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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

Their are three Flash codecs, MP3, which is used for audio, FLV, which is used by YouTube and other sites, and the newer VP6, which is based on the ON2 codec. I believe all have patent issues, bug as far as anyone has determined, decoding these codecs isn't an infringing use, just encoding. The idea at the UDS meeting was to only ship the ffmpeg decoders. -- RobSavoye

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