How to update Flash? (version numbers don't match)

Question

Edit: There actually seems to be an issue with Flash not correctly downloading and updating through flashplugin-installer. Don't ignore it! Check my answer.

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I'm apologize if the answer is extremely straightforward, but my flash needs updating, and I'm unsure how to do that.

I installed Flash initially through the Software Center because if I download an executable file from, say, the Adobe website, I'm at a dead end. It doesn't start the install automatically through some gui interface, and I don't know the command line to install it. So, that's my problem now - I'm at a dead end if I just download the new version of Flash and update through the Adobe site, but I don't see anything in the Software Center that says "get updates."

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Solution

Edit: Flash version numbers don't match

I just noticed that the plugin page in Firefox told me that the version I had installed was vulnerable though I had the latest version of the of flashplugin-installer installed and it matched with the version number of the plugin for Linux on Adobe's site.

However what I must have ignored: the version number for Flash in Firefox was lower!

After running sudo apt-get install --reinstall flashplugin-installer it re-downloaded Adobe Flash and all version numbers matched up without restarting Firefox.

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You should be able to find an entry in your USC history or the apt log when the package was updated the last time. Just run the update-manager from the dash to search for new packages and install them.

Alternatively you could remove the package and reinstall it, here is the corresponding page for the package: https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/flashplugin-installer/

It should have been updated a while ago unless there is an issue with the repository that your installation uses. Here is a description to test and change the repository server.