Linux and Firefox

Report · May 27, 2008

HELP!!! HELP!!!

I have been reading several posts concerning Firefox and Captivate, and the more I read the more confused I get. So anyway here is my issue....

I have many Captivate files which have been SCORMed, zipped, and published to Cornerstone LMS. When a person using a machine with a Linux operating system and Firefox browser attempts to launch a course and view it, all they get is a white screen. The presentation never loads. Can someone please help me figure out why? Am I publshing incorrectly? I select the .swf option, zip files, full screen, and publish. I then uploaded that zipped folder which contains all the files, .swf, .js, .htm, into Cornerstone. Is it simply that they need to download the actual Adobe Flash player and not just us the browser plug in????

Oh please help....

Thanks,

Report · May 27, 2008

> I have been reading several posts concerning Firefox and Captivate, and
> the
> more I read the more confused I get. So anyway here is my issue....
>
> I have many Captivate files which have been SCORMed, zipped, and published
> to
> Cornerstone LMS. When a person using a machine with a Linux operating
> system
> and Firefox browser attempts to launch a course and view it, all they get
> is a
> white screen. The presentation never loads. Can someone please help me
> figure
> out why? Am I publshing incorrectly? I select the .swf option, zip files,
> full
> screen, and publish. I then uploaded that zipped folder which contains all
> the
> files, .swf, .js, .htm, into Cornerstone. Is it simply that they need to
> download the actual Adobe Flash player and not just us the browser plug
> in????

The Flash Player and the Browser Plugin are the same thing...

Seems reasonable to suppose that if your Windows users can see the content
OK then you have published and packaged fine.

At least one LMS that I have used requires that the user also has Java
installed. Is there is similar requirement for your LMS?

Steve

--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Report · May 27, 2008

Good question...We just moved to this LMS so I will need to check. Thanks...and I will let update if that is not the issue.

Report · May 27, 2008

Okay doesn't seem that our new LMS requires JAVA to be installed. Any other suggestions? For the life of me I can't figure out why the courses load and play fine on a windows xp platform w/Internet Explorer, but not on a Linux platform with Firefox. I have been told that the machines are not set up to allow any type of Active X. Could this be an issue?

Report · May 27, 2008

> Okay doesn't seem that our new LMS requires JAVA to be installed. Any
> other
> suggestions? For the life of me I can't figure out why the courses load
> and
> play fine on a windows xp platform w/Internet Explorer, but not on a Linux
> platform with Firefox. I have been told that the machines are not set up
> to
> allow any type of Active X. Could this be an issue?
>

Shouldn't matter, because Firefox doesn't use the ActiveX version of the
Flash player on any platform, and Linux does not support ActiveX anyway,
because it's Windows technology.

Put it another way, the only setup that uses the ActiveX player is Windows
using Internet Explorer. All other setups use a plugin version of the Flash
player.

OK so that reminds me ... what version of the Flash player did you publish
your Captivate project for? And what version of the Flash player is
installed on the Linux machines?

Steve

--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Report · May 27, 2008

They were published using either 7 or 8. I am checking to find out what version is installed on the devices. Thanks for the clarification about Active X. That helped me also.

Are you thinking that the problem could simply be that the version of flash player on the devices isn't the most up to date version??? Man if it could be that simple, I would be so happy!!!!

Report · May 27, 2008

> They were published using either 7 or 8. I am checking to find out what
> version
> is installed on the devices. Thanks for the clarification about Active X.
> That
> helped me also.
>
> Are you thinking that the problem could simply be that the version of
> flash
> player on the devices isn't the most up to date version??? Man if it could
> be
> that simple, I would be so happy!!!!
>

Yes. That's what I am wondering anyway. Although usually Flash is smart
enough to auto-update.

The latest Flash player can be downloaded from here
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer. The link should automatically take
you to the correct player for your browser/OS combination. Flash 9 is the
latest Linux player.

Steve

--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Report · May 27, 2008

Hi all

Just a small suggestion of one thing to look at here. I know when dealing with JavaScript, FireFox often fails because the Captivate created Flash Object (SWF) hasn't been explicitly named on the page as it has with Internet Explorer.

I'd double check to see if this is the case.

Cheers... Rick

Report · May 28, 2008

Rick,

Can you help me understand this a little better. How can I check to see how it was named? Is there something specific I need to do to name it the proper way?

Thanks,

Report · May 28, 2008

Hi again RDCBLANK

You have to examine the HTML code. What I found in my case (when using JavaScript) was that the code looked like this initially:

writeDocument('<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase=" http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0" width="489" height="451" ID="Captivate1">'+

I believe this first part makes it work for IE. Later, you see this part:

'<embed src="nametest_skin.swf" width="489" height="451" loop="0" quality="high" pluginspage=" http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" menu="false"></embed>'

Notice that in the embed part, it's not explicitly named. So I had to amend it as follows to make it work with JavaScript.

'<embed src="nametest_skin.swf" width="489" height="451" loop="0" quality="high" pluginspage=" http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" menu="false" name="Captivate1"></embed>'

Hopefully that was helpful... Rick

Report · May 28, 2008

That makes more sense; however, I am not some one that does a lot with code... (sorry, I am going to show my non-technical side) Okay, I have copied the htm information from one of the presentations that is not working on the Linux/Firefox devices...can you help by using this example to understand what changes I would need to look for and make? Thank you so very much....


<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<title>AMB001 E-Learning Tutorial</title>
<script src="standard.js" language="javascript"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

// ======================================================
// This javascript and html code works in coordination with
// RightClickAnimation.swf - a program that can be
// added to Captivate to handle a right click. Without
// this code and some other changes to the html to run
// the captivate flash file, the flash context menu will not be blocked.
//
// IMPORTANT: You will need to change all occurrences of Replace this.swf
// to the name of your flash program for this to work.
//
// You will probably also need to reset the size of your file.
// Do a search for height and width and change them to whatever
// the html generated by Captivate creates.
// =======================================================
function right_mouse_click() {
oOwnCapture.setCapture(true);
return false;
}
function handleError() {
return false;
}
window.onerror = handleError;

function handleclick() {
if (event.button==2)
{
showAboutBox();
}
}

function showAboutBox(e) {
if (ns) {
window.document.MyProgram.SetVariable("_wlh_Netscape_RightClick", "RightClick");
}
}
function SetStatus() {
oOwnCapture.releaseCapture();
window.status='Right Click';
clearInterval(resetstatus);
}
var ns = (navigator.appName == "Netscape");

function rightClick(e)
{
if (ns && ((e.which == 2) || (e.which == 3)))
{
showAboutBox(e);
} else {
if (event.button == 2 || event.button == 3) {
oOwnCapture.setCapture(true);
resetstatus=setInterval("SetStatus()", 300);
return false;
}
else {
oOwnCapture.releaseCapture();
return true;
}
}
}

function init() {

if (ns)
{
document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
el = document.getElementById("MyProgram");
el.addEventListener("mousedown", stopEvent, true);
} else {
document.onmousedown=rightClick;
document.body.oncontextmenu = right_mouse_click;
}
}

function stopEvent(e) {
if (e.which == 3) {
e.stopPropagation();
showAboutBox(e);
}
}

</script>

<DIV ID="oOwnCapture" >
</DIV>

</head>

<BODY onload="javascript:init();" oncontextmenu="javascript:return false;" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<center>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

} else { // flash is too old or we can't detect the plugin
writeDocument('This e-learning module requires the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. <br><br>' +
'<a href=" http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash/" border="0"><img src="get_flash_player.gif"></a>'); // insert non-flash content
}
// -->
</script>
<noscript>
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase=" http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="1024" height="768" ID="Captivate1">
<param name="movie" value="GEN001 E Learning Tutorial.swf">
<param name="quality" value="high">
<param name=wmode value=opaque>
<param name="loop" value="0">
<embed src="GEN001 E Learning Tutorial.swf" width="1024" height="768" loop="0" quality="high" pluginspage=" http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" menu="false" wmode=opaque></embed>
</object>

</noscript>
</center>
</body>
</html>

Report · May 28, 2008

Hi there

Try it this way (code amended and highlighted)


<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<title>AMB001 E-Learning Tutorial</title>
<script src="standard.js" language="javascript"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

// ======================================================
// This javascript and html code works in coordination with
// RightClickAnimation.swf - a program that can be
// added to Captivate to handle a right click. Without
// this code and some other changes to the html to run
// the captivate flash file, the flash context menu will not be blocked.
//
// IMPORTANT: You will need to change all occurrences of Replace this.swf
// to the name of your flash program for this to work.
//
// You will probably also need to reset the size of your file.
// Do a search for height and width and change them to whatever
// the html generated by Captivate creates.
// =======================================================
function right_mouse_click() {
oOwnCapture.setCapture(true);
return false;
}
function handleError() {
return false;
}
window.onerror = handleError;

function handleclick() {
if (event.button==2)
{
showAboutBox();
}
}

function showAboutBox(e) {
if (ns) {
window.document.MyProgram.SetVariable("_wlh_Netscape_RightClick", "RightClick");
}
}
function SetStatus() {
oOwnCapture.releaseCapture();
window.status='Right Click';
clearInterval(resetstatus);
}
var ns = (navigator.appName == "Netscape");

function rightClick(e)
{
if (ns && ((e.which == 2) || (e.which == 3)))
{
showAboutBox(e);
} else {
if (event.button == 2 || event.button == 3) {
oOwnCapture.setCapture(true);
resetstatus=setInterval("SetStatus()", 300);
return false;
}
else {
oOwnCapture.releaseCapture();
return true;
}
}
}

function init() {

if (ns)
{
document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
el = document.getElementById("MyProgram");
el.addEventListener("mousedown", stopEvent, true);
} else {
document.onmousedown=rightClick;
document.body.oncontextmenu = right_mouse_click;
}
}

function stopEvent(e) {
if (e.which == 3) {
e.stopPropagation();
showAboutBox(e);
}
}

</script>

<DIV ID="oOwnCapture" >
</DIV>

</head>

<BODY onload="javascript:init();" oncontextmenu="javascript:return false;" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<center>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

} else { // flash is too old or we can't detect the plugin
writeDocument('This e-learning module requires the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. <br><br>' +
'<a href=" http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash/" border="0"><img src="get_flash_player.gif"></a>'); // insert non-flash content
}
// -->
</script>
<noscript>
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase=" http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="1024" height="768" ID="Captivate1">
<param name="movie" value="GEN001 E Learning Tutorial.swf">
<param name="quality" value="high">
<param name=wmode value=opaque>
<param name="loop" value="0">
<embed src="GEN001 E Learning Tutorial.swf" width="1024" height="768" loop="0" quality="high" pluginspage=" http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" menu="false" wmode=opaque name="Captivate1"></embed>
</object>

</noscript>
</center>
</body>
</html>

Report · May 28, 2008

Thank you...I will try this and update the forum with the outcome. It may be a day two...Thank you all so much for your help. I hope that this works. Keep your fingers crossed.

Report · May 28, 2008

Rick,

> version=8,0,0,0" width="1024" height="768" ID="Captivate1">'+
....
> name="Captivate1"></embed>

I'm wondering what it is that you were achieving here. In the IE code, the
object ID is set to "Captivate1". Scratching head ... I don't think
Netscape/plugin code wants or needs an ID property, which is what I would
have expected you to be adding, yet you are adding a 'name' property.

Have you any reference or explanation for what is going on here?

Steve

Report · May 28, 2008

Hi Steve

I put a page up a long while ago at this link where one may use an HTML page to control the Captivate using JavaScript. At the time I created that, I was scratching MY head big time because it worked fine in IE, but refused in Firefox. That is, until I amended the code as I outlined here.

Which is also what made me think it might help the OP with the Firefox issue.

Cheers... Rick

Report · Jun 20, 2008

I was able to resolve the problem by getting the latest Flash Player and Java installed.

Report · May 28, 2008

Well, the devices are loaded with version 7.

Linux and Firefox

1 Correct answer