Thus, Flash Player is there, and works, but it only loads after the user clicks on a Flash content box to load it. If the user clicks that box, ClickToFlash hands the content over to the actual Flash Player plugin. Instead of actually loading the Flash content, ClickToFlash instead draws a box with a nice little “Flash” logo. So when you load a web page containing Flash, the browser lets the ClickToFlash plugin handle the embedded Flash. It masquerades as a plugin that claims to be able to play Flash content, and overrides the actual Flash Player plugin. The original ClickToFlash was possible before the Safari 5 extension API even existed because it (the original ClickToFlash) is a plugin. E.g., if you have the QuickTime plugin installed, then your browser can play embedded QuickTime movies. Web content plugins are not new - they date back to Netscape in the mid-1990s. Safari extensions are the things Apple lists here, and which you manage via the Extensions tab in Safari’s preferences window. They’re written using JavaScript (and HTML and CSS for presentation, if they present a user interface). These Safari extensions are much like Firefox extensions. Earlier this year, Safari 5 introduced a new, officially supported extension API. That sounds pedantic, perhaps, but bear with me. The original ClickToFlash is a plugin, not an extension. Previously, I used and recommended the excellent ClickToFlash plugin for Safari. I’m really happy with this setup, so I thought I’d document it here. Last week I mentioned that, following Steven Frank’s lead, I’d completely disabled Flash Player on my Mac. But I have a cheat, for web pages with Flash content with no non-Flash workaround.
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know.Going Flash-Free on Mac OS X, and How to Cheat When You Need It Thursday, 4 November 2010 Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple? You can either pop these files into a folder somewhere or just delete them – it’s no problem to reinstall Flash, if you’re forced to do so.Open a Finder Window and Go To Macintosh HD/Library/Internet Plug-ins.Flash-free.Ī little more complex but by no means impossible.
Download it, install it, run the uninstaller.
If so, here is how Mac users can remove Flash from their systems (instructions for Windows right here): Flash can, will and should be left behind. They want eyeballs and will follow the audience eventually. Yes, it will mean losing access to some popular services, but this is only a transition period and if we assume Adobe maintains its now extensive track record of failing to improve the platform, then the industry will catch up. It’s not enough to simply disable it in our browsers. Given this intransigence, we’re going to have to fight in order to prevent Adobe’s flaky Flash strangling the life out of the Web for another decade. It may also be worth considering just how many governments love to spy on their citizens using those secret backdoors Hacking Team used on their behalf. Inertia, expense and Adobe’s addition of incredibly useful back-end elements makes it hard for them to efficiently replace. Unfortunately, these organizations lack the momentum to stop using Flash. The only reason Flash remains at all is because so many organizations across government, media companies, advertising firms and elsewhere continue to use it, though why their IT staff permit this is incomprehensible to me. How long does a firm get in which to provide such proof before we hear the fail bell peal? It’s too late, Adobe, we’ve lost patience and you’ve run out of time… I know Adobe claims to be working to improve Flash security, but it has had decades to prove itself. We have been working with Adobe to fix these problems, but they have persisted for several years now,” Jobs wrote.įlash is such a bundle of hurt Facebook’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, this month said: "It is time for Adobe to announce the end-of-life date for Flash and to ask the browsers to set killbits on the same day.”īrowser developers also appear to be becoming impatient. We also know first hand that Flash is the number one reason Macs crash. “Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009.