Enabling Adobe Flash Player support in Google Chrome’s stable channel
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
In March, we announced that we would be bringing improved support for Adobe Flash Player to Google Chrome. Along with driving the development of a next generation browser plug-in API, this integration will eliminate the need to install Flash Player separately and reduce the security risk of using outdated versions. In the near future, we will extend Chrome’s “sandbox” to web pages with Flash content to further protect users from malicious content.
We have been testing the integration in Google Chrome’s dev and beta channels over the last few months in order to ensure a quality experience for all our users. Over the last week, we have enabled the integration by default in the stable channel of Chrome.
Users who do not wish to use the built-in version of Flash Player in Chrome can disable the integration via the chrome://plugins manager. In this case, Chrome will fall back to the system-installed version of Flash Player, if it exists.
27 comments:
mtk said...
64 bits too?
June 30, 2010 8:16 AM
Mr.Wizard said...
I'm not clear on what this means:
"we will extend Chrome’s “sandbox” to web pages with Flash content"
I thought all web pages were sandboxed. Does it mean that the plugin process will also be sandboxed?
If so, that's very good news.
June 30, 2010 8:27 AM
Lance Spitzner said...
I'm confused about updating Flash. When Adobe releases a new version of Flash, do we have to update it manually ourselves, or does Chrome automatically update Flash whenever a new version is released?
Thanks!
lance
June 30, 2010 8:45 AM
Bradley Eidsvold said...
WTF? Enabled by default without a single friggin warning? Flash is a security nightmare from the ground up, even if Chrome attempts to sandbox it further. The option to ENABLE should be in the options menu with it set to OFF by default.
What a tremendous FUBAR by Google. Stick with HTML5 and let Flash just die.
June 30, 2010 9:08 AM
RJ Johnston said...
We crash constantly now. I am seriously considering a move to Safari now. Please fix ASAP.
June 30, 2010 9:20 AM
Jeff Kopmanis said...
Brad, I think you missed the part about Google, Adobe and Mozilla coming together to develop the next generation of plugin API that would address the security concerns you have.
June 30, 2010 9:48 AM
JBlogger said...
@Lance -- Yes, Chrome automatically updates Flash whenever a new version is released. (This was mentioned in the original blog post at http://blog.chromium.org/2010/03/bringing-improved-support-for-adobe.html)
June 30, 2010 10:05 AM
Bradley Eidsvold said...
@Jeff - That's fine and dandy, but how about automatically install it after the concerns have been addressed and fully tested. In the meantime, leave it as something a user manually enables... it's BS that I accidentally stumbled across the announcement and found it already installed and enabled.
There is absolutely NO excuse for the automatic installation and enabling without forewarning the users. No ifs, ands or buts.
June 30, 2010 10:54 AM
Zarel said...
@Bradley Which concerns haven't been addressed and fully tested?
You may not want Flash, but it's easy enough to turn it off. Defaults are designed for average users, not special cases, and the average user wants Flash. If you disagree, that's what the Options menu is for.
June 30, 2010 11:14 AM
Bradley Eidsvold said...
I fully agree for the average user, but say something about it, not just force feed.
When Microsoft dropped the .NET components within Firefox, users went ballistic. This is the exact same scenario and a company such as Google should be more cautious and outright with changes such as those.
Since this install was not announced much further than a piddly blog that the average user would not ever see, these users are unaware of the change. Since this change could very quickly become a problem (and not a single person can guarantee otherwise), they would be held very liable. This is exactly what makes it a poor decision on their behalf.
June 30, 2010 12:17 PM
Matthew Fabb said...
@Bradley The majority of users, over 90% have Flash installed. So all that would happen is that they now have the latest version installed, with the latest security updates, if they had no previously updated it. This was announced by Google quite some time ago and I think posted in previous Goolge blogs, as well as a number of tech blogs written numerous of articles about it.
You're right that Chrome users without Flash should have gotten an opt-in warning. However, I imagine with the fact that Flash is all over the internet, especially with banner ads, that the minority of users who have don't have Flash installed would realize it quickly and switch it off.
June 30, 2010 12:55 PM
Serj said...
it's look like bad news. I'm using 64-bit Ubuntu distro. When Chrome was in beta channel and there wasn't flash integration it worked fine. But when Flash was integrated into Chrome stopped working with Flash. So when I need Flash I have to use Firefox instead.
July 2, 2010 2:28 PM
Extremus said...
I hope this comes soon and includes 64 bit support. On my Vista 64 box, Chrome and Flash do not always work nicely together. On LIVE.TWIT.TV the streaming video works but none of the controls do. Disabling all extensions does not help. It's too bad I still have to have Foxfire and IE installed for the sites Chrome doesn't handle well. It's still my default browser though.
July 3, 2010 11:49 AM
hviid said...
I'm a Flex developer and I love using chrome to view my flash content, but Chrome now keep overwriting my Flash debugger version, I read somewhere, that if people had installed flash manually it would not overwrite it?
Or could you please just check, if people are on the debugger version, and update accordingly?
July 6, 2010 11:12 AM
Jesus M. Rodriguez said...
as mtk mentioned, does is flash also included in the 64-bit version of chrome? I can't seem to get it working.
July 7, 2010 11:47 AM
Grexe said...
I need Flash support on Debian 64bit, was hoping the integrated player would work but it does not - please add 64 bit flash support to Chrome!
July 13, 2010 10:16 AM
jmchang76 said...
@hviid: there is no integrate flash player debugger in chrome, but you can certainly use the debugger installed on your system. see http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/839/cpsid_83950.html#main_developer_chrome to make the necessary adjustments in about:plugins. thanks!
July 14, 2010 10:26 AM
generaljaxon said...
My computer (using Windows 7 Home Premium) did an automatic update today and now shockwave flash will not work on Google Chrome.
July 17, 2010 10:52 AM
Tracy said...
I've found a website where PDF files are not loading. I'm trying to understand why. It seems that it's only in Chrome. I have the newest version of Chrome.
It's an educational site, and has just been redesigned.
Thoughts?
August 30, 2010 5:52 PM
Mick said...
Still getting Shockwave flash crashes with Chrome which in "about" claims to be up to date. No mention in "about" of any Flasf integration though.
August 31, 2010 9:49 AM
maleeper said...
I am using google chrome, which apparently updates automatically on my Sony Vaio, with OS Windows XP. Recently I began having difficulty attaching jpeg files to my gmail. I get a crash and the error message says that Shockwave Flash crashed. I tried downloading a fix from http://dlv.update.sony.net/pub/vaio/download/EP0000166578/EP0000166578.exe, but it did nothing. Any help?
September 7, 2010 8:59 AM
Sperry said...
Somebody HELP PLEASE! If Flash is automatically installed and updated, Why do I continue to get a message telling me to "install"? . I'm constantly having to go to another browser to view videos that require flash such as YouTube. It really slows the user down. A lot of us are just average users who can't understand the lingo and "how to's" that we are suppose to do to fix it. I really like Chrome but this is getting very old now.
September 12, 2010 7:49 AM
Tracy said...
I managed to resolve my problem by
1. Updated adobe through their website.
2. Restarting my computer.
It was apparently an adobe problem, not a Chrome problem. Try it.
Also with UTUBE- some of the Chrome extensions that block ads are actually beta and don't work well. Turn off the ad blockers for Utube.
September 18, 2010 9:42 AM
John said...
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/09/20/adobe-acts-quickly-to-patch-latest-flash-vulnerability/
Seems there's a major security flaw in Flash that appears every 3-6 months and takes 1-2 weeks to fix after the announcement (with an unknown amount of time before the announcement). Does the new API and sandboxing have a chance against this kind of software development?
September 23, 2010 10:18 AM
trev said...
Shockwave constantly crashes Chrome. I'm running Windows 7 on an HP tm2 64 bit. Locks up Chrome for about 30 seconds. I'm ready to go back to Explorer.
October 28, 2010 9:33 AM
James Vautin said...
great. flash is integrated. now my computer is probably part of a chinese botnet. now how do i disable it?
November 3, 2010 12:32 AM
Capitanissa said...
I have been trying to resolve the shockwave problem for weeks; for about the last 2 months, I cannot see content on many pages,and I get the shockwave crash message. I tried to download another version from Adobe, but I get the message that Chrome is handling it- which of course, is the problem. What IS the problem? I am no computer wizard, but I may get there trying to figure out how to get this to work.
November 26, 2010 9:28 AM
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