[Gnash-dev] More OLPC gnash commentary

[John Gilmore]

[Anything we can do in the next few days to produce patches for these
 OLPC issues will help gnash retain its spot as the OLPC's default
 flash player.  I don't expect they'd replace us in this release, it's
 too late for that; but if Adobe made them a nice offer, they might well
 consider it for the next release.  Flash complaints are their #1 support
 question.  --gnu]

Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:13:42 -0700
From: S Page <address@hidden>
...
>>  - can't run actual swf files in browser, can only run embedded flash
> I was able to reproduce this in Browse, for example, on:
>  http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/00sunny.swf
...
I filed http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/8497
As a workaround you can run standalone gnash from Terminal:
   gnash http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/00sunny.swf
starts and runs, but it's very sluggish and there's no sound.

In fact I haven't heard sound from any Flash movie in Browse with the 
gnash plug-in or command-line gnash (may be 
http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/4798 ?)
--
=S  user:skierpage
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel

------- Message 2

Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:30:23 -0400
From: "Bobby Powers" <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Subject: More OLPC gnash commentary
--------
[Anything we can do in the next few days to produce patches for these
 OLPC issues will help gnash retain its spot as the OLPC's default
 flash player.  I don't expect they'd replace us in this release, it's
 too late for that; but if Adobe made them a nice offer, they might well
 consider it for the next release.  Flash complaints are their #1 support
 question.  --gnu]

Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:13:42 -0700
From: S Page <address@hidden>
...
>>  - can't run actual swf files in browser, can only run embedded flash
> I was able to reproduce this in Browse, for example, on:
>  http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/00sunny.swf
...
I filed http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/8497
As a workaround you can run standalone gnash from Terminal:
   gnash http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/00sunny.swf
starts and runs, but it's very sluggish and there's no sound.

In fact I haven't heard sound from any Flash movie in Browse with the 
gnash plug-in or command-line gnash (may be 
http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/4798 ?)
--
=S  user:skierpage
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel

------- Message 2

Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:30:23 -0400
From: "Bobby Powers" <address@hidden>
To: "Walter Bender" <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: Flash tests
Cc: address@hidden, OLPC Development <address@hidden>,
   address@hidden

On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Walter Bender <address@hidden> wrote:
> For consideration in your testing: there are some ways to tune the
> performance of Flash, such as the video playback hack described here:
>
> http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=845.0
>
> I don't know if there are similar hacks for improving general
> performance of Flash (or Gnash) on lesser-powered machines, although I
> am sure Rob has plenty of hints he can share for Gnash.
>
> -walter
>
> 2008/9/16 Greg Smith <address@hidden>:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> We need to characterize the performance and support of Flash in release 8.2.
>>
>> Technical people in Uruguay did a tests a while ago on the Flash games at
>> this web site: http://www.minijuegos.com/
>>
>> They used the Gnash shipped with 656 (0.8.1-1) and a Flash plugin
>> (9.0.124-0).

that version of gnash is very old, you get different results running
8.2 or a recent joyride:

>> They tested Castle Wars: http://www.minijuegos.com/juegos/jugar.php?id=5552

loads, but doesn't work right (loops through some intro screens,
animation is slow).  (same behavior on my laptop running F9 + gnash)

>> Freekick Fusion http://www.minijuegos.com/juegos/html/index.php?id=4570

website doesn't load correctly in Browse, complains 'the URL is not
valid and cannot be loaded'. (on F9 it loads, plays an annoying
soundclip saying I've won a nintendo Wii, and gets all the way to the
instruction screen, but doesn't let me hit start)

>> Hulk Central Smahdown http://www.minijuegos.com/juegos/jugar.php?id=6769

gets to main menu, doesn't do anything after that.  (same on F9,
except when the main screen comes up it plays a soundclip saying 'HULK
SMASH')

>>
>> I believe those were chosen as examples of Flash capabilities. They weren't
>> necessarily things the ministry of education wanted to use in class :-)
>>
>> In all three Gnash failed completely and Flash ran slowly.

again, this is not representative of 8.2 (although they still aren't
playable in Gnash)...

>> If anyone has time to try those again with the 8.2 candidate build I would
>> be very interested in the results.
>>
>> Any other comments, URLs or examples about our Flash support are
>> appreciated.

I will file some gnash bugs related to this later, as well as try them
out on Gnash's trunk (its not building for me at the moment).

Bobby