How to install Flash Player (Macromedia Flash) Plug-in for Mozilla Firefox

EDIT: Please note that there is a free open source way of using flash posted below. This is using GNASH - a gnu flash replacement. Its not perfect (yet) however for those interested in open source software please skip below. It works on both 32 and 64 bit Ubuntu. - Pete

Note: The best way to install the Macromedia Flash Player plug-in for Mozilla Firefox is to use Firefox and visit Adobe.com: Version test for Adobe Flash Player. Then you will see a note about firefox missing a plugin for flash. Click this note and follow any steps that firefox tells you to follow. Normally firefox installs this plugin automatically when you click "install now".

It could also be done using a package manager:

   sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree

• Restart Mozilla Firefox

Note: if sound doesn't work in Flash Player (for example on YouTube):

   sudo aptitude install alsa-oss
  gksudo gedit /etc/firefox/firefoxrc

Change:

   FIREFOX_DSP=""

To:

   FIREFOX_DSP="aoss"

• Restart Mozilla Firefox. Now sound should work in Flash Player.

This doesn't work for amd64, since there's no 64-bit firefox plugin. A 32-bit firefox is necessary. Ubuntuforums provides special scripts for configuring some 32-bit applications in amd64.

If after trying the above you still don't have sound in Flash try this:

How to setup PulseAudio Sound Server

I actually found PulseAudio to be a better solution, firefox shares the sound with other apps.

GNASH open source alternative

64 bit users please note - this is a better workaround than installing 32 bit firefox. If you require only simple flash (ie not YouTube etc) the you can use the GPL version of flash within your browser. For a workaround to playing YouTube and Google video please keep reading.

code:

sudo aptitude install mozilla-plugin-gnash

This works for most flash sites other than Youtube and Google video. However as this is a showstopper for a lot of People and I have been hearing NOTHING but complaints about this so I have located a workaround for all of you.

Goto the website

http://1024k.de/bookmarklets/video-bookmarklets.html 

Where the site states "bookmark this link" right click and book mark it.

Then head over to youtube. Try to watch a video and note it does not play :(

Then go to your newly created bookmark. You can now download the file as a video file. I use VLC to play the files (so see installing VLC later in this guide).

All you have to do is download the file to your desktop and open with VLC. GNASH is soon going to be updated as a fully working version that can play youtube videos so this workaround will only be temporary anyway. So go on - support open source software so we can stop relying on Adobe for its flash player.

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