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Life without Flash: share your tips and tricks.

skinniezinho said:
Guess our best bet is useragents.
There are sites that were supposed to be light and still lag on my G4: google groups, google reader...
I bet that with user agent for ipad or android it is fine.
Facebook is another one.
Another bet is turning the webapps into "native" apps like here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1522414/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1459249/

altough I guess it is not as effective as user agents.
Click to expand...
Google (and associated sites) uses a lot of javascript (believe it or not). They also make a lot of calls to Youtube and some other support sites (ytimage, gstatic, etc). You can accept those with the Request Policy addon and use No Script to block any JS coming from those sites.

The same applies to Facebook. I use Request Policy to allow communication between the servers FB needs to access, but use No Script to block any unnecessary JS.

I've also got an addon called Block Site that will cut off any site in it's blacklist period. I use that to kill a lot of the analytics sites (another thing that slows down websites) out there.

You'd be surprised at how much these sites speed up when you start blocking unnecessary stuff.
 
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MisterKeeks said:
Google Groups is horrible on any G5 I've used it with. Lots of beachballs when using the back button.
Click to expand...

So how do you see "so many" people in Low End Mac groups saying their only computer is like a G3 or a G4 running 10.3 or 10.4 ,posting on google groups?
Old browser=different useragents=faster sites?
 
skinniezinho said:
So how do you see "so many" people in Low End Mac groups saying their only computer is like a G3 or a G4 running 10.3 or 10.4 ,posting on google groups?
Old browser=different useragents=faster sites?
Click to expand...
Not exactly. A different UA means that the website will serve up a different version to the browser. If you are using a Nokia phone UA for example, you'll get a basic website served to you and not something heavy with javascript.

So, old browser+different UA equals different version of website.
 
MisterKeeks said:
Which could possibly mean a faster version of the website.
Click to expand...
Hmmm…ok, we're probably looking at the same thing from two different viewpoints. You are seeing UAs delivering a faster version of the website whilst I am seeing a different version of the website - which because it may be less intensive can be delivered faster.

OK, we are on the same page now I think.
 
eyoungren said:
Hmmm…ok, we're probably looking at the same thing from two different viewpoints. You are seeing UAs delivering a faster version of the website whilst I am seeing a different version of the website - which because it may be less intensive can be delivered faster.

OK, we are on the same page now I think.
Click to expand...

Just as long as it's faster!
 
eyoungren is correct, take a look at how much JavaScript is being loaded on the average website - there is so much stuff which is absolutely unnecessary (tracking, analytics, social media, ads etc.) which has a detrimental effect on performance.

You can block the majority of JS on most sites and it will have no effect on the functionality.
 
Well, as the only “non-Mac” Mac guy around these parts (I use Ubuntu on my Ppc Macs); I’ll weigh in with what I do. These are admittedly low tech solutions that match my skill level, but they work for me. There are two pieces of software in the repository called “gnash” and “gnash common”. They both come installed by default in the full blown Ubuntu 12.04 Ppc. Version, but if I’m not mistaken, you have to install them in Lubuntu 12.04 Ppc. (lightweight version). This is an open source flash player that will play most, but not all videos. On my wife’s G4 emac with a 1Ghz processor, the videos that do play are somewhat choppy and halting, but overall watchable. On my older G4 Graphics “Sawtooth” with a 450 Mhz. processor, they load up extremely slowly and play like a very ponderous slide show. I’ve always wondered how well they might play on a G5 or something with an upgraded processor.

Anyway, not having the patience for all that, I go a different route. I use Firefox as my browser and as most of you know, it has a ton of add-ons available. My favorite downloading tool is “Video Download Helper”. It will absolutely work on all Youtube videos as well as many others, although not all. Download time is about the same as running the video for the first time, but when done, you have a nice little MV4 file put safely away in a special file (automatically created). No hurky-jerkiness, no buffering, just a nice little video of very high quality resolution (depending on the quality of the recording, of course) that you can replay over and over. Though I've never taken the time to figure out how to do it, there is also supposed to be an option to stream a video via "VLC".

Would I prefer to be able to play videos directly through Flash? Sure. I’ve thought more than once about reloading 10.3 Panther on my wife’s emac and running one of the “retro-fit” browsers with Flash. But since she uses this for on-line banking, etc., I just don’t feel good about exposing it to all the inherent security risks. And I still have a stinging memory of that little beach ball spinning endlessly as my Mac got slower and slower telling me it was time for a complete re-installation of the OS. This has NEVER happened with Ubuntu.

I know I’m way outnumbered here, and far be it from me to try to persuade someone away from their pursuit of interest, but if in fact the window is closing on options for the powerpc Macs running "OS 10-whatever" that hasn’t been updated in how many years?, Ubuntu DOES offer an alternative with a modern OS that is updated regularly for security and bug fixes. And do I need to remind you that this is all free? Free as in Braveheart and free as in beer. I’m just sayin’…
 
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This is for ClickToPlugin users. While on intel macs you can access flv replacement videos from CTP, on powerpc the source selector menu will only show you the mp4 ones. That's because QuickTime won't reveal to websites its ability to play flv, even when Perian is installed.
Tobias Netzel has found a way to solve this problem, using a script that modifies QuickTime info.plist file. CTP now works in the same way it does on intel macs. You'll now be able to access replacement content on more sites than before. Slower macs will also have the option to access 240p videos on YouTube. 480p plays fine on the eMac in my signature, so it shouldn't be a problem on anything with similar or better performance.

You can find the script here
 
B-G said:
This is for ClickToPlugin users. While on intel macs you can access flv replacement videos from CTP, on powerpc the source selector menu will only show you the mp4 ones. That's because QuickTime won't reveal to websites its ability to play flv, even when Perian is installed.
Tobias Netzel has found a way to solve this problem, using a script that modifies QuickTime info.plist file. CTP now works in the same way it does on intel macs. You'll now be able to access replacement content on more sites than before. Slower macs will also have the option to access 240p videos on YouTube. 480p plays fine on the eMac in my signature, so it shouldn't be a problem on anything with similar or better performance.

You can find the script here
Click to expand...
I keep getting an error each time I try to download it. Maybe he took it offline?
 
It's working fine for me. :confused:
Be sure to download the updated version of the script in message 5.
 
B-G said:
It's working fine for me. :confused:
Be sure to download the updated version of the script in message 5.
Click to expand...
Got it working. No idea why but it did not want to download in Aurorafox. So, I used Safari. Unzipped and it installed fine. Thanks!
 
New info.plist file for the ClickToFlash plugin. It now simulates Flash 11.6.602.167
To download the file see the first post.
 
Wrong version displayed

Hello,

Ok, once I applied the new settings, flash player version is still saying 11.5.502 ?? forgot the rest.. Its NOT saying 11.6.602.167

Help!

I revised strings in all the plists and yet it still says the older version 11.5


B-G said:
New info.plist file for the ClickToFlash plugin. It now simulates Flash 11.6.602.167
To download the file see the first post.
Click to expand...
 
Just to avoid a possible misunderstanding (I apologize to you if I got your post wrong), is the Flash Player still installed on your system? I don't know if that could cause problems with the method I'm suggesting (on paper it shouldn't, because it would correspond to a normal use of the ClickToFlash plugin).
I reinstalled the file attached to the first post to check if it's working properly. Safari "installed plugin" page in the help menu and several internet pages (like this one) are correctly reporting the installed Flash version as 11.6.602. Be sure to unzip that file in /Users/_YOURUSERNAME_/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ClickToFlash.webplugin/Contents , replacing the original file in ClickToFlash. Maybe emptying the cache will help (but on my machine this wasn't necessary). If it still doesn't work try modifying the info.plist file manually, using the instructions in the first post. Sorry not to be of more help.
 
Yeah, still says 11.5.502. or just version 11.5 - I checked all my settings and they all say 11.6.602. but it still comes up as 11.5


B-G said:
Just to avoid a possible misunderstanding (I apologize to you if I got your post wrong), is the Flash Player still installed on your system? I don't know if that could cause problems with the method I'm suggesting (on paper it shouldn't, because it would correspond to a normal use of the ClickToFlash plugin).
I reinstalled the file attached to the first post to check if it's working properly. Safari "installed plugin" page in the help menu and several internet pages (like this one) are correctly reporting the installed Flash version as 11.6.602. Be sure to unzip that file in /Users/_YOURUSERNAME_/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ClickToFlash.webplugin/Contents , replacing the original file in ClickToFlash. Maybe emptying the cache will help (but on my machine this wasn't necessary). If it still doesn't work try modifying the info.plist file manually, using the instructions in the first post. Sorry not to be of more help.
Click to expand...
 
What does the "installed plugin" page in Safari help menu exactly say? If you have both the Flash Player and ClickToFlash installed you should see two entries for Shockwave Player. Does it report version 11.5 for both of them?
 
Ok, here is what it says:

Shockwave Flash
Shockwave Flash 11.6 r602 — from file “ClickToFlash.webplugin”.
MIME Type Description Extensions
application/x-shockwave-flash ClickToFlash 1.6b9 swf
Shockwave Flash
Shockwave Flash 11.6 r602 — from file “Flash Player.plugin”.
MIME Type Description Extensions
application/futuresplash FutureSplash Player spl
application/x-shockwave-flash Shockwave Flash swf
Shockwave for Director
Adobe Shockwave for Director Netscape plug-in, version 11.6.8 — from file “DirectorShockwave.plugin”.


But yet its still coming up as 11.5 through adobe's website and the one you said for me to go.


B-G said:
What does the "installed plugin" page in Safari help
menu exactly say? If you have both the Flash Player and ClickToFlash installed you should see two entries for Shockwave Player. Does it report version 11.5 for both of them?
Click to expand...
 
As I thought there is a misunderstanding. The file attached to the first post is simply meant to be used as an update to the very old Info.plist which comes with the ClickToFlash plugin. It won't alter the way the Flash Player will report itself to webpages. Those entries in the "installed plugin" page tell me that the update was successful.
The idea here is to force the ClickToPlugin Safari extension to show HTML5 replacement media even when Flash has been uninstalled from your system. In that case ClickToPlugin would not ordinarily find replacement content, simply because when Flash is not installed websites won't offer you flash media, and CTP won't have anything to replace. That's when the old ClickToFlash plugin comes into play. It basically tells websites: "Hey look! I'm a nice Flash Player! Give me all your media. I will play it painfully slowly, I will overload the CPU and I will condemn old Macs users to an existence of anger and sorrow! BWAHAHAHAH!!!". Then webpages will reply: "Oh Flash Player, you look so sexy! Take all our videos. We could offer HTML5 in the first place, but we will do so only for iPad users! AHAHAHAH!!!!" At this point ClickToPlugin will sneak in and say: "Fooools! You thought I was gone and vanquished, but here I am. Your HTML5 is mine!".
Game over. PPC users win! :)
Kidding aside, if you keep the Flash Player installed on your system you won't need the ClickToFlash plugin at all (unless, of course, you want to use webkit based browsers other than Safari/Leopard Webkit). ClickToPlugin will simply work flawlessly, in the plain and ordinary way.

If you want to update your Flash Player hack, so that it will report to be Flash 11.6, the file I attached to the first post won't be of any help to you. You will need to modify a few files inside the Flash plugin bundle.
And even if many webpages will believe you have a newer version of Flash, you won't still be able to fool the Adobe site (nor the one I linked above).
Good news is that on many sites you won't need the Flash Player at all. The method I'm suggesting coupled with user agent spoofing on sites not supported by ClickToPlugin (see Wildy's Glimmer Blocker filter rules in post 20) will give you very good results when using Safari/Leopard Webkit.
Even if I uninstalled Flash from my system, I keep a local installation in Camino (see first post), just in case I may need it on this machine. I've not used it in months! Literally! Even on my Intel mac it's rare I have to use Flash. CTP is that good!
 
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Understood

Ok, on my G5 Quad, PowerBook G4 DLSD I use as my main browser and don't know why, Leopard Webkit(latest build). Even before 11.6 was introduced my flash player and quicktime always worked perfectly and luckily it still does work perfectly.

So, really if I can't get Adobe's site to show 11.6 version but yet in the plugins under Safari Webkit you saw with your own eyes: 11.6.602.167 and nothing 11.5, then can I assume its running 11.6?

Shockwave seems to work very well also.. While on my Quad G5 I use both flash and Quicktime player to view videos and movies, while on my PB G4 1.67 I use always Quicktime at high resolution and it never hiccups and or the CPU never spikes upwards.

So, at this point I won't worry about it as I seem to be able to watch anything and everything without this update.

Just that it was weird as to why 11.6 wasn't appearing at all and 11.5 was. None of the info.plists I have include 11.5.. unless Adobe and your website to check version are pulling it out of nowhere.



B-G said:
As I thought there is a misunderstanding. The file attached to the first post is simply meant to be used as an update to the very old Info.plist which comes with the ClickToFlash plugin. It won't alter the way the Flash Player will report itself to webpages. Those entries in the "installed plugin" page tell me that the update was successful.
The idea here is to force the ClickToPlugin Safari extension to show HTML5 replacement media even when Flash has been uninstalled from your system. In that case ClickToPlugin would not ordinarily find replacement content, simply because when Flash is not installed websites won't offer you flash media, and CTP won't have anything to replace. That's when the old ClickToFlash plugin comes into play. It basically tells websites: "Hey look! I'm a nice Flash Player! Give me all your media. I will play it painfully slowly, I will overload the CPU and I will condemn old Macs users to an existence of anger and sorrow! BWAHAHAHAH!!!". Then webpages will reply: "Oh Flash Player, you look so sexy! Take all our videos. We could offer HTML5 in the first place, but we will do so only for iPad users! AHAHAHAH!!!!" At this point ClickToPlugin will sneak in and say: "Fooools! You thought I was gone and vanquished, but here I am. Your HTML5 is mine!".
Game over. PPC users win! :)
Kidding aside, if you keep the Flash Player installed on your system you won't need the ClickToFlash plugin at all (unless, of course you want to use webkit based browsers other than Safari/Leopard Webkit). ClickToPlugin will simply work flawlessly, in the plain and ordinary way.

If you want to update your Flash Player hack, so that it will report to be Flash 11.6, the file I attached to the first post won't be of any help to you. You will need to modify a few files inside the Flash plugin bundle.
And even if many webpages will believe you have a newer version of Flash, you won't still be able to fool the Adobe site (nor the one I linked above).
Good news is that on many sites you won't need the Flash Player at all. The method I'm suggesting coupled with user agent spoofing on sites not supported by ClickToPlugin (see Wildy's Glimmer Blocker filter rules in post 20) will give you very good results when using Safari/Leopard Webkit.
Even if I uninstalled Flash from my system, I keep a local installation in Camino (see first post), just in case I may need it on this machine. I've not used it in months! Literally! Even on my Intel mac it's rare I have to use Flash. CTP is that good!
Click to expand...
 
If you use TextEdit to open the Flash Player executables (they should be in the MacOS folder inside the FP bundle) and you use the search and replace feature, you will see that there are several references to the plugin release. Do not alter them! I tried and Flash would not work anymore. I assume that the Adobe website reads the player version from those references, so you will not be able to fool it by changing the strings in the .plist and .rsrc files. Luckily this doesn't seem to be true for sites like Youtube, that will see your hacked FP as version 11.6
So you should still be able to use flash on most sites (but please, please be careful ;) ).
 
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