Rob Savoye (LP09)

Gnash

http://openmedianow.org

Started on Rob's stereo system.

Why Flash? Used for site navigation, used for streaming video, and for educational applications and games.

Why should we care? So we don't become 2nd class citizens on the internets. Adobe's flash plugin is also just plain insufficient for using on GNU/Linux.

What can we do? Don't use flash on your web sites. Encourage sites to test against Gnash. Write code!

Milestones

• Interface for stereo in 2004
• 2005 Gilmore asks to turn it into a plugin
• Firefox NPAPI plugin Spring 2006
• Konqueror kparts plugin Fall 2006
• YouTube support Spring 2007

Since then

Became an FSF high-priority project. Attracted more developers, included in most GNU/Linux and *BSD distributions, created Open Media Now, continuing on reverse engineering the Adobe flash technology.

Runs on OLPC, Sharp Zaurus, Pepper Pad, Classmate PC, Nokia Tablet, Ubuntu NetBook, OpenMoko, Playstation 3 (at least in Rob's house).

Reverse engineering

Do it legally, don't sign the EULA, talk to the lawyers first. Use only publicly available documentation, obtain any proprietary software legal. Adobe recently announced that Gnash is a legal re-implementation.

Adobe removed the EULA requirement about not reverse engineering.

Gnash features

• Standalane
• Browser plugin
• Streaming video
• high quality output
• Better security
• Extensible
• XML messaging
• Codec support

Compatibility

• SWF version 9 but primarily SWF v8, with better v9 support under heavy development.
• Portable to all sorts of systems and OSes.

Performance

Looking for this to be a main advantage over Adobe. Xvideo, MIT Shared Memory extension, other non X11 hardware based video decoders.

Testing

DejaGnu, Buildbot, Swfmill, Swfc, SwfTools, Ming, Mtasc, Haxe. Build Farm uses a mix or real hardware and virtual images.

Current focus

• Improved SWF v9 support
• ActionScript 3 class library
• RTMP protocols
• Better performance for low end hardware