Webkit-based Browse needs a flash conditional enabler

[greenfeld]

The Webkit-based version of Browse needs a conditional enabler for gnash/flash media.

XOs using ad- or otherwise Flash-heavy sites with 12.1.0 builds can get extremely slow, if they successfully load the page at all.

[dsd]

This is a regression - in previous Browse we had a "click to play" banner before the flash stuff got executed.

I'd suggest understanding how this used to work would be a good first step to solving this. (i.e. was it implemented by Browse, xulrunner or gnash? how was it enabled?)

[greenfeld]

This was handled by the "clicktoView.xml" XBL (  https://developer.mozilla.org/en/XBL ) included in xulrunner-based versions of Browse.

[manuq]

XBL language is not implemented in WebKit, only Gecko had it. The W3C may standarize it in the future, but is not a solution right now.

I'm trying to do this modifying the DOM. This is not documented in the WebKitGTK+ documentation, so I'm looking at the source. There's a test file: Source/WebKit/gtk/tests/testdomdocument.c

For example, having a WebKit.WebView one can do:

doc = webview.get_dom_document()
img_list = doc.get_elements_by_tag_name('img')

[manuq]

On the other hand, seems that one can connect to the "resource-request-starting" signal of the web view to prevent the loading, looking for the flash mime-type.

[dsd]

Other options to look at

•  http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/manual/gnashuser.html#options
•  https://github.com/rentzsch/clicktoflash
•  http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/45343 (but getting greasemonkey working in epiphany/browse might be a no-go)

[manuq]

GreaseMonkey: Would be good to have it in webkitgtk, but unfortunatly that's not the case. Chrome have it, Safari and other mac webkit apps have a similar "greasekit".

dwb  http://portix.bitbucket.org/dwb/ is a vi-like webkitgtk browser, has an extension that makes most greasemonkey scripts work:

 https://bitbucket.org/portix/dwb_extensions/src/09118a636d11/src/userscripts

More interestingly, has a click-to-flash as default. so I'm checking that.

For the record, Midori  http://twotoasts.de/?/pages/midori_summary.html is another webkitgtk browser that also claims to have "User scripts and user styles support":

 http://wiki.xfce.org/midori/faq#user_scripts_and_styles

[manuq]

dwb does the same that I was trying, modifies the DOM. So it is a very good reference:

 https://bitbucket.org/portix/dwb/src/0583e44d0164/src/plugins.c#cl-64

[manuq]

We can't go for the moment with a click-to-flash solution modifying the DOM as dwb does :( . Because the python bindings are not ready. In the GIR file we have:

webkit_dom_event_target_add_event_listener introspectable=0

Issue at webkitgtk mailing list (unanswered):  https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-gtk/2012-February/000934.html

[manuq]

So this is a fix for gnash, works very well. Add a file ~/.gnashrc with this line:

set StartStopped on

[manuq]

Also works in /etc/gnashrc, attaching a picture of how a page with Flash embedded looks.

[manuq]

And the string "Click to Play" is translated, tested with Sugar set to Spanish, says "Click para reproducir".

[dsd]

Doesn't work for me, tested with  http://www.chemgapedia.de/vsengine/info/en/help/requirements/flash.html

After clicking "click to play" the content doesnt appear until I scroll the page a little.

[manuq]

Replying to dsd:

Doesn't work for me, tested with  http://www.chemgapedia.de/vsengine/info/en/help/requirements/flash.html

After clicking "click to play" the content doesnt appear until I scroll the page a little.

Hmm same here, after click the button "click to play" highlights and the content doesn't appear. Also if after clicking you change to another tab and then come back, the flash area is grey, after scrolling a bit the content appears.

[manuq]

Epiphany has the same issue. Tried changing other gnash settings without success (renderer cairo, quality 0, pluginsound off, etc). Attaching a log of gnash for XO-1.5 and os15.

[manuq]

gnash log.

[RafaelOrtiz]

Just a comment: The click-to-enable flash, it's o.k for the XO-1.0 where resources are scarce, but in 1.5 and posterior it makes use of flash sites difficult as you have to click on all the flash fields to make them work. This should be addressed on the patch, or just enable all flash content w/o the need to click on it.

[humitos]

There is a plugin for Google Chrome (Flash Block) that could be interesting to take a look at how it works:

 https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cdngiadmnkhgemkimkhiilgffbjijcie

[humitos]

Laptop ticket:  http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/4968