How to Watch Smooth Full Screen Flash 11 Videos in 64-bit Linux

The 64-bit Flash 11 player works in 64-bit Linux, but Flash videos are jerky in fullscreen mode no matter what the chosen resolution. This is a known issue with the 64-bit Flash 11 player, and until Adobe fixes it, 64-bit users are stuck.

Is there any way to enjoy smooth, fullscreen Flash videos in 64-bit Linux? Yes! The FlashVideoReplacer addon for Firefox plays Flash videos using your existing video player and allows smooth, fullscreen playback.

UPDATE: The FlashVideoReplacer has been removed from the Firefox addons, but it is still available for download from the author’s download section on github. It might require some hunting, but this is an addon worth hunting for.

UPDATE 2 (April 28, 2016): FlashVideoReplacer is even harder to find now. The above link is also outdated. However, with Linux today, videos play smoothly and external players are possible.

While this is not a true fix to the underlying problem, the results tend to be better than using Flash in the first place, making Flash unnecessary for watching YouTube videos.

This article assumes Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit is running properly with Firefox 11, but newer Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu 12.04, should work as well.

Update: Flash 11.2.202.235 x86_64 in Firefox 11 on a new installation of Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit produces smooth, full screen video at all resolutions. Flash 11 full screen is still jerky on an Acer Aspire One 722 netbook even with Flash 11.2.202.235. The netbook is capable of smooth, full screen Flash 11 videos because they play properly in Windows 7 with Flash 11. This must be a Flash 11 Linux issue. So, the FlashVideoReplacer addon will produce smooth full screen video on the same hardware producing jerky Flash 11 video.

How to Install Ubuntu 10.10 on the Acer Aspire One 722

The Acer Aspire One 722 is an excellent netbook for running Linux even though it is designed for Windows 7. Despite the absence of Linux on the packaging, Ubuntu and its derivatives run on the Aspire One.

Despite certain issues with Ubuntu 10.10, it remains my operating system of choice due to its simplicity and outstanding performance most of the time. Does it install on the Aspire One? Yes, it does, but it requires more time and effort than installing Ubuntu 12.04, Xubuntu 12.04, Windows 7, or the Gateway LT2114U.

However, once the Ubuntu 10.10 installation given here is complete, the results are rewarding: A fully functional Aspire One 722 running Ubuntu 10.10 with the latest kernel, the latest ATI Catalyst video drivers, and all working hardware. (The internal and external microphones record audio at levels too faint to be usable, but other than that, no other issues were discovered.)

Here are steps I use to install Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit on the Aspire One 722 with fully working hardware and wireless connectivity.

Acer Aspire One 722 Netbook

⌚ April 26, 2012
Every now and then I am delighted with a product that exceeds my expectations. One such product is the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Albino, and a recent product is the Acer Aspire One 722 netbook.

My Gateway LT2114U netbook, which is really an Acer Aspire One netbook with the Gateway branding, is a reliable companion whose operation with Linux is easy and fun. It is everything I wanted in a netbook. Seeking a netbook upgrade, can the Aspire One 722 be any better?

Trivia: Pencil and Paper

Q. What is pencil and paper?

Retroshare – Secure, Private File-Sharing

⌚ April 4, 2012
The file-sharing world has been turned upside down in recent months.

Even though file-sharing has legitimate uses, all it takes is one rogue user — probably an anonymous individual from another country — to upload a restricted file using your service, and that, if discovered, can cause the copyright cartel to invoke the powers of the state upon your system, leading to raids, seizures, and prosecution — even across international boundaries.

Many people need a file-sharing system whether for personal use or to conduct business, so is there any way to share files with only the people you trust so that unknown users cannot share files that could put you in trouble?

A number of alternate file-sharing systems are gaining recognition quickly in answer to this question, and one such program is Retroshare.

Do the Choo-Choo Bash!

Have you ever wondered what happens when you enter the ls (list directory contents) command backwards?

By default, nothing. However, if you install the sl (Steam Locomotive) program, you can play a practical joke on those who enter sl by mistake.

 

Local File Sharing in Linux

Would you like to share files among multiple users on the same Linux system?

Surprisingly, this is trickier to accomplish than it appears, so here is a method that works.

The problem: You would like to allow multiple users on the same Linux system to share files among themselves. Only users who are members of a special sharing group are allowed access to a common sharing directory, and any user may read, write, and modify the permissions or any file created by any other user. All other users are denied access. Additionally, we want to allow remote access to the shared directory for remote users who do not have a local account on the system.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? However, unexpected surprises abound. Linux possesses an effective permission system to restrict who may do what with a file, and in order to achieve all of these goals, we must become creative in finding ways to work around the built-in permission system.

Trivia: Atari STE – “Touch the Future”

While perusing various computer catalogs seeking faster upgrades and better hardware, I encountered this flyer from a local computer store advertising the Atari STE computer system.

Curious to know what the future of computing might bring, I clearly see that it consists of a Motorola 68000 CPU with at least 512K of RAM. Goes to show that what goes around comes around.

The Atari home computers were decent systems for their time, but with so many different model numbers available — and a new model (seemingly) released every year — it can be tricky to keep track of them all. Here are a few models in the ST family:

Atari ST	1985
Atari STE	1989
Atari TT030	1990
Atari MEGA STE	1991
Atari Falcon	1992

Interesting note: The “ST” in Atari ST is a reference to the description of the 68000 CPU’s 16-bit external data bus (S for Sixteen-bit) and the 32-bit internal bus (T for Thirty-two). The E in STE stands for Enhanced.

Atari discontinued the ST line of computers in 1993 to shift attention to the Atari Jaguar video game system. Surprisingly, some people today continue to use Atari ST computers either as a hobby or as heavily upgraded home systems.

So, if you want to touch the future, touch an Atari STE. Now, how does it install Linux…?

VirtualBox 4.1.12 and Linux Mint 12

Since VirtualBox 4.1.12 was released a few days ago on April 2, 2012, I was curious to see if the sluggish menus and faulty Compiz experienced in Linux Mint 12 would perform better in the newer VirtualBox.

I tested three varieties of Linux Mint 12: An existing installation, a fresh installation, and Linux Mint 12 with MATE.

The results with MATE lead to a pleasant surprise.

Book Review: Desktop Witness

⌚ April 4, 2012
Thought-provoking information about computer security across international borders.

“I’m not doing anything illegal, so I have nothing to hide.”

Oh, really?

If you think that, then you desperately need to read Desktop Witness by Michael Caloyannides. This is a book about computer privacy, and you might never trust your computer again after reading it.

Whether it be medical records, credit card numbers, address books, or secret cookie recipes, we all have things that we wish to keep private. However, our computers act as electronic tattletales that monitor and record our every activity.

Desktop Witness is a computer security book that brings awareness to what our own computers are recording, how that information can be used against us, and what we can do to protect our privacy when using a computer.