CentOS, how to watch YouTube videos with Mozilla Firefox?

Question

I'm currently using a CentOS Linux release 7.2.1511 (Core) operating system on a Dell machine. I've been trying to watch YouTube videos with Mozilla Firefox ESR 45.1.1, but it never worked.

("It's necessary Adobe Flash Player to play this video. Download the updated version of Flash Player")

I downloaded it but nothing worked. I also tried to install some Firefox Add-Ons for Flash playing (YouTube Flash Video Player and Enable Your Youtube Flash Player) but nothing worked.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Solution 1

While HTML5 should be the default player and not Flash, try using an add-on for Firefox to force it to actually use HTML5. Here are some add-ons that should do the job:

• YouTube ALL HTML5
• YouTube HTML5 Video
• YouTube HTML5 Player

To make sure your browser has complete HTML5 support, you should also update it to the latest version if you haven't already.

Solution 2

I just tested it on latest CentOS, it should work:

1. First, go to https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

2. Select either yum or rpm is ok:

   

3. Click Download now button in right side:

4. Software Install is not reliable, so we must choose Save File:

5. Open you terminal:

Navigate to ~/Downloads directory which hold the rpm you've downloaded just now, and do sudo rpm -i <.rpm file name> and sudo yum -y install flash-plugin:

[xiaobai@localhost ~]$ cd ~/Downloads/
[xiaobai@localhost Downloads]$ ls
adobe-release-x86_64-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
[xiaobai@localhost Downloads]$ sudo rpm -i adobe-release-x86_64-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
[xiaobai@localhost Downloads]$ sudo yum -y install flash-plugin

Close all firefox window and restart it, it should work now. Visits to https://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ should able to see your version:

Footnotes:

1. After rpm -i <.rpm filename>, it will make yum search flash-plugin work, and so yum install flash-plugin will succeed.
2. Press Ctrl+C to kill and wait for few seconds to try yum install flash-plugin again, if you see yum lock error.
3. Keep in mind that most of the popular YouTube videos shouldn't need Flash. Your question didn't state is it not working for all videos or only few videos. This is important statement since I have no problem to play YouTube videos in a freshly installed CentOS without flash player.
4. Update your Firefox if still not working. Disable all of your Firefox Extensions/Plugins(except Flash Player) to test if still not working, because UA header might affect YouTube decision to give you flash or html5 code. Ensure Plugins page's Flash Player set to Always Activate for testing purpose. Log-out your account and start a New Private Window to test if still not working.

Solution 3

You can try the approach here:

https://www.centos.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4926

Basically, it's

sudo yum install flash-plugin

And some updating work/fix dependencies.

It's a possible threat to the security of your system. At your own risk, like many have stated.

Comments

[Admin]

Visit youtube.com/html5 , to verify that all feature of html5 are enabled. (blue=enabled)

[Admin]

Yes they are. What should I do? :-/ @GAD3R

[Admin]

I think you should not require Flash if you are playing the videos with HTML 5. Did you click on the blue button saying "Request the HTML5 player" in the link pointed above by @GAD3R ?

[Anshu]

He should also ensure he has latest browser version.

[edaemon]

@Xalorous: good point. I'll add that.

[Centimane]

The answer approach of "just don't do that" isn't really valid. It's fair to have a comment stating alternatives or security concerns, or to include those in a real answer. However to say the solution is to circumvent the question doesn't attempt to answer it.

[Alessio]

you are, of course, entitled to your opinion, however wrong it may be. there are many solutions to most problems, and some of those ARE "don't do that, do something else" (and sometimes they're even the best solution). Even the most-upvoted answer above by @edaemon is another variant of "do something else", i.e. make firefox use the HTML5 player rather than the flash player.

[Alessio]

BTW, there are still many youtube videos that are flash-only, not available as HTML5....which means that my answer (use chromium or pepper-flash, or download and use a standalone player) is the only answer that will work for all youtube videos, even the old ones...and the question specifically mentioned flash videos.

[Centimane]

The question is how to play youtube videos in firefox. edaemon's suggestion was to use addons for firefox so it could play flash videos IN FIREFOX.You're suggestions were play outside of a web browser, or use chrome, neither of which address the question "How to watch youtube videos in Mozilla Firefox?"

[Alessio]

The question specifically referenced flash videos and edaemon's answer does not describe how to play flash videos in firefox, it describes how to set firefox to use HTML5 videos. That's a good, easy "do something else" answer and it will work great for many/most youtube videos (i.e. those that are HTML5 or that have both flash and HTML5 versions). It will not work at all for flash-only videos...for those, the "do something else" needs to be more extreme. As always, use the right (or best) tool for the job, and don't let yourself get trapped by the first tool that comes to mind.