Ubuntu Flash performance

Discussion in 'Linux / Unix Discussion' started by Phoenix, May 23, 2008.

  1. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Hi guys

    I've had Ubuntu on the laptop for about a month now, and the one major issue I have that could cause me to revert is flash performance, out of the box its shocking, flash videos suck as does flash websites, now i'm not sure its a FF issue, although have not tested in anything else

    anyone got an insight into this? any tips/pointers?
     
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  2. ThomasMc

    ThomasMc Gigabyte Poster

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    what version of firefox are you runing? the out the box version is a beta :blink it could also be down to what flash player that you installed last time i checked there was 3 diffrent players
     
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  3. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Yup its FF3 beta, working fine on the PC though so not convinced its a FF issue just yet, I have read a lot of people having flash issues though

    I have fiddled with the installer to try and change the flash version with no luck so far
     
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  4. ffreeloader

    ffreeloader Terabyte Poster

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    What do you mean by "flash performance"? That could take in a lot of things, but you seem to be referring to something specific. I haven't had any issues with flash for quite a while. It's been at least since the version 9 betas came out that I haven't had any issues with flash and that's been more than a year ago. Before that with version 7 there were issues with timing between audio and video that got bad sometimes.
     
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  5. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    well flash websites load with giant "play" buttons in the place of actual flash, you have to click on them and they play very slow

    same with flash video, a 20 second youtube video may take 2 minutes to play end to end!
     
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  6. ffreeloader

    ffreeloader Terabyte Poster

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    From a bash prompt enter "dpkg -l | grep swf", then replace swf with "flash", and post back what shows up both times.
     
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  7. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Here you go matey :)

    rcoates@defiant:~$ dpkg -l | grep swf
    ii libswfdec-0.6-90 0.6.4-2 SWF (Macromedia Flash) decoder library
    ii swfdec-mozilla 0.6.0-2ubuntu1 Mozilla plugin for SWF files (Macromedia Fla
    rcoates@defiant:~$ dpkg -l | grep flash
    rc flashplugin-nonfree 9.0.124.0ubuntu2 Adobe Flash Player plugin installer
    rcoates@defiant:~$
     
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  8. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    well I boosted performance a little, i apt-get remove swfdec

    and now youtube seems to be using the adobe player, however performance is still like 5fps and has no sound (Better than the 1fps i was getting)

    this really should work out the box :)
     
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  9. ffreeloader

    ffreeloader Terabyte Poster

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    Remove the swfdec library and reinstall the flashplugin. See the "rc" at the beginning of the flashplugin line? That means it's not installed correctly. It means the flashplugin package is basically in a half-installed/ uninstalled state. It's a wonder it's working at all.
     
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  10. ffreeloader

    ffreeloader Terabyte Poster

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    LOL.... Yeah, uh-huh. Just like it works OOTB with Windows?

    And, I just installed Hardy in a VM. The reason you're having flash problems is because you screwed up. You installed at least two separate plugins, and possibly 3 if you installed gnash, and they are fighting over which plugin is going to run the flash content.

    As soon as you went to a site with flash content you got a popup showing you your options for what to install. You installed them all, and now that there's a conflict between the multiple plugins you installed to play the same file you're complaining.... :rolleyes:
     
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  11. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    LOL.... Yeah, uh-huh. Just like it works OOTB with Windows?

    A typical statement Freddy, but unfounded

    On windows I goto adobe.com/flash and install flash
    everything works

    On windows I goto videolan.org and install VLC
    everything works

    there really is nothing to it
    it works in all browsers, no clever plug ins, now fcking around with apt-get to fix things


    Now not being a Linux expert, perhaps I did **** up and install more than one, but for what its worth I would expect something to tell me I can only install one at a time unless I'm an advanced user, if I can make the **** up I'm pretty sure a Linux n00b can, the problem is the attitude of the linuxrati is that of yours 'haha but windows is no better' that's simply NOT the attitude needed to make it more mainstream, sorry, and if that attitude remains it will always remain and outcast OS suitable for servers and hardcore linux fans only

    I'm passed the point in my life of wanting to troubleshoot simple problems like flash, there are things I expect to work so I can dedicate my time to other things! things that are more appropriate to the 21st century and not the 20th! Flash should just work! (of course this is as much the fault of adobe as the Linux distros, but it doesn't matter whos fault it is, its still a fault!)

    Anyway, I do appreciate your help freddy, much obliged! now to go try remove this libswfdec (said something about no package found with I did an apt-get remove)
     
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  12. ThomasMc

    ThomasMc Gigabyte Poster

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    Phoenix use the Synaptic Package Manager

    System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager

    Hit the search button and the look for the two packages

    "swfdec"
    "libswfdec"

    this will show you what version(if any) that are installed, you can right click and install/reinstall/remove/update

    [Edit]
    i would also suggest searching for

    "flashplugin-nonfree"
    "gnash"
     
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  13. ffreeloader

    ffreeloader Terabyte Poster

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    I wasn't laughing at you. And, I don't think that upon seeing 3 different plugins that even a noob wouldn't ask themselves about only needing 1 and installing only the one they understand that they need. You're looking for a flash plugin, you know you're looking for a flash plugin, and you don't try only the flash plugin? It just doesn't make sense.

    And yes, it is better than windows. You don't even have to surf to the Adobe flash site to install the plugin. You stay in one place and everything is done for you.

    Besides, you're not even a Linux noob. You've run the geekiest Linux distro there is, Gentoo. You understand that in the Linux world there are multiple options for everything. That's one of the strengths of open source. You're not tied to one option, and one option only, especially where proprietary software is involved. I expect you to understand that very well.

    I figured you were screwing up deliberately just to knock Linux. Besides, I'm no linuxarati. I'm just learning like everyone else. I'm so far away from being one of the elite Linux users it's not funny. I just get sick of this same old thing coming back from Windows users: Well, I had to learn how to do things in Windows now I should never have to learn anything else because I've already learned Windows. Talk about elitism and arrogance. That takes the cake, and it's what I hear time and time again from Windows users. The longer they've used Windws, the more skillful they are in Windows, the more they say it. To me it's the height of elitism.
     
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  14. ThomasMc

    ThomasMc Gigabyte Poster

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    C'mon Freddie, calm down bud. I seen the funny side of the comment about working out of the box because i haven't seen one OS that works out of the box this early in its life.
     
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  15. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Screwing up deliberately to knock linux? lol come on Freddy you know me better than that :)
    and yeah, perhaps it was n00b to install more than one flash player, but I figured FF would only associate one with swf and flv files anyway (much like it does on windows) the problem seems to be with the additional library file, which I didnt realise had been installed (like i said, swfdec showed as uninstalled, and gnash was never installed, not sure how i managed to get libswfdec but i did something wrong somewhere :)

    Yes linux is more flexible and powerful in that respect, an open source nazi could avoid all the non free closed source apps like flash, nvidia drivers etc, but its verrry confusing for those who don't need or want the power (probably why the eeePC and GeOS have faired pretty well, very simple! I just thought ubuntu was one of the 'just works' distros ;)


    Right, your pointer seems to of sorted something, I did apt-get remove libswfdec-xx-xxx (i needed the exact number there, thats why it wasnt working earlier) and swfdec was showing up as not installed in the application manager (go figure)


    a dpkg -l now shows libswfdec with the RC flag you mentioned, even though it seems to of been uninstalled
    and flash-notfree now shows as ii not RC

    Audio now works in FF, performance is MUCH Better albiet still lower than perfect (no longer an issue for youtube vids, they are not oscar winners and performance doesnt hinder the viewing now, its just a bit jumpy in places



    Cheers freddy ;)
     
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  16. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    On another note freddy

    I have never had ANYTHING against linux, and would never trounce it for the sake of it, I'm just listing my issues as someone who has just installed it after a 2 year break

    Might I add that I had to 'learn' things again when I bought a mac 8 months ago, and I had no problems with that, why must I be 'a typical windows user who hates to learn new stuff' just because I run into a problems on a less than fully polished operating system? I don't complain when I have to fiddle with ini and inf files in beta releases of windows to get things working, because I EXPECT to have to fiddle, its a beta!
     
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