[Plugin: EasyRotator for WordPress – Slider Builder] Adobe AIR won't install on Linux

Same problem here. The solution that was offered to me is to try the newest version of Adobe Air and then the Easy Rotator installer.

Doesn’t look like good advice. According to the Adobe site:

Adobe AIR para Linux ya no es compatible. Para obtener acceso a versiones más antiguas no compatibles, lea el archivo de AIR.
?Un sistema operativo diferente?

(I.e. it’s not compatible)

PAE

Hi PAE,

Linux is not officially supported, but will work on most systems. First, install AIR 2.6 (the last version that’s Linux compatible) from:

https://helpx.adobe.com/air/kb/archived-air-sdk-version.html

Then, run the EasyRotator application installer:

https://cdncf.dwuser.com/EasyRotator/WPMgr/EasyRotatorWizard.air

If that works, you should then be able to use the application.

Sincerely,
Drew O’Neill

If you don’t support Linux, you won’t get my business. That’s not to say that you should: just that you need to make that decision clear.

I also think you should tell your potential customers if you are not supporting the Web’s most common platform. As of now, I’m pissed off at having wasted my time because you didn’t tell me you didn’t support my platform.

Not very pissed off, it’s true; but enough to scrub you from my Christmas card list.

PAE

Why is this not mentioned on the plugin’s page? Shouldn’t it be listed under “Requirements”?

@pae – Please accept our apologies for the wasted time. I certainly understand how frustrating it is to waste time on a product when there ends up being a compatibility issue. I wish we could support Linux, but unfortunately it’s a business decision based on the relatively small number of using Linux as their primary desktop OS.

@pai and @esmi – Good call; sorry for that oversight. We’ve just updated the requirements section on the plugin page to note that Linux is not officially supported, but also include a link to the official Linux compatibility article.

Sincerely,
Drew O’Neill

@dwuser: Hang on. This is a WP plugin. Surely the most common platform for WP is Apache on Linux? Why would the desktop be a consideration for installing something in WP running on that platform?

I just don’t understand, I’m afraid. Must be missing something here.

PAE

@pae – When you use our plugin, there are two components. The plugin runs on your WordPress installation (on the server). To facilitate the creation of sliders, the plugin interfaces with a desktop application that you have to install to be able to create and edit those rotators.

The plugin itself is server agnostic; as LAMP is the standard for WP, that’s what we focus on. The desktop application, on the other hand, is what requires Windows or Mac. The machine that you use to access the WP dashboard requires Windows or Mac if you want to create or edit rotators (as far as official support goes, at least). As I’m sure you’re aware, the vast majority of desktop users are running Windows or Mac, not Linux.

Sincerely,
Drew O’Neill

I think you should tell people if you’re going to install something on their local machines. It’s not what you expect plugins to do. Do you guarantee it doesn’t contain a trojan?

But I’ve taken up enough of your time and I’m sure you’ve gathered what I think of all this.

Many thanks for your patient responses.

Cheers

PAE

Hi PAE,

When you install the plugin, you are prompted to install the editor application; it’s not covert and only occurs with explicit user action. You have our word that the application is free of all viruses/trojans/malware/spyware/etc. Being slimy criminals wouldn’t be cool, and we don’t do that kind of stuff. The AIR application installer file (which is what’s installed by the auto-installer) is digitally signed. Is it possible that our CDN/hosting systems could be compromised and the legitimate files replaced with infected files? Of course – but we take every precaution against that type of action. Hacking can also happen with the WP repo itself (remember the wp.org account hacking issues a while back?). In reality, whenever you install a plugin you’re taking the risk that a security hole could bring down your entire site or turn it into a malware-distributing zombie site. The same goes for desktop software.

I should also note that we had our plugin independently reviewed/audited by 10up as a part of quality control; we’re taking every possible action to ensure that there is safety and accountability for all of our users.

Sincerely,
Drew O’Neill

I was able to get the EasyRotator Wizard to install in Ubuntu 12.04 following these steps:

1. Install Adobe Air 2.6 (I selected the runtime version, not sure that it matters) from the link Drew O’Neill provided above

https://helpx.adobe.com/air/kb/archived-air-sdk-version.html

after download, open terminal, then:

cd <directory where .BIN file downloaded>
sudo ./AdobeAir-yadda-yadda.bin

2. AFTER Adobe Air 2.6 successfully installs, download the wizard installer and let Adobe Air open and install it.

https://cdncf.dwuser.com/EasyRotator/WPMgr/EasyRotatorWizard.air

If you get an error, go to Step 3!

3. IF you get an error that mentions a missing Gnome-Keyring or KDE Wallet, then you need to open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgnome-keyring.so.0 /usr/lib/libgnome-keyring.so.0
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgnome-keyring.so.0.2.0 /usr/lib/libgnome-keyring.so.0.2.0

(found this fix at: https://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/04/install-adobe-flash-reader-air-in-ubuntu-12-04-precise-pangolin/ )

4. After running the above commands, redownload the wizard and let Adobe Air open and install it.

https://cdncf.dwuser.com/EasyRotator/WPMgr/EasyRotatorWizard.air

This should get the wizard up and running. This worked for me using Ubuntu 12.04. I initially tried to install the wizard under wine. It installed fine but I couldn’t register because it kept saying that I wasn’t connected to the internet. This is a better way to install that doesn’t use wine, but rather installs the wizard directly in linux using the linux compatible Adobe Air.

EDIT: I had to manually add the connection to the wizard application. To do this you’ll need the API URL and API Key. Both are listed under the EasyRotator section of the admin panel.

Good luck!
TC