Chrome Updated, Now Flash Won't Work In Firefox

[A.D. Burrows]

On Tuesday, July 17, 2012 11:10:03 PM Dimitris Kardarakos wrote:

> Try to find which firefox related processes run upon opening a utube
> video ( e.g $ ps -elf | grep firefox). Normally, plugin-container should
> use the library mentioned in the plugins config file (flash in our case)
> and play the video. See if there is something strange there.
>
> Or try to see what happens if plugin-container is disabled.
> Firefox->about:config -> dom.ipc.plugins.enabled, set to false.

I used the command you suggested, ps -elf | grep firefox at various
points for comparison. I confess, I don't know how to read the
results.

Before running Firefox
0 S dotter    1579  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:24 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

While firefox was loading
0 D dotter    1580  1304 13  80   0 - 35418 sync_p 20:24 ?
00:00:00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1582  1580  4  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1596  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:24 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

With Firefox running
0 S dotter    1580  1304 37  80   0 - 162324 poll_s 20:24 ?
00:00:07 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1607  1580  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1624  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:25 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

While loading Youtube
0 S dotter    1580  1304 32  80   0 - 176009 poll_s 20:24 ?
00:00:19 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1607  1580  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1645  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:25 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

With a Youtube video loaded (I was not able to play it)
0 R dotter    1580  1304 31  80   0 - 187370 -     20:24 ?
00:00:46 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1607  1580  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1728  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:27 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

While loading the page with the commercial, the only video that will run
0 R dotter    1580  1304 33  80   0 - 180250 -     20:24 ?
00:00:54 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1607  1580  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1730  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:27 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

While playing that same commercial
0 S dotter    1580  1304 35  80   0 - 182274 poll_s 20:24 ?
00:01:13 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1607  1580  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:24 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1737  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:28 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

After closing Firefox down
0 S dotter    1740  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:28 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

Later, I tried a different type of Flash app.

Before loading Firefox
0 S dotter    1749  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:35 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

With Firefox running
0 S dotter    1751  1304 50  80   0 - 163867 poll_s 20:35 ?
00:00:11 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1769  1751  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:35 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 S dotter    1782  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:35 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

While loading a page with Flash audio players (I was not able to play anything.)
0 S dotter    1751  1304 18  80   0 - 180676 futex_ 20:35 ?
00:00:16 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
1 Z dotter    1769  1751  0  80   0 -     0 exit   20:35 ?
00:00:00 [firefox] <defunct>
0 R dotter    1864  1751  0  80   0 - 15016 -      20:36 ?
00:00:00 /usr/lib/firefox/plugin-container
/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so -greomni
/usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja 1751 true plugin
0 S dotter    1869  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:36 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

After closing Firefox down again
0 S dotter    2044  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:38 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox


I also tried setting dom.ipc.plugins.enabled to false, closing down
and re-running Firefox. I tried to load Youtube and Firefox crashed.
The same happened when I tried to load a page with audio players and
when I tried to load a page with a flash movie.  Out of curiosity, I
tried running the command you suggested before allowing the crash
monitor to close Firefox after loading the one page that will play.
0 S dotter    2227     1  4  80   0 -  6655 poll_s 20:49 ?
00:00:00 /usr/lib/firefox/crashreporter
/home/dotter/.mozilla/firefox/o75s7986.default/minidumps/112d24eb-02e3-8515-63f8937c-0496037b.dmp
0 S dotter    2231  1562  0  80   0 -   829 pipe_w 20:49 pts/1
00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox
...I then set plugins.enabled back to true to stop the crashes.


On Tuesday, July 17, 2012 06:50:04 PM Waleed Hamra wrote:
> well, i'm not dimitris, and i'm afraid i havent been following this
> thread much, but i do have an advice that might be of use.
> there's an add-on for linux firefox, called "flash aid" or "flashaid",..

Thanks for the suggestion, Waleed. I have Flash-aid 2.2.3 installed,
(disabled at the moment in case it interferes somehow), it was one of
the first things I tried.