Command line install failing

Report · Oct 11, 2016

According to http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/devnet/flashplayer/pdfs/flash_player_2...

mymac:~ joliver.sa$ sudo /Volumes/Flash\ Player/Install\ Adobe\ Flash\ Player.app/Contents/MacOS/Adobe\ Flash\ Player\ Install\ Manager -install
2016-10-11 10:48:01.234 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[1563:27006] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-10-11 10:48:01.235 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[1563:27006] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-10-11 10:48:01.235 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[1563:27006] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-10-11 10:48:01.236 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[1563:27006] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data
2016-10-11 10:48:01.244 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[1563:27006] Install failed with error code: 34.

Report · Oct 11, 2016

Error 34 means you are trying to install a release version of the player over a beta version of the player, or vice versa. First uninstall the version that is currently installed on the system and then install the version you are trying to install. If you have a beta version installed, use the beta uninstaller, posted on the Download Adobe Flash Player 23 Beta for Desktops - Adobe Labs page (at the bottom). If you have a release version installed, use the latest release uninstaller, Uninstall Flash Player for Mac OS .

Report · Oct 11, 2016

Except it isn't a beta... it's 23.0.0.162 I've never even tried to download betas.

Report · Oct 11, 2016

Error 34 is only returned when attempting to install a release version over a beta version or vice versa. If you are trying to install 23.0.0.162 (a release version) and getting error 34 it indicates a beta version is installed on the system.

Please do the following on an impacted system:

System Preferences > Flash Player
Go to the Updates tab
Post a screenshot of the Updates tab

Report · Oct 11, 2016

No, I have 23.0.0.162 installed and am trying to install 23.0.0.185

I have no idea where betas would come from or why I'd want one. The only way that would happen is if I wound up with a bad installer from Adobe.

Report · Oct 11, 2016

Please post the previously requested screenshot.

Thank you.

Report · Oct 11, 2016

Report · Oct 11, 2016

The easiest way to resolve this would be to run the standalone uninstaller that I linked to earlier to remove 23.0.0.162 and then install 23.0.0.185. However, since these are both release versions it shouldn't be returning error 34. If you have time, can you please do the following:

Go to Mac HD/Library/Internet Plug-ins
Right-click on Flash Player.plugin and select 'Show Package Contents'
navigate to Contents directory
view the Info.plist file
Look for <key>CFBundleGetInfoString</key> entry
Copy and paste the <string> entry right below this <key> entry

Report · Oct 12, 2016

Uninstalling and reinstalling would be a great option if I only had to worry about this once, on one machine. But since that isn't the case, since Adobe is trying to make this as difficult as possible, I have no choice but to fight through their broken software and try to find the correct answer.

Report · Oct 12, 2016

Thank you. That is the expected entry for that value in Flash Player 23.0.0.162.

I'd like to get some more information from you.

Is this happening on ALL of the machines you are deploying to?

What OS X version is this happening on?

What is the md5 hash value for the installer DMG you are using? Where did you download the installer DMG file from? What is the file name of the installer DMG you are using?

I've not seen the CFPasteBoardRef messaging in your output before. When I perform a cross-channel installation (which the only scenario to return error 34) from the command, I get the following (OS X 10.11.6):

2016-10-12 08:54:26.971 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[10418:227629] Install failed with error code: 22.

mvargas-osx:~ mvargas$ sudo /Volumes/Flash\ Player/Install\ Adobe\ Flash\ Player.app/Contents/MacOS/Adobe\ Flash\ Player\ Install\ Manager -install

2016-10-12 08:55:41.111 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[10513:229463] Install failed with error code: 34.

Which is the expected behaviour. I don't get the additional output you posted.

Do you use any enterprise management software, if so, which one do you use?

How exactly are you deploying Flash Player? Is the output you posted from running the installer on the same machine, or remotely to a different machine?

Report · Oct 12, 2016

So far, this happened on one Mac. It's at 10.12 "Sierra".

The installer hash is f8e330873c595a8737bad1667aa3f42f but if it changes with the name, it'll be different as I rename my installers to reflect version, like install_flash_player_23.0.0.185.dmg There is no "enterprise management software", I have a bash script that copies updates and runs them. This has worked fine for years, up until Adobe took the inexlicable action of trying to hide offline installers. I've always been able to just run the .pkg and install that way.

I'm not going to post where I got the installer, as I don't want that resource to disappear like the distribution3 site. Really, the correct answer here is for Adobe to restore the page where we can get the .pkg offline installers with no silly forms to fill out.

Report · Oct 12, 2016

I just tried on a 10.11.6 "El Capitan" Mac and got:

mac:~ joliver.sa$ sudo /Volumes/Flash\ Player/Install\ Adobe\ Flash\ Player.app/Contents/MacOS/Adobe\ Flash\ Player\ Install\ Manager -install

Password:

Oct 12 09:34:48 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Untrusted apps are not allowed to connect to Window Server before login.

Oct 12 09:34:48 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: Set a breakpoint at CGSLogError to catch errors as they are logged.

Oct 12 09:34:48 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: This user is not allowed access to the window system right now.

_RegisterApplication(), FAILED TO establish the default connection to the WindowServer, _CGSDefaultConnection() is NULL.

Oct 12 09:34:48 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:34:48 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Invalid Connection ID 0

Oct 12 09:34:49 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

2016-10-12 09:34:49.118 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550:2337037] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data

2016-10-12 09:34:49.119 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550:2337037] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data

2016-10-12 09:34:49.120 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550:2337037] CFPasteboardRef CFPasteboardCreate(CFAllocatorRef, CFStringRef) : failed to create global data

Oct 12 09:34:49 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Invalid Connection ID 0

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: CGSCopySpaces: No connection with id 0x 0

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Invalid Connection ID 0

Oct 12 09:35:04 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: CGSCopySpaces: No connection with id 0x 0

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Invalid Connection ID 0

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: CGSCopySpaces: No connection with id 0x 0

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: CGSConnectionByID: 0 is not a valid connection ID.

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Warning>: Invalid Connection ID 0

Oct 12 09:35:19 Adobe Flash Player Install Manager[98550] <Error>: CGSCopySpaces: No connection with id 0x 0

And there it site. Installer's broken. There is no reason for it to be trying to access a "window system".

Adobe needs to bring back the offline installers.

Report · Oct 12, 2016

The offline installers for enterprise distribution are still very much available. Obtaining a distribution license (free for most use cases) has always been required for enterprise distribution. A comment stating such was always posted at the top of the distribution page. What changed is the method of accessing those resources.

Here are the MD5 hash values for 23.0.0.185 NPAPI APP and PKG installers:

install_flash_player_23_osx.dmg = f5addb9f33a2b342564e2d3ffc1da01e
install_flash_player_23_osx_pkg.dmg = b89c5acb44a2679dc7252157c8d549eb

If this isn't what you have from "your source" then what you have is not the correct 23.0.0.185 NPAPI installer. As stated previously, error 34 is only returned during a cross-channel installation scenario.

I used install_flash_player_23_osx.dmg to install via command-line on 10.11.6 without errors. I did a clean install (no Flash on the system) and upgrade from 23.0.0.185.

Please apply for a distribution license. You'll receive an email with the link to the resources and use the official installers from the distribution page. If you continue to have problems with those, post back here. Ensure your spam filters do not block email from noreply@adobe.com with PDF attachment.