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Except for users using a 64-bit browser under Linux. We don't have the choice of using Adobe's product.

True, I honeslty forgot about that. I do hope Adobe will put out a 64bit version when FP9 is finally done.

You do have a choice, you can run 32-bit browser or use plugin wrapper (http://freshmeat.net/projects/nspluginwrapper/).

Cool, I didn't know such a thing existed! Thanks for the tip, now I can install 64-bit Gentoo

You do have a choice, you can run 32-bit browser or use plugin wrapper

Or not use Flash. I have no problem with not being able to view lots of crappy emo videos on myspace and not getting bombarded with flash ads.

I might try Gnash though - there are times it would be handy, even if I secretly wish web designers would get over Flash.

Wine on Linux is starting to get fairly stable. If you run firefox through wine it'll do Flash on 64bit linux just fine (well most of the time

Do you have more than 4 GB or ram? If not, why use a 64 bit version?

/me happily uses 32-bit ubuntu on my amd 64 bit box

"Do you have more than 4 GB or ram? If not, why use a 64 bit version?"

A. In most cases, it's ~2-3GB per user-land process.
B. 64bit has additional registers that improve performance by 5-25% (depending on the application).
C. Running 32bit software on 64bit OS requires a boat-load of 32bit dependencies.

- Gilboa

You mean those people on PPC or amd64? The ones that have NOTHING right now? I'm not sure I'd call a plugin that doesn't run at all "far superior".

Edited 2006-11-17 22:19

Hard to believe isn't it? It would appear Adobe just doesn't seem to think we 64 bit users are worth developing for.

Yeah, it will come eventually, especially as the number of 64-bit boxes begins to overshadow the 32-bit systems of yore. Isn't there a way to run the 32-bit mode one though? Kinda like how Win32 can still run Win16 mode apps? I'll admit to being clueless when it comes to 64-bit computing. I'll probably still be running the same Athlon XP 2500 I've been running for the last 3 years for the next 5 years.

>> You mean those people on PPC or amd64? The ones that have NOTHING right now? I'm not sure I'd call a plugin that doesn't run at all "far superior".

Um, my comment had nothing to do with people on PPC, because I was referring to the majority of computer users - those who use the IA32/x86 arch, and it's variants. No one wants to listen to "justified indignation" with regard to other minority arches. Less popular CPUs = less attention from the mainstream of programmers, and less support.

There is a 32 bit compatiblity layer but I didn't kick down 2k plus worth of hardware to run crippled so I am going without, fsck 'em.

No one wants to listen to "justified indignation" with regard to other minority arches. Less popular CPUs = less attention from the mainstream of programmers, and less support.

Right, so stop using Linux (or your favourite alternative OS, or even MacOS X) just now. No one wants to listen to "justified indignation" with regard to other minority operating systems. Less popular OSs = less attention from the mainstream of programmers, and less support.

Sarcasm apart, if a bunch of folks working more or less for hobby on Gnash starting from zero can make a multi-architecture plugin, there's no excuse for Adobe not doing it.

Sarcasm apart, if a bunch of folks working more or less for hobby on Gnash starting from zero can make a multi-architecture plugin, there's no excuse for Adobe not doing it.

Either you're confusing capability with incentive, or you're under the mistaken impression that Adobe is a non-profit charity.

Sarcasm apart, if a bunch of folks working more or less for hobby on Gnash starting from zero can make a multi-architecture plugin, there's no excuse for Adobe not doing it.

From what I've read, Flash was written using a good deal of assembly [1], which is why it will be difficult to port. I doubt the hobbyists putting together gnash are at the point of focusing on speed issues yet, and it may not be fast enough for real use without similar optimizations.


[1] http://www.kaourantin.net/2005/08/porting-flash-player-to-alternati...

actually gnash/gplflash plays some swf files considerably faster than adobes (in talking about some stuff adobes cant do in realtime speed). and well, its not because gplflash/gnash just not does some of its things, cause the output looks the same

True, but at the same time, atleast with this, people won't be held to ransome by Adobe; people said the same thing about the early PDF readers, and now, the purpose of using the 'blessed' version from Adobe? very niche needs.

It would be nice if Gnash actually put up a todo list so that devotee's such as myself can track what needs to be implemented.

yes, gnash now got audio support. Though not for external mp3-files yet, so online radios like pandora.com wont work - yet.

One of the best new features is the 2D Anti-Grain Geometry (agg) graphics support,

Oh, AGG is nice. But it have now changed its license from BSD to GPL. :-(
In case of Gnash it makes no problem, because it is itself GPL. Also there exitsing the possibility to use old versions of AGG.
But its a sad thing, that the Author have changed the license.
http://www.antigrain.com/license/index.html

But the author sais, you can contact him about this if you want:
http://www.antigrain.com/news/index.html

And at
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=30899158&for...
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=30900865&for...
people sayd, that they have already planed to integrate AGG into Firefox and co for rendering.

Hell no, what Linux users need its a Free alternative to flash, ain't that the porpose of SVG?

To me the problem is the lack of SVG animation software makers, the standar and the format is there but till now nobody in the free world have has the initiciative to start a project with that magnitude.

We have inkscape and is great, now we need something that can do what inkscape does plus animation and scripting.

Inkscape will do animation in the future, since animation is part of the SVG specification and they want to be fully compatible with the specs. As for scripting, I don't have clue.

OpenVG is also really cool, which means, SVG acceleration on top of OpenGL

Edited 2006-11-18 03:12

SVG can be scripted right now with JavaScript manipulating the DocumentObjectModel.

From what I understand, creating animated SVG, like implementing fullyn(which no one has done with SVG - only small parts of it/bare minimum) SVG, is due to the complex nature of it.

Its unfortunate that a company like Adobe just don't opensource the bloody plugin under a BSD licence so everyone using every device imaginable can access flash content - it certainly would boost users, developers and software sales; its a win-win situation. Too bad Adobe has its head up its ass half the time.

True, and I support that. But the OP is right. Web development, unfortunately (I don't like Flash that much) needs Flash development, in the real world.

Having a free suite to develop Flash and a working free Flash plugin would make Flash an almost-free format -that is, a format that is editable and readable with just free software. It still wouldn't be a real free format, but it would be a big improvement both for free software and for interoperability with proprietary software.

I second this question

Does anybody know if there is an ETA for a relatively stable build of gnash that will play, for example, youtube and myspace videos (yes, i like my emo videos )?
It's being worked on, and will hopefully be ready within a few months or less.