possible. Just sayin'.

Oh - I have applied the update.
But one day it would be nice to know how to avoid using it all together.
No attack vector = no problem

[cliffcoggin]

If you don't like Flash, turn it off.

[Moem]

Well I'm struggling to know where the Adobe components are being used on my system.
I assumed that reading FLASH or an Adobe format stuff was done by independent Linux source ?

How would I find out ?

Does FF or Chromium use it somewhere maybe.

Yes. Like I said: it's used for certain websites. So, yes, that means in browsers.

[punkbiscuit]

Thanks all.
I think I've worked out how to get rid of it.
Thankfully I don't think that any website I use actually uses it, so no loss anyway.

[Ragz]

If you don't like Flash, turn it off.

How do you turn it off?

[Schultz]

tweetybird wrote:
How do you turn it off?

In Firefox, paste this about:addons in the address bar and press enter. Look for Shockwave Flash, click on the 3 dots, then in the drop down menu put a check-mark next to "Never Activate."

I'd recommend just uninstalling it though.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

tweetybird wrote:
How do you turn it off?

In Firefox, paste this about:addons in the address bar and press enter. Look for Shockwave Flash, click on the 3 dots, then in the drop down menu put a check-mark next to "Never Activate."

I'd recommend just uninstalling it though.

I agree about installing it. Despite the frequent updates suggesting otherwise, Adobe is often slow about fixing newly found security holes. Until those holes get fixed, the chances of a machine being compromised is greater.

Support and distribution of Adobe flash is ending at the end of this year. Since support for it is hit and miss anyway and almost no one is using Flash anymore, why not just get rid of it now and be done with it?

[Ragz]

What is the alternative to Adobe Flash?

[Schultz]

There is no alternative (it doesn't need one ).

EDIT
Most websites now use HTML5 video, although I wouldn't call it an alternative to flash in the strictest sense of the word. Browsers can play HTML5 videos without the need for a plug-in.

[sleeper12]

The problem though is that certain sites still require flash. I use a few myself and I'm not willing to give them up until flash comes to an end.