Quicktime security issue and SL

[Drake1 Nightfire 2,474]

So, with everyone being told to uninstall Quicktime, what exactly are we supposed to use in SL to watch the TVs and movie players we paid for? LL needs to figure this out and there is a lot of money that has been paid for now useless items.

[Freya Mokusei 1,018]

Why is this LL's problem?

No software platform lasts forever. This is especially true for buggy, security-flaw-ridden software. Quicktime's death was not quick, had been coming for years and in my opinion was way overdue. The closest parallel from Microsoft's side (Quicktime was a combatant in the MSFT/Apple wars) - ActiveX - was put out to pasture in 2015. Another third-party combatant, RealMedia, died much earlier. Support for both other contenders in SL is zero, as you can imagine.

"The industry" has moved to HTML5 and other technologies that run directly in the browser (plus a couple that don't, including MSFT's new offering, Silverlight). LL's browser should try to support these, I suppose, but really I don't see how they can be held responsible for providers of old content that still stream Quicktime formats.

We go forwards.

[hombra 0]

I think there is a new viewer which uses VLC instead of Quicktime. You can try it by downloading it from here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Release_Notes/Second_Life_Release/4.1.1.318504 or just wait until it updates automatically. It's still in release candidate status. It substitutes the Quicktime plug-in with a the libraries from VLC so it can play MP4 and MOV.

I think that in Windows it isn't possible to have installed the stable viewer alongside with a release candidate, so you will have to decide which one you want to have.

[Drake1 Nightfire 2,474]

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hombra wrote:

I think there is a new viewer which uses VLC instead of Quicktime. You can try it by downloading it from here:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Release_Notes/Second_Life_Release/4.1.1.318504

or just wait until it updates automatically. It's still in release candidate status. It substitutes the Quicktime plug-in with a the libraries from VLC so it can play MP4 and MOV.

I think that in Windows it isn't possible to have installed the stable viewer alongside with a release candidate, so you will have to decide which one you want to have.

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Would it have been so hard for LL to release a statement saying they were working on fixing the Quicktime issue? Time after time they just leave us guessing in the dark..

[Linden Lab 3,454]

Hi there,

It was mentioned in our recent blog here, but the part related to Quicktime is:

Quicktime Replacement

Apple recently withdrew support for the Quicktime player for Windows, which has in any event been a steady source of security vulnerabilities over the years. This project replaces that plugin for the Windows Viewer with newer and more robust media support (the Mac Viewer will also get this new tech soon). It will play some media that Quicktime would not, but will not play some older Quicktime-only media. Content creators that incorporate media should be testing with this Viewer to see if the media they use is supported. In general, we recommend upgrading any shared media to mp3, mp4, or any HTML5 compatible format for best performance and stability.

[Nalates Urriah 3,267]

The Lab did. They have been talking about replacing media playing systems in the viewer for over a year.

There will be a formal announcement when it releases and rolls out to the grid. They make announcements from time to time about what is coming.

• Recent Second Life Developments - What’s New and What’s Coming!
• REMINDER: Update Your Web Browser to Ensure Secure Payments!
• Project Bento Testing Is Now Live on the Main Grid!
• Why are all these people made of colored jelly?
• Lab Chat Returns Friday with Ebbe, Oz and Troy Linden!
• Exclusive Message for Second Life Residents Available Inworld Today!
• and it goes on and on...

Designers and creators in SL stay up on events by following Inara Peys's and my blogs. We follow what the Lindens are doing and attend the in-world meetings. Some designers/creators do also.

• Tuesday Noon - Denby, Agni
• Thursday 1 PM - Hippotropolis, Agni
• Thursday 3 PM - Morris, Aditi

That is about 3 hours a week the Linden engineers spend with residents. Who made your car and how often did the engineers meet with you to tell you what they were doing? Or even have a press conference?

No one is so all that that the Lindens will track them down and tell them what is going on. They have made it possible for those that WANT to know to find out.

You could grip to the makers of the TV's and other devices. They have known for a LONG time things were going to change. I expect they'll ignore you. But, you can grip.

[Whirly Fizzle 4,942]

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hombra wrote:

 I think that in Windows it isn't possible to have installed the stable viewer alongside with a release candidate, so you will have to decide which one you want to have.

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You can do this easily.

Just install each viewer version to a different folder.

I have.. a few....   http://prnt.sc/c982nl

:smileyvery-happy:

[Drake1 Nightfire 2,474]

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Whirly Fizzle wrote:

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hombra wrote:

 I think that in Windows it isn't possible to have installed the stable viewer alongside with a release candidate, so you will have to decide which one you want to have.

---

You can do this easily.

Just install each viewer version to a different folder.

I have.. a few....  

http://prnt.sc/c982nl

:smileyvery-happy:

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Will other viewers be able to use the files from that viewer? By that i mean, would Firestorm use the files from that beta vieweer to play quicktime file in SL?

[Whirly Fizzle 4,942]

Firestorm is probably going to use Gstreamer, rather then VLC.  It isn't decided yet.

CoolVL Viewer also chose to go with GStreamer, rather then VLC.

Firestorm has curently switched over to GStreamer in the main repository . If you self compile, you can try it now.

[hombra 0]

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Whirly Fizzle wrote:

I have.. a few....  

http://prnt.sc/c982nl

:smileyvery-happy:

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:smileyvery-happy:

[Drake1 Nightfire 2,474]

I meant would FS be able to access the files in the SL folder to play media.. and after a download and install the answer is no.

I don't mess with compiling or anything inside the viewers coding.. I don't want to seriously break what i honestly don't understand. I'm more of a hardware guy than software.

I have talked to the creators of my movie player and they are working on a fix. They use quicktime themselves currently just to play videos in SL. If you block it on your web browsers it wont be able to be attacked.. or so i was told. Hopefully they are right.

[Whirly Fizzle 4,942]

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Drake1 Nightfire wrote:

I meant would FS be able to access the files in the SL folder to play media.. and after a download and install the answer is no.

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No. You'd have to use a viewer compiled with the changes that allow media types that currently need Quicktime installed to play using a different plugin.  The choices are pretty much either VLC (what Linden lab have chosen) or GStreamer (what some other TPVs have chosen).

 

Edit to add:

See this post on the osdev mailing list which explains why CoolVL Viewer & Firestorm have decided to opt for Gstreamer instead of VLC.