Adobe auto-update eases Flash update chore - on Windows only

Adobe has introduced an auto-updater for its Flash software packages that reduces the chore of updating the widely-used application by automating the process for all supported browsers on Windows machines. Previously users had to apply individual updates to Chrome, Firefox and IE add-ons and plug-ins, a process that often went …

[The Nameless Mist]

Corporate Level Deployment

If Adobe really cared about update distribution, they would provide a full localised server distribution system for their updates and versions that corporates could work with.

So instead of having 300 workstations hitting my internet feed, I have ONE server pulling the updates and then pumping them to the workstations.

Come on Adobe .. look at WSUS and get sensible on this.

[Chris Beattie]

Re: Corporate Level Deployment

Adobe has been doing this for years. Download the installer package of your choice from Adobe.

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Then deploy that and your mms.cfg file through your corporate distribution method of choice.

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/administration-configure-auto-update-notification.html

I use Active Directory Group Policies to update Flash and Reader. Reader is more involved, but you use the Adobe Customization Wizard to generate a transform file containing your custom settings.

[Anonymous Coward]

they will

probably find a backdoor in it.

[Anonymous Coward]

The real fix

Deinstall all Adobe software completely. Alternative PDF viewers do exist (e.g. evince) and many youtube videos can be seen in HTML5 format.

[Tom 7]

Backdoors plugged

with French windows.

[Velv]

Re: Backdoors plugged

... that now open all the doors when you open one of them.

[b166er]

Agreed with Win7Sufferer. My favourite is Nitro.

Is there a way to auto opt-in?

[Spiracle]

Chrome?

Hasn't flash been updated automatically through Chrome for some time now?

[Uncle Slacky]

Re: Chrome?

And I wouldn't really expect auto-updaters for Linux anyway - it should be handled through your distro's repositories, like (most) everything else, in order to minimize the risk of untested incompatibilities with the rest of that distro's software.

[texiso]

Re: Chrome?

Somewhat correct. Chrome uses its own flash and there fore manages all the updates (to flash) via browser updates.

[asdf]

Re: Chrome?

And in fact running flash in anything but a chrome sandbox is asking for your box to get pwned. In general you should not have any Adobe software on your computer if you care about security and using flash in Chrome is the only way flash should be run at all imho.

[Ilgaz]

Major version 11 introduces auto update

Nobody seems that surprised. It is 11th incarnation of a always vulnerable plugin which has been a disaster for companies security image.

[asdf]

Re: Major version 11 introduces auto update

two words, India outsourcing.

[Mike 137]

Re: Major version 11 introduces auto update

Yes, it's be rather nice if someone (anyone) could write software without crass errors in it after all these years

[Ilgaz]

Re: Major version 11 introduces auto update

Oh please, I talk about not caring enough until freaking version 11 to put a "get some signed exe and execute it" mechanism.

Of course, they with their little minds were after "tool bar" revenues.

[Richard Lloyd]

Linux has had a flash repo for ages

Er, there's been a yum repo for Linux Flash for a couple of years now! Add it in and you get updates as part of your standard "yum update". Makes this article seem quite crusty if you ask me....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re Corporate level deployment

Errr, they do issue a catalog [sic] for Acrobat Pro / Reader 10.x and Flash Player 32/64 bit ActiveX / Plugin 11.x for WSUS and SCE.

[sgb]

auto update

"We've done such a bad job on this software that we're confident that we have nagged to into submission and will now let us put new executables on your machine without checking with you first, just to make the noise stop".