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Flash Player

From Adobe Labs

Flash Player 9 Update 3 (9.0.115.0) shipped on December 3, 2007. Flash Player 9 (9.0.16.0) shipped on June 27, 2006. Flash Player 9 Update 1 (9.0.28.0) for Windows and Mac shipped on November 14, 2006, and Flash Player 9 for Linux (9.0.31.0) shipped on January 16, 2007. Most of the supporting content for these releases can be found on the Adobe.com website.

Table of contents
1 Flash Player 9

1.1 Overview
1.2 Documentation
1.3 Resources

1.3.1 Security

1.3.1.1 General
1.3.1.2 Cross Domain Data Loading

1.4 FAQs

1.4.1 FAQ: Flash Player 9 Update 3 - Beta 3 (8/21/2007)
1.4.2 FAQ: Flash Player 9 Update 3 - Beta (6/11/2007)

1.4.2.1 Full-screen mode and video enhancements
1.4.2.2 Flash Player cache

1.4.3 FAQ: Flash Player 9 for Linux beta (11/18/2006)
1.4.4 FAQ: Flash Player 9 (formerly Flash Player 8.5) (4/21/2006)

Flash Player 9

Overview

Documentation

Resources

Security

General
Cross Domain Data Loading

FAQs

FAQ: Flash Player 9 Update 3 - Beta 3 (8/21/2007)

Where can I learn more about the new H.264 feature?
There is a new H.264 FAQ posted on the wiki here.

What happened to the full screen transition with hardware scaling?
We decided to drop the transition feature from the release, as there are a number of issues with supporting it reliably across our supported platforms. We will revisit this feature in a future release.

Why are you calling this "Beta 3"?
We had a Beta 2, but then merged it into Beta 3 with H.264. So, in order for us to keep our sanity and have the same name inside and out, this one is Beta 3.


FAQ: Flash Player 9 Update 3 - Beta (6/11/2007)

What features and enhancements available in the Flash Player 9 update 3 beta?
The Flash Player 9 update includes several features and enhancements, as well as bug fixes. There are several enhancements to improve performance for video and interactive content, and we are also introducing a player cache which will dramatically reduce SWF size and start-up times for applications that leverage Adobe platform libraries and components, such as the Flex framework. The update also includes full-screen mode support on Linux, support for accessibility in the Windows plugin, and enhancements for the ExternalInterface API.


Please review the release notes for more information on the features, enhancements, fixes and known issues for the update.

Full-screen mode and video enhancements

What are the enhancements for video and interactive content?
First, we improved the performance and quality of full-screen mode through the use of hardware scaling. This lowers the system resource requirements when playing back content in full-screen, freeing up the CPU to allow for greater fidelity and additional post-processing of video. There is a new API to allow developers to specify a rectangular portion of the stage, or an offscreen region, to be scaled up to full screen resolution. We also further optimized the On2 decoder for decode performance and reducing blockiness.

What are the system requirements for hardware scaling?
See the system requirements here.

Is this feature in the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) beta 1?
No, the hardware scaling feature and other enhancements of Flash Player 9 update 3 are not in the AIR beta 1. We are working on integrating the changes and they will be available in a later release.

My machine is having trouble with full-screen mode. How do I disable hardware acceleration for full-screen mode?
For beta 1, hardware scaling for full screen is on by default for testing but it can be disabled through the right-click Settings menu. Right-click on any SWF and select “Use software renderer” in the Display tab. To make this change, you need to return to browser mode for the setting to take effect.

Flash Player cache

What is the Flash Player cache?
The player cache is designed to allow caching of signed Adobe platform components, which provide additional capabilities to the Flash Player. Flash Player will only cache signed Adobe platform components, however the signed components can be hosted on any server. Once cached, these components can be accessed across domains and benefit developers by reducing SWF size and download times.

How does the Flash Player cache work?
When an application loads a cacheable platform component, the player will first check the player cache and if it is available load it locally. If the component is not in the cache, the player goes out to the network to load it from the provided URL. If the cache is full, the player will purge components (least used) and cache the requested file.

What components can be cached by Flash Player?
Flash Player will only cache signed Adobe platform components. The Flex framework is one of the first components to utilize this new feature. We will continue to develop libraries and components to provide additional platform capabilities for content and applications.

Will clearing the browser cache also clear the player cache?
No, the player cache is managed by Flash Player and is independent of the browser cache. To clear or opt-out of the player cache, end-users will be able to disable this feature in Settings Manager. This feature is not yet available in the Settings Manager, but will be available on release. IT admins will also be able to limit the size of the cache (the current default is 20MB), or disable this feature completely.


FAQ: Flash Player 9 for Linux beta (11/18/2006)

Update: 1/17/2007 Flash Player 9 for Linux (9.0.31.0) shipped on 1/16/2007. Please see the release notes for information about this release.

Date: 10/18/2006

Is Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux available now?

The beta version of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux is now available on Adobe Labs, at http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashplayer9/. Adobe Labs gives customers the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and emerging innovations, technologies, and products from Adobe.

When will Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux be available as final product?

The final version of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux is expected in early 2007.

Are the features of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta the same as the Windows and Macintosh versions?

Yes, Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta supports the same major features and functionality as the Windows and Macintosh versions for playback of Flash content and applications. Unsupported features include Express Install and auto-update notification, which are not available due to the variety of Linux platforms, each handling the Adobe Flash Player plug-in installation in different ways. The full-screen feature is not yet available in the Beta 1 release of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux but will be implemented for the final release. For more information about the Beta 1 release of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux, please see the release notes: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashplayer9/releasenotes.html

1/16/2007 Update: The full-screen viewing feature is not available in the 9.0.31.0 release. The Adobe team wanted to make the new Flash Player for Linux available as soon as possible after the beta release. The complexity of porting Flash Player to work on the variety of Linux platforms meant that certain functionality would have to wait until the first update of the full version of Adobe Flash Player for Linux. The team expects the full-screen viewing feature in Linux Flash Player later this year.

Does Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta offer any additional functionality beyond what Adobe Flash Player 9 for Windows and Macintosh offer?

No, Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta supports the same major features and functionality for playback of Flash content and applications. For more information about the Beta 1 release of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux, please see the release notes: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashplayer9/releasenotes.html

There are many versions of Linux, what specific Linux operating systems will Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta support?

Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta has been tested on Red Hat and Novell platforms; however the plug-in is expected to operate on most standard Linux operating systems.

Will any Linux distributions include Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta?

Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta is only available from Adobe Labs. A list of distribution partners is expected to be available when the final version of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux is released. Adobe Flash Player 7 is currently distributed through several Linux operating system providers, such as Red Hat, Novell, and TurboLinux.

When will a 64-bit version of Adobe Flash Player for Linux be available?

The Adobe Flash Player team is working on support for 64-bit platforms as part of our ongoing commitment to the cross-platform compatibility of Adobe Flash Player. We have not yet announced timing or release dates.

Will future versions of Adobe Flash Professional or Adobe Flex Builder be available on Linux?

Adobe has not publicly announced plans to release versions of its desktop tools on Linux. However, the free Flex 2 Software Developers Kit (SDK) is available for Linux today. It enables developers to build and deploy Flex applications using the editor of their choice and a command-line compiler. Flex Data Services is also supported on Linux.

How does Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta and Adobe Flex 2 SDK work together?

With Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta and the Adobe Flex 2 SDK, Linux users will be able to take full advantage of the Flex development model for creating and deploying rich Internet applications. Flex developers will be able to use the Adobe Flex 2 SDK together with their editor of choice to develop and deploy their Flex-based applications entirely on Linux machines.

Where can I get the Adobe Flex 2 SDK and Adobe Flex Data Services Express?

The Adobe Flex 2 SDK and Adobe Flex Data Services Express can be downloaded here: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=flex.

How does Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux beta and Adobe Flex 2 SDK fit into Adobe’s overall plan for the Linux OS?

Adobe develops products based on customer needs and demand. There is growing interest in the development of rich Internet applications (RIAs). Together, Adobe Flash Player 9 and Adobe Flex 2 SDK is a fully supported, free RIA development platform. These tools help expand the Flash Player and Flex developer ecosystem and demonstrate Adobe’s commitment to the Linux Platform.

Does this mark Adobe's entrance into a commitment to produce tools for Linux?

Adobe tools and technologies, including software suites, the free clients and server software, are available on multiple platforms, as customer demand warrants. We continue to evaluate Linux development based on customer feedback.

FAQ: Flash Player 9 (formerly Flash Player 8.5) (4/21/2006)

Date: 4/21/2006

Q. What information are you sharing today? Have you announced anything new?
A. No, there is no new announcement. We are changing the previously announced name of the upcoming release of Flash Player from Flash Player 8.5 to Flash Player 9. The version change will be reflected in the beta 3 release on Adobe Labs.

Q. What will be the name of the upcoming release of Flash Player?
A. The next release of Flash Player will ship as Flash Player 9. During beta releases on Adobe Labs, this player was known as Flash Player 8.5.

Q. Why was the name changed from Flash Player 8.5 to Flash Player 9?
A. As previously announced, the features of this release include the ECMAScript Edition 4-based ActionScript 3.0 language and a new ActionScript Virtual Machine (AVM2), which dramatically exceeds the performance of previous players. Flash Player 9 better reflects the significance of the advancements to the runtime environment to our customers and the market. This also allows us to maintain consistency between the player version and the file format version as we have in previous releases. The SWF file format for this release is version 9.

The features of this release remain the same; the only change is to the version number. Instead of shipping as Flash Player 8.5, the player will ship as Flash Player 9. There will not be a version 8.5 release.

Q. When will this naming change take effect?
A.. The first public release to include this change will be the beta 3 release on Adobe Labs.

Q. When will Flash Player 9 be released?
A. Flash Player 9 is expected to ship with the Flex 2.0 launch this summer. It will be publicly available for download from the Flash Player Download Center.

Q. Is Flash Player 9 the target runtime for the next release of the Flash authoring tool?
A. Yes, the next release of the Flash authoring tool,code-named “BLAZE”, will target Flash Player 9.

Q. When is the next release of the Flash authoring tool?
A. We expect to release an ActionScript 3.0 preview release (public alpha) of the next release of the Flash authoring tool, code-named “BLAZE”, on Adobe Labs around the time of the Flash Player 9 launch.

Q. Will there be another major release of Flash Player with the next release of Flash Professional?
A. No, we do not plan to release another version of Flash Player with the next release of the Flash authoring tool, code-named “BLAZE”. The next release of the Flash authoring tool is expected to target Flash Player 9.

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