[Bug 207792] [NEW] [Hardy] update-alternatives fails to switch Firefox Flash plug-ins

[TJ]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: flashplugin-nonfree

For Firefox 3.0b4 the Flash plug-in in the Firefox directory isn't used
by Firefox:

ls -l /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 2008-03-27 14:33 flashplugin-alternative.so -> /etc/alternatives/firefox-flashplugin

Instead, Firefox 3.0b4 uses:

ls -l /usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins/
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root    46 2008-03-27 14:33 flashplugin-alternative.so -> /etc/alternatives/xulrunner-addons-flashplugin

I found the problem with Hardy beta amd64, Firefox 3.0b4, and gnash
/mozilla-plugin-gnash and nspluginwrapper+flashplugin-nonfree.

First I installed gnash and mozilla-plugin-gnash but gnash isn't good
enough so I installed nspluginwrapper with flashplugin-nonfree.

After restarting Firefox "about:plugins" still reported "gnash" as the
Shockwave Flash plug-in.

I then ran "sudo update-alternatives --config firefox-flashplugin" to
choose the nonfree plug-in but after a Firefox restart that still didn't
solve the issue.

I then examined the plug-in files:

ls -l /usr/lib/firefox/plugins/
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 2008-03-27 14:33 flashplugin-alternative.so -> /etc/alternatives/firefox-flashplugin
ls -l /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 2008-03-27 14:33 flashplugin-alternative.so -> /etc/alternatives/mozilla-flashplugin

ls -l /etc/alternatives/ | grep flash
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  56 2008-03-27 14:42 firefox-flashplugin -> /var/lib/flashplugin-nonfree/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  32 2008-03-27 14:36 iceape-flashplugin -> /usr/lib/gnash/libgnashplugin.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  32 2008-03-27 14:36 iceweasel-flashplugin -> /usr/lib/gnash/libgnashplugin.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  56 2008-03-27 14:49 midbrowser-flashplugin -> /usr/lib/gnash/libgnashplugin.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  56 2008-03-27 14:48 mozilla-flashplugin -> /var/lib/flashplugin-nonfree/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  56 2008-03-27 14:55 xulrunner-addons-flashplugin -> /usr/lib/gnash/libgnashplugin.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  56 2008-03-27 14:50 xulrunner-flashplugin -> /usr/lib/gnash/libgnashplugin.so

I tried "sudo update-alternatives --config mozilla-flashplugin" but that
didn't work.

Finally found that "sudo update-alternatives --config xulrunner-addons-
flashplugin" is the correct invocation.

This is very obscure and could lead to a lot of confusion if this isn't
programmed around or prominently documented. My suggestion would be to
sym-link  /etc/alternatives/firefox-flashplugin to /etc/alternatives
/xulrunner-addons-flashplugin.

** Affects: dpkg (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: flashplugin-nonfree (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: gnash (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Also affects: dpkg (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: gnash (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Summary changed:

- [Hardy] update-alternatives fails to switch Firefox plugin
+ [Hardy] update-alternatives fails to switch Firefox Flash plug-ins

-- 
[Hardy] update-alternatives fails to switch Firefox Flash plug-ins
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/207792
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