Adobe Flash Player Auto Updater

[zakjoh]

Your code would add the option to make it auto update.

I started integrating the automatic update.
To be continued ...

Could this option be set to check at each boot up and auto update as needed without any user prompt?

It would save having to keep rewriting and chucking away DVD-r disks.

[ASRI éducation]

Your code would add the option to make it auto update.

I started integrating the automatic update.

Could this option be set to check at each boot up and auto update as needed without any user prompt?
It would save having to keep rewriting and chucking away DVD-r disks.

Hello zakjoh,

For my first test, I did as Geoffrey: check the presence of an update, then offer its installation. The installation requires confirmation (one click) of the user.

The silent automatic installation is possible, but it is a good idea?
I need to think about it.
What is the opinion of Geoffrey?

Regards,

[Geoffrey]

The silent automatic installation is possible, but it is a good idea?
I need to think about it.
What is the opinion of Geoffrey?

Regards,

Not everyone likes the idea of not having some control of the update process, so I thought it better that it only checks and gives the option to download and perform the update installation.

[zakjoh]

If it could be made optional then it would be up to the user to select it, I wasn't trying to suggest it should be forced upon anyone , sorry if i gave that impression.

It would also be a great help with elder family members that are not very computer literate as they can then be told to ignore / cancel any messages from flashplayer to be updated as that how most people get exploited.

[ASRI éducation]

If it could be made optional then it would be up to the user to select it

It is done, the "silent installation" option has been added.
I must now put the script on a git (to facilitate the collaboration).
Regards,

[zakjoh]

Thank you kind sir!

[Mike Walsh]

Hiya, Geoff.

Now, then; I don't know whether this indicates a problem or not. I've got your Flash Updater installed in Tahrpup 6.03, 'Chromebook' Pup (based on Precise 5.7.1), and Slacko 5.7.0 so far. I was trying to install it into Carolina as well, only I'm now having problems getting it to boot (but that's neither here nor there).

I've had it in for about a week. Usually it comes up with 'Flash Player is up-to-date', and that's that. This morning, it comes up with 'An Update is Available', with the option to install. So I click on 'Install'; up comes the installer window, with progress bar, so I wait. And wait.....and wait. After 5 mins it's quite clear nothing's gonna happen, so I cancel, go into Chromium, and check on the Adobe Flash checker page:-

http://www.adobe.com/uk/software/flash/about/

...and according to that, there is no update; it's still the same as it's been for the last couple of weeks. So I do a reboot, back into Tahrpup again; this time, 'Up-to-date'.

So I check in the other two. Same thing; 'Update available'. This time, I don't do anything. I re-boot, and again,'Up-to-date'.

Now, why would it be telling me there's an update, when there very obviously isn't one? Any ideas? You helped out magnificently with BitMeterOS; well, I've got no issues returning the favour, and helping to troubleshoot with this, if there is a problem.

And for that, you need feedback. Of course, it could just be my machine.....


Mike.

[Geoffrey]

So I check in the other two. Same thing; 'Update available'. This time, I don't do anything. I re-boot, and again,'Up-to-date'.

That's weird, the only way I think it could of done that is if it didn't retrieve the version info from the flashplayer that's installed, I've had no problems with it so far.

Just have to see if it does it again and go from there, as I can't see what might have caused that to happen.

[Mike Walsh]

Morning, Geoffrey.

Just booted into Slacko this morning.....and the same thing; 'Update Available'. Now, I'm willing to let anything prove itself, so I try the update again. Waited about 10 minutes, this time. Nada.

Checked on Adobe's site again; still the same. Can you think of anything I might need to check in the system, that could be affecting it? In Slacko, I'm not using a standard FF from the repositories; I'm using the ESR version from Mozilla's download site (ESR 31.0), and installed into /opt. But it works fine.

I wonder if perhaps having done that I've somehow changed the necessary paths? I don't see how, since libflashplayer.so still installs to exactly the same location (/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins), and FF always finds it.

Anything in the script might need looking at? What do you think? I'm not obsessing over it; I can always carry on and use my normal method if needs be.....but it would be nice if this did indeed work, as it's a useful piece of kit (and handy, too!) Cuts down the amount of manual 'messing about' I need to do!

Like I said, it could just be my hardware; though I don't see how, since everything else works perfectly. I just don't see why it's telling me there's a new version available, when there isn't. You say it's not retrieving the version information.....what part of the script controls that, and is there a way I can check what it's actually doing?

Waiting with bated breath.....


Mike.


Mike.

[Geoffrey]

I got what you did Mike, it said there was a new version though it showed no version number, I think it's at Adobes end, having a hard time connecting to them, it seem to be working now though the download is taking forever @ 2.8KB/sec, I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

[Geoffrey]

I tried it just now, all seems good, I removed the plugin then run the updater, it showed the latest is available and updated without a hitch.

It seems my connection was slow that's why I had problems, adsl isn't that fast here running through 40 year old copper, I've had the teleco reroute the line twice in the last five years due to breakage a water damage.

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Geoff.

Umm. So, let me get this straight.I can delete the Flash plugin (so there's no libflashplayer.so in /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins), yes? And then if I re-run the installer, you think it should work? Only one way to find out....!

BTW, I agree with you about the phone lines. As I told Fossil a few days ago, we've had fibre laid on as far as the street cabinet, 50 yds up the road.....then they go and spoil it all by hooking up to 35-40 yr old copper. We get a pretty good download (35 Mb/sec).....but upload is nothing to write home about, at 1.5-1.8 Mb/sec. Kinda makes you wonder why they bother, when they cripple the works like that, don't it?

I'll try your suggestion, and see if it works that way. I can always replace it quickly if it doesn't; I keep an up-to-date copy of both libflashplayer.so and libpepflashplayer.so where they're handy, in case I need them for new installs.

Off we go..... Will let ya know the outcome.


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

Hey, Geoff.

Well, that works fine, old son; nothing wrong that I can see. I deleted libflashplayer.so from /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins just for a test; ran the Auto-Updater again.....it detected the Update, downloaded and applied it in about 5 secs flat. So it's definitely doing what it's supposed to do.

Have to wait & see what happens on the next re-boot. If it's still detecting an un-needed update, it might be a configuration file somewhere that needs a spot of editing, perhaps. Can't be my hardware, 'cos it does work.

We'll have to see.


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

Morning, Geoffrey.

I've finally sussed it out.....up to a point, that is. You know you reckoned the only way it wouldn't work was if it wasn't retrieving the version information from the installed flashplayer?

Just booted into 5.7.0 this morning. There it is again; 'Update available'. No update on the Adobe site. But: there's no version number showing.....

So; I've run a few tests. Remember, I've got this on 3 Pups.

Where it comes up with 'Flashplayer is up-to-date', there's a version number showing. All well & good.

Where it comes up with 'Update Available' on a standard re-boot, no version number showing.

If I try (with the other 2 Pups) the same test as yesterday (deleting libflashplayer.so), then re-running the updater ('Update Available'), the version number shows, and the update installation proceeds as it's supposed to....with me so far?

So; if I see 'Update Available' with no number showing....then I ignore it.

If it comes up with 'Up-to-date' (with number showing).....I shall ignore it.

Question is, will it show me the version number (and 'Update Available') together, at the same time, when Adobe DO next release a patch??

As always in these cases, there's one answer to that. Only time will tell. We'll see....!


Mike.

[Geoffrey]

Question is, will it show me the version number (and 'Update Available') together, at the same time, when Adobe DO next release a patch

Yes it will, it should display the latest version that's available, if it's blank then it's not retrieving the version correctly from the adobe web page

It seems to all be working as it should for me on booting, tells me it's up to date, are you using the latest update_flash-1.4.pet?

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Geoff.

Yes, I am; no point using the older versions when there's been things fixed in later ones....

I got what you did Mike, it said there was a new version though it showed no version number, I think it's at Adobes end, having a hard time connecting to them, it seem to be working now though the download is taking forever @ 2.8KB/sec

Doesn't surprise me. Anything to do with Adobe as a company is a 'bag o' worms' at the best times.....and a mixed blessing at that.

I've added X-Slacko 2.3.2 to the mix; in fact, I replaced Carolina with it, 'cos there were too many things that simply refused to work in Carolina for it to be of use to me. I'm installing 'Flash Auto-Updater' as we speak; I'll see how it fares in this one.

Keep ya posted.


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

just installed into X-Slacko; hadn't yet got around to configuring FF. It picked up the older libflashplayer.so straight away, offered the update, and downloaded/installed when asked to.

I think we can say it is working as intended. Nice one!


Mike.

[ASRI éducation]

getflash-1.5-7
...
Thank you in advance for your tests and proposals.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 975#869975
Regards,

[Mike Walsh]

Hiya, Geoff.

You're probably aware of this, but I'll re-post this link, mentioned yesterday in 'Announcements' by bark_bark_bark:-

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/12/02/adobe- ... y-22-2016/

Do we know what's happening, vis-a-vis Flash, over the course of the next few weeks? Will your auto-updater still continue to function? The push seems to be to move to HTML5, although Adobe are saying that Flash (well, SWF; I think this is FlashPlayer, AFAIK) will continue to be supported. The article is a wee bit confusing; mentions about enterprise customers, and non-enterprise customers having to do separate things during January...

Just thought you ought to know. Perhaps you can make more sense out of it than I can..!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT (23:35): Reading further down this same web-page reveals this link:-

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/flash-professi ... -cc-657790

It appears that what's being re-branded is the Flash Professional software authoring tool; it's being re-named Edge Animate, as part of Adobe's corporate re-branding exercise.

The Flash browser plug-in, it appears, is being supported for at least another FIVE years.

I don't for one moment suppose young bark intended to be alarmist.....but sometimes ya gotta dig a bit deeper to get to the meat of the matter!

Seems we'll be OK for a while yet.


Mike.

[Geoffrey]

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/12/02/[b]ado ... load-links[/b]-on-january-22-2016/

Auto Updater should be ok, it doesn't download from a direct link, like these:

https://www.adobe.com/products/flashpla ... tion3.html

https://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/f ... 386.tar.gz

As an example, it downloads from fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/pdc/11.2.202.548/install_flash_player_11_linux.i386.tar.gz

Hopefully they will leave the Linux version alone, though if there is a problem I'm sure I'll be able to get around it some how.