Adobe Breathes Air 1.5 into Linux
Adobe, maker of Photoshop and Flash, has released version 1.5 of its AIR platform for Linux. The software allows Web users to run so-called Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) without resorting to a browser.
AIR stands for Adobe Integrated Runtime, a single package that includes old favorites such as Flash Player and Apple's WebKit Engine. The AIR platform, therefore, is especially interesting for developers using well established Web technologies who want to write applications concurrently on Linux, Windows and MAC OS X.
Development on Flash Player brings in version 10, with its 3D content, video and animation, ActionScript and Flex framework. The WebKit engine handles HTML and CSS, and JavaScript runs with the increasingly favored SquirrelFish engine. The new AIR also includes a special, encrypted database for enterprise app developers.
According to Adobe, companies such as DIRECTV, Fox News and the Nasdaq are using AIR to deliver high resolution videos and other content to its audiences. Adobe itself even provides AIR as the basis for its Kuler color theme generator.
Adobe wants to make AIR a key element of its Flash platform and thereby hold back its Java and Microsoft Silverlight competitors in the ever increasing Web 2.0 market. Of course, it wants to promote its own products: which professional Flash animator without much fuss can currently avoid a Flash license? Still, Adobe assures users that Linux still plays an important role, emphasized by Adobe's continued participation in the Linux Foundation.
Adobe AIR 1.5 is available for free download here, along with useful tools such as a Dreamweaver plug-in and an SDK. Officially only 32-bit versions of the older Fedora 8, Ubuntu 7.10 and openSUSE 10.3 distros are supported, even if the components are running on a current Linux. With a bit of tweaking, the package can also run on a 64-bit system.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.