no easy way to get alternative (switch) plugins for flash

[Martin Olsson]

1. boot hardy live cd
2. go to youtube; top yellow strip "want to install required plugins?" appear
3. install gnash

Now youtube doesn't play so you decide you want to try swfdec instead but unfortunately there is no easy way to install swfdec so I'm stuck with no being able to play youtube videos. I tried to go into "Tools :: Add-ons :: Plugins" but there is no search textbox for plugins (this would be a nice feature). I also tried to disable gnash for that same dialog but in that case the top yellow strip "install missing plugins?" doesn't appear. I think another nice solution is "if you don't have any activated plugin for playing XYZ then ask the user if he wants to either install or activate an existied disabled plugin for such playback".

This bug report is about the lack of a user friendly and intuitive method to resolve the problem of accidently installing gnash and then changing your mind and you want to use swfdec instead.

[Martin Olsson (mnemo)]

One workaround is to close firefox, start a terminal and type "sudo apt-get remove mozilla-plugin-gnash" followed by "sudo apt-get install swfdec-mozilla".

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 07:17:52PM -0000, Saša Bodiroža wrote:
> ** Also affects: ubufox
> Importance: Undecided
> Status: New
>
> ** Changed in: firefox (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Wishlist
> Status: New => Confirmed
>

For now lets track this in ubufox

 affects ubuntu/ubufox
 status confirmed
 importance wishlist

not firefox - until we either have a patch or need some base feature
from it

  affects ubuntu/firefox
  status invalid
  affects ubuntu/firefox-3.0
  status invalid

keeping xulrunner task open until we know if we need any changes in
there ...

  affects ubuntu/xulrunner-1.9
  status incomplete

 - Alexander

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

xulrunner now provides a feature in ubuntu to explicitly select one plugin to serve a mime-type.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

most parts of the fix are already in intrepid. when having multiple flash plugins installed and visiting a site with flash on it you get a plugin symbol in the firefox status bar (bottom->right). when clicking there you can change the preferred player for used mime-types.

still missing to make this complete is a menu entry entry to "install more plugins" in that alternative plugin dialog.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

0.6 final is intrepid and should work.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

fixed in 0.6