Flash Player on FreeBSD

[Jeff Cross]

Don Witt wrote:
> I have some contacts at macromedia and would be happy to use them for this
> effort.  Before anyone talks to them, they should not indicate that we will
> pay.  Ask them to do it free first.  I have had many companies provide
> work/porting for nothing.  
> 
> I would like to be involved in this effort as well.
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-freebsd-advocacy at freebsd.org 
>> [mailto:owner-freebsd-advocacy at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Cross
>> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 11:05 AM
>> To: Michael Vince
>> Cc: advocacy at freebsd.org
>> Subject: Re: Flash Player on FreeBSD
>>
>> Michael Vince wrote:
>>> Michael Vince wrote:
>>>
>>>> Jeff Cross wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have seen a number of e-mails lately about a petition 
>> for having a 
>>>>> native Flash Player for the FreeBSD operating system.  I have 
>>>>> noticed that the flashplayer* plugin has been removed 
>> from the ports 
>>>>> tree and I understand why.  But, what needs to happen to allow 
>>>>> FreeBSD users to use the Flash Player plugin?
>>>>>
>>>>> I just saw where Verizon and Adobe have come to an agreement to 
>>>>> allow Verizon to put the Flash Player on their mobile phones.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/biztech/04/06/adobe.verizon.reut/index.
>>>>> html?section=cnn_tech
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Would it be possible to approach Adobe about getting this kind of 
>>>>> agreement for FreeBSD?  I mean, their EULA says the 
>> software can't 
>>>>> be used on the Windows XP Media Center operating system (unless I 
>>>>> have misread this, please correct me if I'm wrong). There are a 
>>>>> number of laptops coming out now with the Media Center OS 
>> on them.  
>>>>> Don't you think they run Flash Player on them?
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm not trying to kick a dead horse here.  Like I said earlier, I 
>>>>> know this has been discussed time and time again.  But, I 
>> thoroughly 
>>>>> enjoy using FreeBSD.  I rarely boot in to Windows any 
>> more.  As much 
>>>>> as I hate to admit it, it just feels natural to visit a Flash 
>>>>> enabled web site and have it work on FreeBSD.  Even 
>> though I don't 
>>>>> visit that many (on purpose anyway), when I do I like to 
>> see what I 
>>>>> visited the site to see, even if that happens to be Flash 
>> enabled content.
>>>>> I'm sure I'm not as smart as most of you guys, and don't claim to 
>>>>> be, but I am willing to help!
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff Cross
>>>>> www.averageadmins.com
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>  
>>>>>
>>>> I believe the only way this is going to happen is probably 
>> the same 
>>>> way Verizon got theres and thats with handing over money.
>>>> I think if some one asked how much money it would cost to get 
>>>> Macromedia/Adobe to port/create a flash player they might 
>> tell us say 
>>>> $20k This could easily be reached since other fund raises 
>> for FreeBSD 
>>>> have accumulated large amounts of money pretty fast.
>>>> I talked about this in mid March for the FreeBSD Java 
>> project on this 
>>>> mailing list as I noticed that Andre Oppermann fund raise was 
>>>> obviously quite successful.
>>>>
>>>> Also Colin Percival did a fund raise less then a week ago got his 
>>>> target of $15,000 Canadian in less then a week just to rewrite 2 
>>>> programs which are already fully functional.
>>> BTW I forgot to list Colins web site just FYI.
>>> http://people.freebsd.org/~cperciva/funding.html
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> I would be interested in heading this up if no one objects.  
>> I could at least do some of the leg work and see where we sit 
>> or if we can even get a dollar amount and go from there.  I 
>> am used to dealing with third-parties/vendors.  I do it on a 
>> daily basis at my day job and for a side business I am a partner in.
>>
>> I would obviously need some sort of blessing from the 
>> powers-that-be in the FreeBSD realm.  I don't have an 
>> @freebsd.org e-mail address so they may not want any 
>> correspondence coming from "noone at nobody.com" (a.k.a.
>> me) representing the FreeBSD project.
>>
>> Anyway, I'm in!  If I can help or anyone out there in 
>> "FreeBSD Headquarters" would like for me to head this up, 
>> where do I sign up?  If you're interested, reply to the 
>> advocacy mailing list or contact me off list, either way.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Jeff Cross
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>>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

Sounds good, Don.  Let's see if we can get some support from the FreeBSD
team before moving forward.  I don't have any contacts within the
FreeBSD team, so if you do, that would be nice.

Also, good point on the "doing it for free" approach.  I wouldn't have
approached them and said "We'll pay you $X!"  We should see what is
required and see where we go from there.  I wonder what got Linux on board?

Jeff