flashplugin-nonfree doesn't uses the proxy debconf key

This patch adds a --proxy option to update-flashplugin.sh script, and asks the user which proxy he wants if http_get=true

So this proxy configuration override wget's configuration.

This patch looks suitable for Edgy, deferring.

Doesn't "wget" already cover proxy support?

yes wget supports proxy, but it has to be configured and I think poeples doesn't config wget for proxy. Don't know if the best is to overwrite default wget setting by asking the user for the proxy or simply remove the http_proxy key and assume wget is well configured...

oh and I forgot: This bug should be pushed to debian I guess, I don't know how to do that using launchpad

If flashplugin-nonfree depends on wget, then it seems appropriate to assume that wget is properly configured. See http_proxy and ftp_proxy in /etc/wgetrc. Maybe you want to add debconf panels to wget to configure proxy for wget.

(I don't know either how to push bugs from launchpad to Debian, but maybe that's not necessary if the Debian maintainer is already reading here. :) )

This should be upgraded from Whishlist to Serious Bug and also be backported to dapper. The upgrade to flash 9 is hanging people's auto updates.

People do not configure wget. They only configure synaptic because they want the updates and firefox because they want to surf. With flash 9 out now the update hangs for most people behind a proxy because the postinstall script cannot download the flashplayer from the web. In some cases (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=307383) hosing the apt cache.

postinstall scripts (including wget when called from postinstall) should use apt's proxy configuration by default. A sysadmin setting a proxy for automatic updates but not for anything else (because the user isn't allowed to access the net for exampel) is a very reasonable assumption.

Setting a general /etc/wgetrc file is not a good idea for non transparent proxies which require a username/password pair. In this case, only private files can be used.

In the following patch, I use either the Acquire::http::Proxy setting from /etc/apt/apt.conf or /root/.wgetrc as both can be restricted to root only.

Great, Ubuntu Gutsy RC is out and this bug is still not fixed.

I have a system behind a Proxy server - with all the Proxy settings fixed so EVERY other update/install works - and this package still cannot be installed becuse it insists on using port 80 to download things.

Have to add a 'me too'. Flash plugin downloader doesn't respect ANY proxy setting, so the installer for the plugin just hangs and eventually times out. I have http_proxy set in /etc/profile so every thing picks it up. wget works on the command line.

 If the flashplugin-nonfree is using wget it must be scrubbing the environment first so that it loses the http_proxy env variable as on the command line I can use wget and have it operate via our proxy fine.

This problem still exists in the 8.04 RC version I just downloaded and installed. It's quite stupid that (a) the apt* suite ignores the System->Preferences->Proxy settings, and (b) the apt* suite ignores it's own settings (in synaptic) for a proxy. I have both set, and I can't install flash because I'm behind a corporate proxy. Will this be fixed, or remain a show-stopper?

This problem still exists for me as well in the 8.04 RC version. What happened to the patch that luc submitted over a year ago? I know proxies suck and aren't as common as they might have once been, but there are still many companies that use them and this is a hindrance to Ubuntu's easy and slick use from within a company environment.

On Ubuntu 8.04 hardy

Same here upgrading Ubuntu pc in our corporate lan proxy environment...
Due a good security measure the pc into lan have no direct access to external address.
We need that flashplugin-nonfree and msttcorefonts (wget) must be take care of Ubuntu system proxy setting.

Thank you

Hi,

Same thing, on Ubuntu 8.04, I just got hit by this issue. But for those who are not "packaging purists", it is possible just to go to the Adobe website, and download/install the plugin. I did that just 15 minutes ago, works fine. And it is user-level installation, so the package database is not touched.

Thanks.

Confirmed here too on 8.04. This issue is also affects some other restricted packages MSTcorefonts, which also hang. If you're not showing "details", then the Synaptic or Add/Remove programs dialog box just appears to hang. Worse, it hangs with the main status not showing which package is causing the problem (ie, if it's just installing gstreamer, then that's what shows on the dialog, but it's really flash or core fonts which is causing the hang).

Every organisation I've worked at uses proxy servers for its internet access, so I'm surprised at jhodapp's assertion that they aren't as common as they used to be. Without them, it's often impossible to run corporate cache, policy filtering or anti-virus solutions for web browsing. I'd assert the opposite - that proxies are gaining popularity in corporate environments.

Regardless of their popularity, synaptic is essentially broken for restricted app installs if they are in use. I agree with Sander Marechal - this isn't "wishlist" - this is a serious bug, particularly given that the people most likely to be affected by the bug (those in corporate environments forced to use proxy servers) are also the most likely to want to use the apps that now don't install (Java, Flash, Microsoft fonts) as a result of the bug.

Please do consider increasing importance of this bug! Especially with msttcorefonts (see #56880), this is really annoying and will practically inevitably hit newbies behind proxies as soon as they want the fonts they're used to - and due to the relative complexity of the workaround, might scare them off Ubuntu altogether...