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The Latest Info on Flash Player

Sky_ChrisBSky_ChrisB Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 48
edited January 2021 in Poker Chat
Hi everyone, and a happy new year.

Over the last few weeks, there have been a number of forum posts about the Sky Poker software (both Download Client and website) regarding Flash Player, which has reached end-of-life at the start of 2021. Naturally this has sparked some concern, as well as raising further questions about the long-term vision for Sky Poker.

Firstly, I’d like to try explain the current state of play on Flash, and I will absolutely follow up with a separate post about our longer-term plans (in the next week or two). But for now, I want to reassure you that Sky Poker will continue to work on both browser and Download Client without Flash.

Back when Sky Poker was first built, the table was built in Flash. Flash had been bought by Adobe, and had been the standard for Web games for quite some time by this point. Flash set the stage for a lot of the techniques and standards we have today. The Download Client was built in the (then brand new) Adobe AIR, so we could have a standalone version of the product.

Sky Poker Flash table

Fast-forward to 2012 (when I joined Sky Poker), it was clear that mobile gaming was the way forward, and we worked to create a new Poker table in HTML. We used many modern features, but Adobe AIR’s lack of support meant the HTML table still needed to rely on Flash – but only when played via the Download Client. In your browser, the table does not use Flash and hasn’t since around 2014.

Sky Poker HTML5 table

Since the beginning, the main lobby uses Flash (for both browser and Download Client) to push regular updates to number of registrants/players etc, and launch tables when your tournament starts. This has always had a backup though; information is updated every 10 seconds as well.

Flash has been marked as end-of-life for a few years, but a combination of longer-term plans for the product, our understanding of Flash within Adobe AIR, and our backup solution for the lobby meant we had not made any changes to the current software for this.

However, once we learned that Microsoft would start uninstalling Flash from people’s machines in 2021, we knew that had to change. Some great work in the run-up to Christmas meant we could remove the reliance on Flash for the Download Client tables, and just today we’ve released a further change that means the Download Client lobby no longer relies on Flash either. (We are still looking into some comments about lag when playing multiple tables with the non-Flash version.)

That just leaves the desktop lobby in browser using Flash, which we’re currently working to fix. But as well as the backup ensuring it’s never more than 10 seconds out of date, the current version of Google Chrome (v87) still supports Flash with its own built-in plugin. However, Google are releasing v88 in just a few days (by 19th Jan) that will remove this support. We hope to have a non-Flash solution available for browsers shortly after this.

Lastly, I understand any nervousness about Flash no longer receiving security updates now that it is end-of-life. If you wish to uninstall Flash, then both Download Client and browser will continue to work without it. However, please be aware that AIR (the software that runs the Download Client) is still supported and maintained by Harman, and will continue to receive security updates, as will all Sky Poker software as you’d expect.

Comments

  • rosjim1rosjim1 Member Posts: 443
    I have no been able to use download clients for weeks because of this
  • Sky_ChrisBSky_ChrisB Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 48
    @rosjim1 that looks unrelated. By any chance have you not used the download client for a long time (perhaps 6 months or more)? This can happen if you have an old version that AIR does not allow the upgrade to the latest version. In this case, you can uninstall the Download Client and then reinstall from the download page.
  • rosjim1rosjim1 Member Posts: 443

    @rosjim1 that looks unrelated. By any chance have you not used the download client for a long time (perhaps 6 months or more)? This can happen if you have an old version that AIR does not allow the upgrade to the latest version. In this case, you can uninstall the Download Client and then reinstall from the download page.

    will try tta
  • chappo100chappo100 Member Posts: 116
    I seem to be having hardly any software problems since the changes to the downloadable client and uninstalling flash from my desktop. only played 4 sessions since new year, but haven't had any crashes (was getting 1 a day at least). This is great nice one @Sky_ChrisB
  • rosjim1rosjim1 Member Posts: 443

    @rosjim1 that looks unrelated. By any chance have you not used the download client for a long time (perhaps 6 months or more)? This can happen if you have an old version that AIR does not allow the upgrade to the latest version. In this case, you can uninstall the Download Client and then reinstall from the download page.

    reinstall worked
  • hazzbellhazzbell Member Posts: 1

    Hi everyone, and a happy new year.

    Over the last few weeks, there have been a number of forum posts about the Sky Poker software (both Download Client and website) regarding Flash Player, which has reached end-of-life at the start of 2021. Naturally this has sparked some concern, as well as raising further questions about the long-term vision for Sky Poker.

    Firstly, I’d like to try explain the current state of play on Flash, and I will absolutely follow up with a separate post about our longer-term plans (in the next week or two). But for now, I want to reassure you that Sky Poker will continue to work on both browser and Download Client without Flash.

    Hi Chris,

    Any news on those longer-term plans?

    Hazz
  • Sky_ChrisBSky_ChrisB Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 48
    edited January 2021
    Hi @hazzbell, I’ve not forgotten but the fixes we need to make for real-time lobby updates are taking priority at the moment!
  • Sky_ChrisBSky_ChrisB Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 48
    edited January 2021
    Hi,

    HARMAN have now made their Runtime available to the public; there are a couple of teething problems with taking over responsibility from Adobe, but I’m glad they’ve chosen to release early despite these issues.

    More details on my post: Update for AIR Runtime
  • OnlyMe_CAGOnlyMe_CAG Member Posts: 1
    Hi Chris, Have been having problem with tables 'freezing' during games and not allowing bets/action for hands. Is this anything to do with this issue, please?
  • Sky_ChrisBSky_ChrisB Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 48
    edited February 2021
    Hi @OnlyMe_CAG,

    Some players have reported a slight lag while playing multiple tables on the Download Client, which could be related to this change, yes. (We've been making some changes to the Download Client recently and hope this is improving.)

    A table completely freezing could be unrelated - we do see occasional reports of tables freezing, because of a temporary loss of connection between players and our servers. Sometimes these can be down to your Internet provider (if it only freezes for you) or it may be a blip on our own network provider (if it freezes for other players too). We appreciate these can be frustrating but should happen very rarely; for you it sounds like it's happening more often though?
  • DuesenbergDuesenberg Member Posts: 1,740
    edited February 2021
    @Sky_ChrisB I have also been experiencing this table freezing issue over the last couple of nights (Playing MTTs in the download client on Windows 10). It only seems to effect one table at a time and all other currently open tables continue to run uninterrupted. When I close the frozen table I am then unable to open it again and the only solution I have found is to restart the download client. I'm not too sure that I have been temporarily losing my internet when this glitch occurs given that I was streaming whilst playing tonight and experienced this issue twice but had no interruption to my stream (It also happened to me on Sunday when not streaming). Just letting you know for feedback more than anything. I am also another who is still getting the slight lag when pressing the action buttons on the tables (usually more of a problem once 4+ tables are running).

    When you posted early last month you suggested you'd soon follow up with more information regarding the general future plans/direction of the Sky client. I appreciate much could still be open to change (I know plans have previously been unexpectedly shifted by successive takeovers of the company), but a rough idea of the current lay of the land would be hugely appreciated - I think many customers old and new have been feeling rather frustrated of late given some of these glitches and even a "we're hoping to do XYZ in the coming months but can't yet confirm anything" type of post would undoubtedly be well received :)
  • MISTY4MEMISTY4ME Member Posts: 6,147
    edited February 2021
    Really bad lag tonight playing single TDYM table thru' Chrome on Browser ......first time I've ever had this playing single TDYM table.....Lost one/Won one so no biggy .....just annoying when you don't know your bets going to be placed or not :#

    It was happening a bit in 1am Freezy too..... again I was just single tabling thru' Chrome on Browser as normal
  • -Stuey--Stuey- Member Posts: 385
    I've had problems with the tables freezing for a week playing in the browser and its costing me money. eg I coudn't pot bet AA tonight -and timed out. It's nigh impossible to avoid muti tabling for Mondays triple takedown so if it continues I'll have to play elsewhere mostly. Sky don't seem to be doing anything about it! Trying the download is hopeless - you get as far as opening AIR and nothing happens HELP!
  • green_beergreen_beer Member Posts: 1,685
    edited March 2021
    once downloaded have you tried right clicking and running as administrator, sometimes on my computer I have to do this to install certain programs. hope it helps. also make sure you have latest versions of both adobe air n sky prog.

    ps. another thought - make sure your antivirus or firewall is not blocking sky poker from being installed.....I know norton n mcafee can block some poker sites, cause they are filled with spy like software
  • gregkdy82gregkdy82 Member Posts: 528
    "but for now I want to reassure you that sky poker will continue to work on both browser and download client"

    What a laugh.
  • gregkdy82gregkdy82 Member Posts: 528

    Hi @hazzbell, I’ve not forgotten but the fixes we need to make for real-time lobby updates are taking priority at the moment!

    😂
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