Adobe Air: What, Why, and How?

Adobe Air is a technology that allows certain web applications to be run on the desktop, as if they were normal desktop applications. In this guide, I will attempt to answer three questions: What is it?, Why is it important?, and How do I install/use it?

Note: This guide was written for the Adobe Air for Linux Alpha. It may or may not work on future versions of Air for Linux. I will try to update this guide as new versions become available.

What is Adobe Air?

According to the Adobe Air website, Adobe Air "lets developers use proven web technologies to build rich Internet applications that deploy to the desktop and run across operating systems." Essentially what that means is that developers can use tools and techniques that are already familiar to them and create web 2.0 applications that will not only run inside a web browser, but also on the desktop, regardless of the operating system that desktop is running.

At the time of writing, Adobe Air for Linux is not feature complete, so not all applications may work perfectly.

Why is Adobe Air important?

One of the main barriers people face when moving from one operating system to another is applications that don't run on their new operating system. This creates an uneven playing ground where the operating systems on top have a huge advantage over other operating systems, regardless of technical merit. Web applications started to solve this problem, because most web applications can be run on any operating system, but web applications have one major disadvantage: they require an internet connection. Air lets developers create web applications that will also run on the desktop, removing that one major disadvantage and allowing web applications to finally level the operating system playing field.

For Linux, if Adobe Air catches on, many new applications will become available for it, not because they were developed specifically for Linux, but because they were developed for any operating system. This means switching to Linux is likely to become very easy in the future.

How do I install and use Adobe Air?

Installing Air

Start by visiting the Adobe Air for Linux download page and click on "Download Adobe AIR for Linux." Once downloaded, right click on the file and select "Properties."


Next click on the "Permissions" tab and make sure "Allow executing file as program" is checked. This will allow you to run the installer.


Now open a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal). You will need to navigate to the folder that the installer is in. In most cases, when you first open the terminal, you will be in your home folder. If the installer is on your desktop, all you should need to do is type "cd Desktop" without the quotes to get to your desktop. To confirm you are in the right folder, type "ls" (again, without the quotes) and look to see if the file is there. Once you are sure you are in the right place, type "./filename.bin" without the quotes and replacing filename with the name of the installer. For example, you might type "./adobeair_linux_a1_033108.bin". Here is an example of what you might type into the terminal and what it might return:


(Note: Do not close the terminal window until the installation is done.)

The rest of the installation is very easy, but I will walk you through it anyway.


Press accept if you agree to the license.


Wait...


Press "Finish." Congratulations, Adobe Air is now installed!

Using Air

Now that Air is installed, you can get started trying out some sample applications. First, you have to find an application to use. You can find the sample applications here. There are some non-sample applications, however they may or may not work, since Air for Linux is not feature complete.

The installation process should be the same for all of the Air applications, so you can choose any one you want. For this tutorial, we will use Signet. Scroll to the bottom of the page linked above and download the sample application. (Be sure to get the application, not the source code.)

Just double click on the file and wait until you get this screen:


Assuming you want to go ahead and install, click "Install."


The default settings here should be fine in most cases, so go ahead and click "Continue," or feel free to play with the (very few) settings first.


Wait a little longer and then the application should launch. Congratulations! If it does not launch or you want to launch it again, just go to your applications menu or use the shortcut on the desktop.

If you need help, you can always e-mail me (webmaster@linuxloop.com) or use the contact link at the bottom of the page. Or, if you prefer, look for a good Linux forum, such as LinuxQuestions.org.

Below are some screenshots from various Air applications:

Signet:



Fresh: