Installing the Adobe Flash plugin on Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Hero

[Hamish Taylor]

In a continuing series of articles highlighting that GNU/Linux is a viable replacement operating system, today we're exploring how to install the Adobe Flash plugin for the popular Ubuntu distribution.

Related stories

• Changing operating systems requires a change in mindset
• How often do we need GNU/Linux releases?
• Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex" (Alpha 6): first impressions
• Ubuntu loses its virginity, turns commercial
• Ubuntu faces an EULA problem

This is going to be a very short "How To" article directly addressing the concerns that loyal readers and commenters have raised in my last article. "Matrix" indicated that when he tried Linux he was he was unable to find and install the Adobe Flash plugin. So let's look at how to do that.

Firstly, we are going to take a leaf out of my own book and look at this from the "Linux way" or persective. As I suggested in my last article, using the Package Manager is the first place you should look for an application installation.

Go to System, Administration, Synaptic Package Manager. Type in your password. Click on Search and type in something like "adobe flash". Click on the Search button.

You should get two applications showing up. Having a look at the Description on the right-hand side reveals that the second one down states it is the "Adobe Flash plugin installer". Sounds like what we are looking for! Right click on that and select "Mark for Installation".

Now click on Apply (look for the big green tick icon). Wait a few seconds for the Package Manager to do it's job. Once the installation is finished you can close the Package Manager.

Now go to a website which uses Flash, such as YouTube and test if it works.

Whilst this "How To" is aimed at the Adobe Flash plugin, there is no reason why it cannot be extended to any application. As I have previously mentioned, using the Package Manager is the easiest way to begin searching for applications. In most cases you'll find what you are looking for and from the Package Manager and it is trivial to install these applications.

In fact, I am becoming convinced that installing applications in Linux, using a Package Manager, is easier than Windows. Soon I will write an article outlining this further.

As always, please leave feedback, comments and questions. However, I will only respond to comments left on iTWire article discussion forums. The direct link for this article is here.


Article Link at http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21006/1162/

[mark-00]

the other method is to navigate to say... youtube in firefox and when a dropdown appears and says install missing plugin, press the button and choose the adobe link, install and voila.....!

[MY NAME YOU TOOL]

Yup - easier than in windows. I showed my wife once how to do it (she is a very very basic user) and she does it as something to do.

And I don't have the issue of her installing all these nasties that appear in pop-up ads (which IE was useless at blocking). This problem being what originally necessitated me installing Ubuntu in the first place.

[Guest]

I installed via the Firefox popup, works perfectly. Although, Flash 9 seems to be a bit of a drain on the CPU, nevertheless, no problems. Waiting for Flash 10 for Linux.

Also, for Ubuntu 8.04, I installed all the codecs, multimedia and fonts etc with two actions: installing Ubuntu Restricted Extras and enabling the Medibuntu repository (you install whats in there). Was quick and easy. That was it.

[Matrix]

@ Hamish, thanks.

@ mark-00, I have already tried to do what you suggested because a Google search showed me some other guy's advice on this matter... so, some weeks back, when I was taking a look at Ubuntu 8.04, I launched Firefox in Ubuntu looking for that drop down box but it was not there The screenshot I saw in someone else's instructions did show the drop down you mention, however, when I tried... nothing... so... not to give up, i went to Adobe's web site using Firefox in Ubuntu and went to the flash player link... the web page detected that I was using a Linux OS and it gave me two separate files for Linux which I could choose from... I had no idea which of the two to choose, so I chose the first one... then i followed the command terminal prompts as stated on the Adobe site, but it did not work... I had saved it on my desktop but the command lines said it couldn't find the file... oh well... I was quite angry by this time... so I went to play some music... an MP3... I double clicked the MP3 icon and I got some note saying I needed a codec... I tried to see how to do this but couldn't work it out on my own... I got even angrier... I figured I could waste hours going around in circles and then I asked myself "why bother... Windows XP works already and does everything I need it to and much much more".

Ubuntu is simply not ready to compete with Windows... not by a long shot... Linux newbies don't know anything about Synaptic Package Managers or even that this thing exists for that matter... and if people don't know things exist, how can they know to use them? Ubuntu needs wizards that jump out at you... without them, you won't attract anyone to Linux other than people who go to bed at night dreaming about Fortran, C++ and straight machine code.

Argue and debate all you like... no one can deny the fact that Linux is nothing compared to Windows (at this time)... user uptake is the proof in the pudding

Enjoy your evening... warm and humid here in Brisbane... 28 deg C at the moment... 6.45 p.m... perhaps a storm is coming

[gnusci]

@ Hamish, thanks.

@ mark-00, I have already tried to do what you suggested because a Google search showed me some other guy's advice on this matter... so, some weeks back, when I was taking a look at Ubuntu 8.04, I launched Firefox in Ubuntu looking for that drop down box but it was not there The screenshot I saw in someone else's instructions did show the drop down you mention, however, when I tried... nothing... so... not to give up, i went to Adobe's web site using Firefox in Ubuntu and went to the flash player link... the web page detected that I was using a Linux OS and it gave me two separate files for Linux which I could choose from... I had no idea which of the two to choose, so I chose the first one... then i followed the command terminal prompts as stated on the Adobe site, but it did not work... I had saved it on my desktop but the command lines said it couldn't find the file... oh well... I was quite angry by this time... so I went to play some music... an MP3... I double clicked the MP3 icon and I got some note saying I needed a codec... I tried to see how to do this but couldn't work it out on my own... I got even angrier... I figured I could waste hours going around in circles and then I asked myself "why bother... Windows XP works already and does everything I need it to and much much more".

Ubuntu is simply not ready to compete with Windows... not by a long shot... Linux newbies don't know anything about Synaptic Package Managers or even that this thing exists for that matter... and if people don't know things exist, how can they know to use them? Ubuntu needs wizards that jump out at you... without them, you won't attract anyone to Linux other than people who go to bed at night dreaming about Fortran, C++ and straight machine code.

Argue and debate all you like... no one can deny the fact that Linux is nothing compared to Windows (at this time)... user uptake is the proof in the pudding

Enjoy your evening... warm and humid here in Brisbane... 28 deg C at the moment... 6.45 p.m... perhaps a storm is coming

Im so sorry for your bad experience, but it could be that you are not ready for Linux, since Linux is another operative system NOT a clone of Windows, doesn't need to behave as your Windows experience, for me Linux it is the best experience, so I wouldn't like Linux to be like Windows, cause that's the main reason I use Linux. After I did install my Ubuntu 8.04 I was able to play flash videos, mp3, connect to my wifi, internet radio, and so on, I think there is not difference between your Ubuntu 8.04 and mine!

[tymiles]

Most people just dont read.

If you install Windows from scratch it doesn't come with all the Codex nor does it come with Flash.

But if people take the time to read, installing software in Ubuntu is simple. No different then the App Store on the iPhone. Uses the same system basicly.

BUT people are used to doing things the Windows way. If the guy above had just went to the help icon on the top task bar or searched the help docs on the Ubuntu website he would of had the answer in 5 minutes and been done. But he will sit here and bash Ubuntu because he doesn't read?

Crazy!