Tutorial: How to Install the Linux Standalone Flashplayer on Ubuntu 9.0.4

This entry explains how to install Adobe Flashplayer on a Ubuntu 9.0.4 system. We will start with a possible use case that brought you here.

A Use Case: You are Running a Maven build that uses FlexMojos

FlexMojos requires the standalone Flashplayer (not the Firefox plugin). If you don't install it, you will get an error like:

java.lang.NullPointerException
       at org.sonatype.flexmojos.test.threads.AsVmLauncher.stop(AsVmLauncher.java:181)

Well, that exact error message will change at some point because it was logged as a bug. What it means is that you don't have the flashplayer installed.

Installing the Standalone Linux Flashplayer

Instructions:

• Go specifically to THIS page at adobe. Don't follow the regular "Get Flash Player" link because it will think you just want the plugin.
• Look for the link for the "Linux Standalone Player" download
• Download and save to your hard drive. In there, navigate to /standalone/release and extract the binary. Put it in /usr/bin
  • tar -xvf flashplayer_xxx.tar.gz
  • sudo cp flashplayer /usr/bin/flashplayer
• Restart your shell, and make sure you can access it: $ flashplayer
• Bash out with your Flash out.