Flash is annoying. Adobe seem to have forgotten that other operating systems exist outside of windows, mac and linux. Because of this, we have to use the linux-based flash plugin for FreeBSD.
However, this is (mostly) easy enough to configure if you know how. Here’s a guide to do it.
First of all, update your ports tree (see other posts on my blog on how to do this)
Next we need to install the linux compatibility base system (if you haven’t already) – to do this, type the following as root:
cd /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-f10
make install distclean
This will take a while as it installs a few helpers (like rpm), and downloads many linux RPM packages.
Once it is complete, we can install the linux flash plugin by typing:
cd /usr/ports/www/linux-f10-flashplugin10
make install distclean
This will fetch the linux flash plugin. If it complains about size mismatches or MD5 checksum failures, then you have likely not updated your ports tree like you were told!
Once this is installed, we need to install a plugin wrapper to make it work… To do this, we type:
cd /usr/ports/www/nspluginwrapper
make install distclean
Now we need to make a quick file link. To do this, type the following:
cd /usr/local/lib/browser_plugins/
ln -fs /usr/local/lib/npapi/linux-f10-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so
Ok, just one final step now (honest!). For each user that you want to use the plugin, open a terminal as that user and DO NOT “su root”. Then type:
nspluginwrapper -v -a -i
If all is well, you’ll see some mention of flash. Next time you open firefox, flash will be enabled and fully working – including sound.
Feel free to complain to Adobe about the existence of other Operating Systems 🙂
one small detail, step 0 make sure the linux kernel emulation is loaded at the start.
kldload linux
and/or in /etc/rc.conf
linux_enable=”YES
By upgrading /usr/local/lib/npapi/linux-f10-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so
to recent one(just replace this), I could use latest version of flash player.
that works too – although always best to let ports/packages handle it for you if possible.
i test with official handbock of freebsd and this page to install flash… but its don’t work. the first 2 ports are no problem. /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-f10 (or pkg install -y emulators/linux_base-f10). /usr/ports/www/linux-f10-flashplugin11 (pkg commands works from time to time…). the last one /usr/ports/www/nspluginwrapper wants every time /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-c6 (with pkg install or make install clean every time same error). c6 have a conflict with f10… nspluginwrapper can’t install… I test it on a fresh installation with 10.1 (fresh ports etc…) i know with Freebsd 9.3 and 10 it works. when anyone has a solution for this prob please send me a message davidheinrichplanner@googlemail.com
freebsd 10.1 flash =
kldload linux
echo ‘linux_enable=”YES”‘ >> /etc/rc.conf
echo ‘OVERRIDE_LINUX_BASE_PORTS=f10’ >> /etc/make.conf
echo ‘OVERRIDE_LINUX_NONBASE_PORTS=f10’ >> /etc/make.conf
echo ‘compat.linux.osrelease=2.6.18’ >> /etc/sysctl.conf
cd /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-c6 && make install clean
cd /usr/ports/www/linux-c6-flashplugin11 && make install clean
cd /usr/ports/www/nspluginwrapper &&make install clean
nspluginwrapper -v -a -i
when linux_base-f10 files are installed it is essential to deinstall the old one!
pkg delete -f linux_base-f10 linux-f10-\*