Tids said:

Plarium refuses to make the Play App available for Linux users - as a result, those of us smart enough to use a Linux OS must decide on one of the following:

A. Continue to play using a browser

B. Install a Virtual Machine to use the play app

C. Give up playing Stormfall

My take is that option B is not worth the effort and option C is not ideal. This leaves us with option A - continue with the browser.

As an aside - and for the benefit of the devs and mods - releasing the Play App for Linux is easy.. you already maintain it for the Apple Mac and the source code is identical for Linux. All that would be required is to compile the same Mac source code on a Linux machine.. a few minutes!!

Anyhow - until Plarium changes its mind - the browser it is.

At the end of this year, Dec 2020, Adobe will discontinue support for flash. In practise this means that no further updates will be released - but if you still have flash installed for your browser you can still use it - at your own risk - so long as your browser allows you to do so.

Flash is extremely vulnerable as it is.. therefore the safest way to use it is in isolation. I would also strongly recommend you using Pepperflash (PPAPI). For those such as myself who prefer to use Firefox it IS possible to use pepperflash by installing the freshplayer plugin. I also highly recommend that a seperate stand-alone version of firefox be used as a local installation - this will mean that your system is protected should the browser be compromised.

Quick instructions for installing pepperflash:

1. Go to Adobe website and download the latest Flash tarball (tar.gz)- PPAPI ... you may need to click on the option to d/l flash for another computer as the default d/l for firefox is npapi - extract/unpack in your download folder.

2. Open terminal and navigate to the extracted flash folder e.g. in my case all downloads go to my Downloads folder..

    $ cd Downloads

    $ cd flash_player_ppapi_linux.i386

3. List all files to make sure it contains these 2 files: libpepflashplayer.so  and mainfest.json

4. sign in as root user and remove any existing PepperFlash directory (if there isn't one don't worry do it anyway)

    # rm -rf /usr/lib/PepperFlash

next create a new PepperFlash directory in the same place

    # mkdir /usr/lib/PepperFlash

now copy the 2 flash files above across to the new PepperFlash directory

    # cp libpepflashplayer.so -t /usr/lib/PepperFlash

    # cp manifest.json -t /usr/lib/PepperFlash

et voila - you have pepperflash installed on Firefox (assuming you have installed the freshplayer plugin from the repo)

The instructions above are for 32-bit systems... for 64-bit systems replace /usr/lib/ ... with /usr/lib64/ ...

My guess is that Google Chrome will stop flash from running after Dec so you may as well change to firefox (or Chromium) now. The instructions for Chromium are a little different and if anyone requires them let me know.

It IS possible that Mozilla may stop flash from running at all on Firefox after Dec - in ths case use an older version that allows flash to run - as it is a local installation - this should not be an issue!

Finally - I can only repeat that it would be preferable that Plarium release the play app for Linux .... please

Hello, Tids!

Thanks for your post! I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to leave it because promoting any downloads on our forum is not preferable. But let me ask you something at first. 

- Why do you advise using PepperFlash? Do you mean using it instead of Flash Player? 

- Have you tried using PepperFlash? 

i wouldnt delete this post

as pepper flash player is kinda related to adobe flash player and in a sense same thing.yes there are some risks but those are the same for adobe as well

this player is just trying to help,comand center just makes it just easier

Hello Alina..

Err... I am not advocating downloading anything as such. The purpose of my post above is to advise Linux users how to continue playing Stormfall as safely as possible. This is only necessary because Plarium refuses to release the play app for linux.

Anyhow .. Pepperflash and ordinary flash are essentially the same thing .. both are made by Adobe and both are used according to which browser you have.

Essentially: Ordinary Flash is NPAPI - netscape-type plugin old style - this is used in Firefox, Puffin and any other netscape-based browser.

Pepperflash is PPAPI and is a re-engineered version of Flash required by Chromium-based browsers e.g. Google Chrome, Chromium, Opera.

Pepperflash (ppapi) is more stable than the old style npapi and is less vulnerable than the old style. Anyone using Chrome or Opera is automatically using pepperflash.

Normally, those of us who use Firefox will be using old-style npapi as pepperflash (the Chrome version of flash) is not automatically supported by Firefox. However, for Linux users only, a workaround is available which allows us to use pepperflash in Firefox - which makes life so much safer. Windows users have no choice they must continue to use the less safe npapi.

Just so you know - the play app also uses pepperflash ... all I am suggesting is that Linux users switch to this safer version of flash - the one you use in the Play App

To fury's observation about this not working after Dec 2020 - it is entirely possible that this may be the case - however.. the flash tarball will still be on your computer and as a Linux user old-builds of firefox going back several years are freely available - as long as you use it as a local installation - not system wide -  it will be relatively safe to use.

Tids said:

Hello Alina..

To fury's observation about this not working after Dec 2020 - it is entirely possible that this may be the case - however.. the flash tarball will still be on your computer and as a Linux user old-builds of firefox going back several years are freely available - as long as you use it as a local installation - not system wide -  it will be relatively safe to use.

BUT again - I repeat - the better solution is for Plarium to release the Play App for Linux ... please

i always recognize players who try to help from those who argue or talk about something just for the sake of arguing

i know about these things so i tried to help to ur cause too. i dnt think theyll develop a Linux app even though its so easy i could do it 

but being easy is not always the case.bringing up stuff like these im sure u know about those too

anyways,for future references secure ur audiences mind in ease with backing up with some good reason,e.g when u introduced pepper flash player u could have mentioned its the same company that checks adobe's safety or the app is already working on it,so its safe.at least to the usual degree

keep up the good work and good job ,i enjoyed reading this post

Hello Alina..

Err... I am not advocating downloading anything as such. The purpose of my post above is to advise Linux users how to continue playing Stormfall as safely as possible. This is only necessary because Plarium refuses to release the play app for linux.

Anyhow .. Pepperflash and ordinary flash are essentially the same thing .. both are made by Adobe and both are used according to which browser you have.

Essentially: Ordinary Flash is NPAPI - netscape-type plugin old style - this is used in Firefox, Puffin and any other netscape-based browser.

Pepperflash is PPAPI and is a re-engineered version of Flash required by Chromium-based browsers e.g. Google Chrome, Chromium, Opera.

Pepperflash (ppapi) is more stable than the old style npapi and is less vulnerable than the old style. Anyone using Chrome or Opera is automatically using pepperflash.

Normally, those of us who use Firefox will be using old-style npapi as pepperflash (the Chrome version of flash) is not automatically supported by Firefox. However, for Linux users only, a workaround is available which allows us to use pepperflash in Firefox - which makes life so much safer. Windows users have no choice they must continue to use the less safe npapi.

Just so you know - the play app also uses pepperflash ... all I am suggesting is that Linux users switch to this safer version of flash - the one you use in the Play App

To fury's observation about this not working after Dec 2020 - it is entirely possible that this may be the case - however.. the flash tarball will still be on your computer and as a Linux user old-builds of firefox going back several years are freely available - as long as you use it as a local installation - not system wide -  it will be relatively safe to use.

BUT again - I repeat - the better solution is for Plarium to release the Play App for Linux ... please

Hi Alina..

It's not really me who thinks Pepperflash (PPAPI) is safer ... it was deliberately re-engineered - re-deigned even - from the ground up to plug many of the loopholes that existed in the old-style netscape-plugin. This is the reason that Google Chrome adopted it as the only version that will work on Chrome - because it has fewer vulnerabilities.

Please do not mis-understand, all flash, whether old-style or pepperflash is vulnerable - but pepperflash is less vulnerable. Maybe this is why Plarium's Play App uses pepperflash as well

Bump

Hi Alina..

It's not really me who thinks Pepperflash (PPAPI) is safer ... it was deliberately re-engineered - re-deigned even - from the ground up to plug many of the loopholes that existed in the old-style netscape-plugin. This is the reason that Google Chrome adopted it as the only version that will work on Chrome - because it has fewer vulnerabilities.

Please do not mis-understand, all flash, whether old-style or pepperflash is vulnerable - but pepperflash is less vulnerable. Maybe this is why Plarium's Play App uses pepperflash as well

Thanks Alina...

Thanks Alina...

honestly - it will be the ONLY way Linux users (using the Firefox browser) will be able to continue playing Stormfall after Dec 2020... unless Plarium releases the Play App for Linux

Tids,

BiohazarD said:

Have you tried running the app on a windows emulator?  (I haven't so idk if it would work or not, but seems like it's worth a shot)

I have tried running the Play App under WINE ... it took a lot of re-jigging in the command line and even then it was unstable. Without access to the source code I cannot work out a stable fix for it.

The only other way would be running the App under a Virtual Machine... but this would require installing the Windows OS and even an OEM copy (a grey area legally) would set you back around 50 bucks...

Head Games said:

Tids,

I have a quick question, is it possible to use pepperflash in Firefox on a Windows machine?  I cannot find a plugin but that doesn't mean it cant be done.

Sorry - it can't be done

To run pepperflash in Firefox requires the FreshPlayer plugin which is ONLY available to linux users - it has never been released for Windows. Although FreshPlayer is freely distributed and free to use it is closed source so it's up to the developers to release it for whichever OS they choose - a bit like the Plarium App

Tids said:

My guess is that Google Chrome will stop flash from running after Dec so you may as well change to firefox or Chromium now.

Can confirm ALL the browsers are stopping support for Flash. That includes both Chrome AND FIREFOX.

They all have announcements and roadmaps which has now been published and out for years if you do a simple google for them. Here is the Firefox roadmap:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Plugins/Roadmap

YDoom said:

Tids said:

My guess is that Google Chrome will stop flash from running after Dec so you may as well change to firefox or Chromium now.

Can confirm ALL the browsers are stopping support for Flash. That includes both Chrome AND FIREFOX.

They all have announcements and roadmaps which has now been published and out for years if you do a simple google for them. Here is the Firefox roadmap:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Plugins/Roadmap

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your move to Firefox isn't going to enable you to continue playing post Dec 2020.

Hello... YDoom

You are clearly not a Linux user

You are correct - it is almost certain that the major browsers will make flash unuseable through future updates after Jan 2021... however we linux users have access to legacy apps/programs going back years, even decades - these are made freely available to us (including source code usually) e.g. Mozilla makes available each every version of Firefox ever created including full source code ... as for the roadmap you refer to  - as a long time contributor to Firefox development I am not only aware of it I also had my say in helping to formulate it after the debate on flash deprication was finally resolved.. needless to say I was on the losing side of that one - it applies to future versions of Firefox and future updates - it does not affect legacy (previous) builds.

As long as we use these legacy builds as a "local installation" - which for linux users is simple enough - these apps/programs remain isolated and quarantined from the main operating system files - so it's safe enough to use.

Windows users can also access these legacy builds of Firefox - unfortunately - running as a "local installation" i.e. quarantined from the main operating system is almost impossible to do... it almost always has to be run as a system wide or global installation so is extremely risky and should never be tried.

Windows users must use the Play App post Dec 2020 ... we Linux users would like to use the Play App but Plarium won't let us.. but we can continue with the browsers, if necessary.