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wcbrian
Participating Frequently
January 11, 2017
Question

Automated workflow to update internal flash servers now broken. Again.

  • January 11, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 1970 views

I use a Powershell-based system to detect new versions of Adobe Flash Player. In a nutshell, when a new version is detected as having been released, the script Invoke-WebRequests the fp_background_update.cab file from the Adobe distribution server, then unpacks it on my internal Flash update servers, which then allows the multiple thousands of machines I manage to update their version of Flash like good little soldiers. Simple, efficient, hands-off. It's worked like a champ for well over a year.

Not anymore.

Since this latest round of changes on the back end, my Powershell script cannot download the fp_background_update.cab file anymore, even using the link (https://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/distyfp/current/win/fp_background_update.cab) from the shiny new distribution page from this latest round of changes to how Adobe distributes things.

This happened the last time y'all radically changed how the file was gotten, but at least that iteration included a GUID parameter that I could stick on the web request and have it work. Not so much this time. You've successfully locked everything behind a login wall, but you've given no ability to handle that login programmatically. (Personally, I don't see how locking this file behind a login wall is useful to either Adobe or we who make use of it. Everything is signed inside the CAB file, and it's being downloaded from an Adobe server, so the "we're preventing malwarez" argument doesn't fly.)

Please advise about what I need to do to get this method working again. I would really, truly, strongly prefer that the answer not involve a human needing to do anything at all after updating the script. Quite frankly, I have enough else to do, and this entire internal Flash server setup was supposed to make my life simpler. Up until the other day, it was doing just fine in that regard.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

--Brian

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Participant
January 18, 2017

I want to add my voice to requiring this - I have been using a script to download the latest CAB files and extracting to an internal web server for 3 years.  This has saved me countless hours over the past years of patching Flash...

wcbrian
wcbrianAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 12, 2017

No, this question is NOT answered. When will there be programmatic/automatic access to http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/fp_background_update. cab ?

_maria_
Legend
January 12, 2017

The new workflow process does not allow for programmatic/automatic access of the distribution resources.

In addition, the /flashplayer/current/licensing/win/fp_background_update.cab link posted has been decommissioned.  If you have a current distribution license, the distribution license email received will have the link to the distribution page to download the resources.  If you do not have a current distribution license please go to Adobe Flash Player Distribution | Adobe to request a distribution license.

wcbrian
wcbrianAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 12, 2017

I'm very well aware that the link in question is decommissioned. It's causing no end of grief in keeping your product updated.

You (as in Adobe, not you personally, m_vargas) allow non-authenticated HTTP access to the MSI files through the SCUP process, so there is no logical reason the same accommodation can't be made for the fp_background_update.cab file as well. Is there a person or a process to whom this case can be pled to at least get it into consideration?

The old method worked just fine, for well over a year, and I still don't fully understand why change was necessary, other than for change's sake alone.

Also, independent of the above: thank you, m_vargas, for doing an unenviable job. I appreciate your efforts in keeping the community informed. I may not much like the answers, but I do greatly appreciate that they exist.

_maria_
Legend
January 11, 2017

Hi,

A recent change was made that now requires customers to log into the distribution page (validating the distribution license is current) and downloading the resources from the distribution page.  Unfortunately this change results in automatic scripts that download the files to break.  We apologize for this inconvenience.

--

Maria

wcbrian
wcbrianAuthor
Participating Frequently
January 11, 2017

Am I to infer, then, that this is broken-as-intended and there are no plans to permit script-based downloads in the future? You're actively making it harder for large-enterprise administrators to do their part in keeping your product updated.

_maria_
Legend
January 11, 2017

Unfortunately, that is correct.  The new workflow doesn't support programmatic access to download the resources on the distribution page.