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• Launchpad Entry: free-flash

• Packages affected:

Summary

This specification outlines the proposition to include a free flashplayer in ubuntu default install.

Rationale

There are multiple Free Flash projects currently. This includes the [http://swfdec.freedesktop.org Swfdec] and [http://www.gnashdev.org Gnash] Flash players and web browser plugins. For generating Flash movies, [http://ming.sourceforge.net Ming] and [http://www.openlazlo.org OpenLazlo]. Ubuntu should communicate their needs to these projects and find out about their needs.

Use Cases

• Scott wants to watch a [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2728972720932273543 video about Ubuntu]. He cannot see the video in his browser.

• Stefan wants to use Edubuntu on his school's computer. Unfortunately a lot of the learning tools they use are done in Flash.
• Sarah wants to watch flash-advertisements.

Scope

* main, iso content

• ffmpeg for video codecs
• gnash or swfdec
• possibly with gstreamer backend

* gnash, swfdec, nonfree-flashplayer packages need to provide alternative for global flash plugin.

Implementation

Step 1

• include gnash to the main archive
• ship ffmpeg in main
• setup alternative for global libflashplugin.so
  • use standard priority for gnash libflashplugin.so
  • use higher priority for non-default nonfree-flashplayer to ensure that user gets what he wants when installing nonfree-flashplayer without removing free alternative from computer

Step 2

• call for forum testing of swfdec
• come up with comparision: swfdec vs. gnash
• decide whether to try swfdec as default based on:
  • overall features: which plugin breaks more important sites
  • responsiveness of upstream on support requests
  • result of code-review

Outstanding Issues

• ensure automatic codec install works for most important flash video codecs
• can ffmpeg source be split up to ship support for important flash codecs in a more minimalistic fashion?

• A [http://people.ubuntu.com/~fabbione/irclogs/archived/2007-01/ubuntu-meeting-2007-01-02.html Technical Board meeting] resolution stated that ffmpeg was permitted in main, but could not be shipped on CDs, which seems like a problem for something that might end up in desktop. Are the Flash codecs patent-encumbered? If so, splitting them into a separate binary package would sidestep this issue. --ColinWatson

CategorySpec