How to Install Adobe Flash in Debian Etch/Lenny

Flash Player is a cross-platform browser plug-in that delivers breakthrough Web experiences to over 98% of Internet users.

Method 1

If you run Etch you will want to use backport.org

First you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file using the following command

#nano /etc/apt/sources.list

add the following line

deb http://www.backports.org/debian etch-backports main contrib non-free

save and exit the file.

Update the source list using the following command

#apt-get update

All backports are deactivated by default. If you want to install something from backports run:

#apt-get -t etch-backports install “packagename”

If you are using etch and you want apt to verify the downloaded backports you can import backports.org archive’s key into apt:

#apt-get install debian-backports-keyring

If you want to get your packages from backports upgraded automatically the following entry in /etc/apt/preferences should be sufficient:

Package: *
Pin: release a=etch-backports
Pin-Priority: 200

Once you have backports all set up do one of the following commands

#apt-get update

#apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

Method 2

Using debian-multimedia.org repo

First you need to download the debian-multimedia-keyring package from here

Install using the following command

#dpkg -i debian-multimedia-keyring_2008.10.16_all.deb

you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file using the following command

#nano /etc/apt/sources.list

add the following lines which is suitable for you

For etch (stable) alpha, amd64, hppa, i386, ia64, powerpc and sparc packages

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org etch main
or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org etch main
or
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org stable main or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org stable main

For lenny (testing) alpha, amd64, armel, hppa, i386, ia64, mipsel, powerpc and sparc packages

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org lenny main
or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org lenny main
or
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org testing main

For sid (unstable) alpha, amd64, armel, hppa, i386, ia64, mipsel, powerpc and sparc packages.

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid main or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org sid main

For experimental amd64, i386 and powerpc packages. transcode, k9copy and kplayer (Qt4 version) and mjpegtools packages.

The official Debian experimental repository isn’t needed.
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org experimental main or
deb ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org experimental main

For source

deb-src http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid main or
deb-src ftp://ftp.debian-multimedia.org sid main

Install flash player using the following command

#apt-get install flashplayer-mozilla

Once you have flash installed you can check in Iceweasel by entering about:plugins in the address bar. It should show something like:

Shockwave Flash
File name: /usr/lib/flashplayer-mozilla/libflashplayer.so
Shockwave Flash 10.0.12.36

The above works for Iceweasel/Firefox and Opera.

Method 3

If all else fails, download install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz from Adobe (http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz) , decompress, cd to resulting directory, then run as root:
./flashplayer-installer

For Iceseasel/Firefox, ell it to install in /usr/lib/iceweasel
For Opera, tell it to install in /usr/lib/opera (and/or where ever else you want).

Works for me.

Installation instructions for tar.gz

1. Click the download link to begin installation. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.
2. Save the .tar.gz file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.
3. Unpackage the file. A directory called install_flash_player_10_linux will be created.
4. In terminal, navigate to this directory and type ./flashplayer-installer to run the installer. Click Enter. The installer will instruct you to shut down your browser(s).
5. Once the installation is complete, the plug-in will be installed in your Mozilla browser. To verify, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.