AIR for Linux:FAQ
From Adobe Labs
Adobe AIR for Linux Alpha FAQ
Last updated: 09/15/2008
General Questions
Q: What exactly are you providing?
A: We have posted the first publicly available, beta build of the Adobe AIR runtime installer and SDK for Linux. You should consider these builds beta quality.
Q: Is Adobe AIR for Linux feature complete?
A: Almost. Nearly all applications that work on Mac and Windows will work – if you find applications that don’t work well on Linux, please let us know. However, it is still considered beta quality and we would appreciate your feedback on bugs or improvements you believe we should make prior to shipping our final version. Please share your thoughts on the forums.
Q: Will the application I've been building that targets Adobe AIR for the Mac or Windows run on the Linux build?
A: Yes, applications created for Adobe AIR 1.1 for Mac or Windows will run on the Linux build. If you find any application that doesn’t work well on Linux, please report it on the forums.
Q: What features still need to be implemented?
A: There is a compatibility issue with the Seamless Install feature that that will be resolved with the Flash Player 10 release. Also, the content protection capability for video is not fully implemented. This affects the Adobe Media Player, and may affect other applications.
Q: Will Adobe always release its Linux version after Mac and Windows?
A: No. Our current schedules have the Mac and Windows versions of Adobe AIR 1.5 being delivered before Adobe AIR 1.5 on Linux. After that release, it is our intention to release future versions of Adobe AIR simultaneously on Linux, Mac and Windows.
Q: When are you releasing the final version of Adobe AIR for Linux?
A: We are targeting the end of this year for Adobe AIR 1.5 of Linux. The actual date will be influenced in large part by the amount of community feedback.
Q: Will Adobe AIR for Linux beta expire?
A: Yes, the Adobe AIR for Linux beta will expire on March 1st, 2009.
Q: Will Adobe AIR for Linux have the same functionality as Adobe AIR for Windows and Mac?
A: Our public beta has same capabilities as the Windows and Mac 1.1 release. Our public release at the end of the year will have the same capabilities as the Windows and Mac 1.5 release.
Q: What's the quality like on these builds?
A: These builds are beta quality. Please see the release notes for known issues. Most Adobe AIR applications will run the same on Linux as they do on Mac and Windows. If an application appears to be running differently, please let us know by posting a description of the issue to our forums.
Q: Where can I submit bugs?
A: Bugs can be submitted through our AIR Support Center. Please be sure to specify important system information such as your Linux distribution type and version number.
Q: Where can I provide feedback or find other AIR Linux developers?
A: We have created a forum dedicated to Linux developers on our website. We encourage developers to participate in the conversation around AIR for Linux.
Installation Questions
Q: How do I install AIR?
A: Installation instructions are available in the release notes.
Q: Where does the runtime get installed?
A: The runtime gets installed in /opt/Adobe AIR/Versions/1.0
Q: How do I uninstall the runtime?
A: To uninstall the runtime, use the Uninstall AIR Runtime menu item in the programs/applications menu
Q: Which distributions are you supporting?
A: AIR on Linux officially supports following distributions:
- Fedora Core 8
- Ubuntu 7.10
- Open Suse 10.3
The runtime may also work on other Linux distribution that supports rpm or Debian package managers.
Tooling
Q: What tools can I use to build AIR applications on Linux?
A: If you are a Linux developer, you can use the Flex Builder for Linux beta or any text editor. In addition, since AIR applications run across operating system, you can use Flex Builder, Dreamweaver or Flash if your primary development machine runs on OSX or Windows.
