In this post I’ll explain in an easy step by step tutorial how to install Apache Flex 4.8.0 in Flash Builder, I know that it’s not rocket science but maybe newbie developers could need more information to start play with new SDK.
The new SDK is more or less the same of 4.6 but under Apache flag, like you can read at Spoon website, but we hope people behind the project could give us new opportunities for our RIAs and Mobile projects.
So let’s start!
First of all download Apache Flex 4.8.0 binaries for your operating system (in my case OS X), keep attention, you need the binaries release not the source one.
After unzip the downloaded file create a folder called 4.8.0 in /Applications/Flash Builder 4.5/sdks
Then download playerglobal.swc for Flash Player 11 on Adobe website.
Save it in /Applications/Adobe Flash Builder 4.5/sdks/4.8.0/frameworks/libs (it could be better create a folder called “player” or as you want, in my case I use “11.1” and save the swc inside).
Finally, open Terminal navigate trough your folders and position it to this location /Applications/Adobe Flash Builder 4.5/sdks/4.8.0/frameworks then launch this ANT command:
ant thirdparty-downloads
After 10 minutes you will download everything:
. OMSF dependencies
. TLF framework
. Flex 4.6 SDK and so on
Last but not least, in Flex 4.8 SDK folder you will find a env-template.properties, you have to duplicate the file, call env.properties and set the right path for each folder:
env.AIR_HOME= path to AIR SDK on your filesystem
env.FLASHPLAYER_DEBUGGER = path to Flash Player Debugger, if you have Flash Pro installed you can find a version in Players/Debug/Flash Player Debugger
env.PLAYERGLOBAL_HOME= path to playerglobal.swc (it’s not an absolute path, it’s relative and starts from frameworks folder in Flex SDK!!!)
env.PIXELBENDER_HOME= path to Pixel Bender Toolkit 2 (it’s not important to set if you don’t use it)
env.ADOBE_EXTENSION_MANAGER= path to Adobe Extension Manager
Remember that in template file you can read an accurate explanation on how to set those environment variables
Then you can start to enjoy the new Flex SDK.
The team behind Flex in Apache is working on a new AIR application that will help you to install in Flash Builder the SDK but it’s not released yet… we hope to have it soon, in the meanwhile I hope this tutorial could help you to set your IDE.There is another way to install the SDK trough an AIR app that you can download from here: http://people.apache.org/~bigosmallm/installapacheflex/
If I forgot some steps in my description please comment to this post to help everybody to enjoy Apache Flex, thank you in advance.
lucamezzalira.com 
Thanks a lot for this 🙂
‘ant’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,operable program or batch file.
Hi Jack,
you have to set ANT in your OS Global vars:
MAC -> http://www.andyjarrett.co.uk/blog/mobile/postDetail.cfm?post=6F829995-3048-28EB-0E8211DEADB97FA1
WIN -> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5547781/ant-is-not-recognized-as-an-internal-or-external-command
Thanks!
Great!!!!!!!!!!! and thanks! 😀
You can try the installer on http://people.apache.org/~bigosmallm/installapacheflex/ .
Great!!! I didn’t see it yesterday! thank you for share
What a palava! Reminds me of installing X Windows software back in the day 🙂
Thanks for that link, Gert. It is the 21st century after all and installing software these days shouldn’t require any brain power whatsover 🙂
simon
thank’s a lot for this help 🙂
Reblogged this on pigiuz and commented:
Good tutorial on how to install Apache Flex 4.8.0 SDK in Flash Builder
….
impossibile aprire “C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.5\sdks\4.8\frameworks\\player\11.1\playerglobal.swc”
….
;-((((
hai un doppio \ tra frameworks e player ecco perchè non te lo vede!
eh ho avuto un po di problemi con i path del env.properties ma ora è a posto! grazie x il tutorial!!
Alternatively, on Mac OSX, you can download and unzip the binaries into a directory.
cd apache-flex-sdk-4.8.0-incubating-bin/ide/flashbuilder
./makeApacheFlexForFlashBuilder.sh /Applications/Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.5/sdks/4.8.0
The script will pull together all the parts you need and copy the sdk to the specified directory.
There is also a bat script but it has some limitations so I would recommend using the AIR app on Windows.
Any idea how to correct this error or what’s causing it?
unable to open ‘D:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.6\sdks\4.8.0\frameworks\D:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.6\sdks\4.8.0\frameworks\libs\air\airglobal.swc’ project-iOS Unknown Flex Problem
Thanks, in advance
Probably you set an absolute path instead of a relative path in env.properties file, take a look there ;D
I was using an absolute path as the env-template.properties file says to use absolute. I changed it to relative and still getting an air. For example, my AIR_HOME is set to AIRSDK. I now get the following error:
unable to open ‘D:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Flash Builder 4.6\sdks\4.8.0\frameworks\AIRSDK\frameworks\libs\air\airglobal.swc’ Unknown Flex Problem
Looks like it is appending the relative path to an existing path.
Thanks for your assistance!
why don’t you copy libs\air\airglobal.swc in frameworks folder? I think it’s only a path problem nothing else
Deleted 4.8.0 directory and re-downloaded it. Everything working now. Thanks for the assistance!
I tried to setup the env but with AIR does not work. Any idea?
env.AIR_HOME=/Applications/Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.6/sdks/4.6.0
But it can’t recognize de path to AIR SDK
did you try to re-install with AIR app that install everything for you?! http://people.apache.org/~bigosmallm/installapacheflex/
I’m sorry, but this install procedure is crap. Why so many steps to take? If the previous sdks were a simple download and copy, why can’t this be the same?
Steven if you want you can download an automation tool here http://people.apache.org/~bigosmallm/installapacheflex/
I know, that’s what I’m doing now. But still, so many steps (even automated) for something that used to be simple 😦
It’s only the first release from Apache, I hope sure next releases will be easier to install 😀
Well, I’m having a little problem during the install procedure with the automation tool. First, I can’t select the directory, so I did this manually. And second: I can’t even download anything because the automation tool abort the procedure
And I don’t even know why D;
are you talking about the native installer made with AIR?
I’m sorry that the installation is more difficult.
Please take a minute at least read the RELEASE_NOTES (http://www.apache.org/dist/incubator/flex/4.8.0-incubating/RELEASE_NOTES) and the README (http://www.apache.org/dist/incubator/flex/4.8.0-incubating/READme).
This is an Apache project. Apache projects are source which must have the Apache v2 license. Adobe AIR, swfobject, expressInstall.swf, embedded font support and Adobe BlazeDS integration are all thirdparty dependencies since we either don’t have the source and/or they do not have that license.
The README describes how to set up your environment using either env.properties or actual environment variables. If you use actual environment variables you can check that AIR_HOME is set up properly by doing a dir/ls of the variable.
The SDK installation was perfect.
When you open the IDE Flash Builder 4.6, select an existing project, change the version and displays a warning message when you press the Desing:
The Design Mode is disabled to use as the project incompatible version of the Flex SDK
Yes at this moment it’s not available this feature but personally I’ve never used it so for me there aren’t any problem
Thanks! Really helpful.
Worked like a charm, thanks!
i was successfully install flex 4.8 in flash builder. after run and that is nothing display in browser . anyone can assist. thanks
hi, i followed steps more than 5 times, the problem is when i create a Flex 4.8 project, pressing the finish button (in wizard) dialog still open and no error message shown??
If you have this problem you need to re-install Flex SDK because something you’ve done could be wrong!
I successfully install flex 4.8 in flash builder 4.7 beta, I follow ALL your instructions but after Run a simple proyect, web page and that is nothing display in browser some Idea?
After seeing how this synergy of adobe and apache is for flex, I deleted all adobe flash builders and flex related products. We used adobe products because we expect a certain advantage from commercial products, but this is just bullshit. When in a time everything can be simplified and automated and we have to go back resorting classic ways of configuring/developing like 10 years ago. No, thank you.
I have used the installer to install the sdk 4.8.0 and I have noticed the file swfobject.js is missing from project files. so you will have to manually add it to the project and to the template folder on the sdk. This caused the app failed being added/embeded to the page.
hello, to let working airglobal.swc I had to:
– paste/merge airsdk all content dir in flexsdk dir
– edit env.properties:
env.AIR_HOME=
(leave blank)
edit air-config.xml (line 83):
{airHome}
🙂
Jaco
oops, some comment content was stripped:
node in air-config.xml:
[path-element]{airHome}[/path-element]
(change with appropriate brackets for xml compliance)
I have the “old” version of Flex Builder (4.0). I know we can also add SDKs but I had troubles when trying the SDK 4.5. Do you know if it works better with the SDK 4.6 or the new 4.8 ?
I don’t know because I usually use Flash Builder 4.6 sorry!
I’ve to say a big thanks to Anja that decided to translate this post in Serbo-Croatian for her community: http://science.webhostinggeeks.com/kako-instalirati-apache
I installed apache-flex 4.10 in my flash builder 4.6 (by apache-flex-SDK-installer), but the design mode is disabled, why? How do I do to enable it?
thanks
Because the design view is not supported anymore