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Date:      Sat, 19 Oct 2002 18:43:12 -0700
From:      erk <tapeworm@insekta.org>
To:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: How to use java, shockwave, etc..?
Message-ID:  <20021019184312.4f044d1e.tapeworm@insekta.org>
In-Reply-To: <20021020011228.93577.qmail@web21405.mail.yahoo.com>
References:  <20021020011228.93577.qmail@web21405.mail.yahoo.com>

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Actually, you are one among many who use FreeBSD on the desktop, myself
included.

Anyway, from my experience, it's best to just use native ports &
plugins.  If you're using Mozilla, as you seem to be, you can download a
port called plugger that will allow you to use existing apps as browser
plugins.  It uses specific ports, however, so you may have to download a
couple things you wouldn't normally use.  Also, if you're a non-Gnome
user, you'll probably want to modify the Makefile so it doesn't grab
gnumeric.  Hardly a loss, imo, since rarely have I needed to open a
spreadsheet in my browser.  In any case, it can use xine and mplayer for
various bits of audio/video, xmp for .wav files, acroread5 for .pdf
stuff, etc.  Take a look at it, edit the Makefile as you like, and
you're good to go.

As for Flash, there is the flashplugin-mozilla port available for use
with the native Mozilla browser.  I believe all of these plugs will work
with Mozilla's variants, including Beonex, Phoenix, Netscape, etc.  I'm
currently using them with Mozilla, but I haven't tried it with the
others yet.  Word of warning: the Flash plugin may crash the browser on
occasion.  It can be a little caustic, so sometimes it won't work at
all, other times you'll get video but bursts of static instead of sound,
etc.  Very touchy, but still better than having to deal with the
"download the flash plugin!" popup.  The amount of advertising online
makes it a pain, esp. since so many of those ads are video.

Hope this helps, though.

- erik

On Sat, 19 Oct 2002 18:12:28 -0700 (PDT)
Elvis Paris <elvis_paris@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I hope I'm asking a basic question. What should I do
> to set up my FreeBSD desktop with a browser that
> supports all (or at least most) linux plugins?
> 
> I've had no luck with linux_base + linux-sun-jdk13,
> for example, with linux-opera or linux-mozilla ports.
> Using 4.7.
> 
> Should I be using native browsers? If so, that means I
> can't download Linux plugins from the net, right?
> 
> I'm beginning to think I'm the only one on the planet
> trying to use FreeBSD as a desktop machine. If this is
> true, I'd appreciate some honest advice to switch to a
> Linux distro, for example. I'm sticking with FreeBSD
> just because I use it on servers and I love it, but
> I'll switch if I have to.
> 
> Any response appreciated, even if it's "whoa, i
> wouldn't do what you're trying to do."
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Elvis
> 
> 
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