[Note] Run Flash in year 2021

All latest browsers and Flash player itself stopped supporting Flash sites by end of 2020.

This note is to enable Flash (at your own risk) for special circumstances.  For my case, it's to run Oracle 18XE EM.

 

GOAL

Run Flash site in year 2021.

Environment

Ubuntu 20.04, 64 bit

Why?

Oracle 18XE EM still uses Flash.  I prefer GUI over console to do occasional Oracle DB admin tasks.

Note

• Oracle EM does not work with Ruffle (https://ruffle.rs)
  https://www.ghacks.net/2020/12/17/how-to-play-flash-content-in-your-browser-in-2021/
• There is NO add-on for any browser that will enable Flash again.
• Must use older browser and install Flash, configure as shown below.

Overview

1. Get an older version of Chrome and install
2. Get Flash Player and install
   
3. Install some Ubuntu packages
4. Configure flash/chrome/Ubuntu
5. Run chrome and set up for Flash site within the browser
   

Chrome - download and install

1. Go to https://www.slimjet.com/chrome/google-chrome-old-version.php
   
2. I downloaded 79.0.3945.88 version:
   https://www.slimjet.com/chrome/download-chrome.php?file=files%2F79.0.3945.88%2Fgoogle-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   
3. It will save as google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   
4. Install:
   $ sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   This will install the program in /opt/google/chrome/
   

Older Chromium may work, but I didn't try.  You can get it from here:
https://www.ubuntuupdates.org/pm/google-chrome-stable

Flash - download and install

1. Go to https://archive.org/details/adobe-flash-player-32.0.0.465-retail-debug
2. Download GZIP ->  flash_player_ppapi_linux.x86_64.tar.gz (9.3M) 
3. Uncompress it and put the files to a folder in /usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin/
   

kim@cherry:/usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin
(2016) $ ll
total 21816
drwxrwxr-x   3 kkim kkim     4096 Mar 17 23:16 ./
drwxr-xr-x 217 root root    20480 Mar 17 23:18 ../
drwxrwxr-x   2 kkim kkim     4096 Nov 24 18:22 LGPL/
-rw-rw-r--   1 kkim kkim 19509216 Nov 24 18:22 libpepflashplayer.so
-rw-rw-r--   1 kkim kkim  2792147 Nov 24 18:22 license.pdf
-rw-rw-r--   1 kkim kkim     2223 Nov 24 18:22 manifest.json
-rw-rw-r--   1 kkim kkim     2662 Nov 24 18:22 readme.txt

Reference

• https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install-adobe-flash-player-on-linux
• https://heliosguneserol.com/2021/01/22/how-to-still-use-enable-flash-for-enterprise-managers-screen/ 
• https://www.ghacks.net/2020/12/17/how-to-play-flash-content-in-your-browser-in-2021/
  

Configure Chrome

This is to use the flash player.

1. $ vi /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop
2. Change Exec= entry like this:
   Exec=/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable -ppapi-flash-path="/usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin/libpepflashplayer.so" --ppapi-flash-version=32.0.0.465 %U
   

Reference, https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/12367064?hl=en
 

Install Ubuntu Package

We need supporting packages.

$ apt install adobe-flashplugin browser-plugin-freshplayer-pepperflash

Reference

• https://linoxide.com/install-adobe-flash-player-linux-terminal/
  
• https://linuxways.net/ubuntu/how-to-install-adobe-flash-player-on-ubuntu-20-04-lts/

Configure Chrome+Flash to run Flash site

Create two mms.cfg files in two different locations:

$ vi /etc/adobe/mms.cfg
$ vi ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Pepper Data/Shockwave Flash/System/mms.cfg

Add content like this:

$ more /etc/adobe/mms.cfg
# Disable Automatic Updates
AutoUpdateDisable=1
SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0
 
# Disable prompts to uninstall Flash Player
EOLUninstallDisable = 1
 
# duplicate actionscript console output
# in browser's console for javascript
TraceOutputEcho=1
 
# Enable the AllowList feature
EnableAllowList=1
 
# Normally, the allow list blocks URL requests
# unless the url matches a pattern in the list.
# In preview mode, all requests go unblocked,
# but console output is written for each request
# indicating which pattern it matched or that
# no match was found.
AllowListPreview=0
 
# Pattern to enable Your OEM:
AllowListUrlPattern=https://localhost:55500/
AllowListUrlPattern=https://localhost:55500/em
AllowListUrlPattern=https://helpx.adobe.com/

Reference,

• https://community.adobe.com/t5/flash-player/how-to-use-mms-cfg-file-after-dec-2020/m-p/11548314
• https://community.adobe.com/t5/flash-player/ie-11-ignores-allowlisturlpattern-in-mms-cfg/td-p/11426041
• https://ibug.io/blog/2021/01/keep-flash-player-browser/
• mms.cfg file details, https://gist.github.com/orumin/6365218
  

Allow Flash for a site in browser

1. Run Chrome
2. Open these two sites as configured in mms.cfg
• https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html
• https://localhost:55500/em
3. Pass security warning and proceed to the page (if EM page)
4. Click on padlock icon and change Flash to Allow.

Do not update Flash or Chrome browser.

Reference, https://www.stephenwagner.com/2021/01/13/enable-adobe-flash-chrome-after-end-of-life/

Closing

• Was it worth it?  It was fun to find a solution, and now I can use Oracle EM.
• Better way?  Upgrade Oracle to a higher version that EM doesn't use Flash.  Or, use command line instead.

Misc 

• Chrome profile, 
• http://tipsgeneral.com/how-to/how-to-find-your-chrome-profile-folder-on-windows-mac-and-linux.html
• https://whatsabyte.com/mac/find-chrome-profile-folders-windows-mac-linux/
• User profile location, ~/.config/google-chrome/Default
  
• To check Chrome Flash component, enter this in the address bar, chrome://components