A Look at Flash tools for the Linux environment
FLASH IN LINUX
Flash is today’s tool of choice for animated, interactive web content. But Flash and Linux are worlds colliding. We'll show you the current crop of Open Source Flash authoring solutions.
Flash began in 1995, when Future- Wave presented a forerunner known as FutureSplashAnimator. One year later, Macromedia acquired FutureWave, publishing the first version of Flash in 1997. Most Flash movies are created in the Macromedia Flash authoring environment. The file format used with Flash movies is known as Small Web Format (SWF). The Macromedia Flash Player [1] has a virtual monopoly on playing SWF files; according to Macromedia, the figure is about 98 percent. Of course, these figures can vary depending on the kind of users you ask. There is no genuine alternative to the Macromedia player at present. The only hopes of that changing in the future lie with the free GPLFlashPlayer, where work is currently underway on Version 2.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
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
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.