Run Netflix On OpenSUSE

sfcrazy writes "Ironically while Netflix's infrastructure runs on Linux and Open Source technologies, the service doesn't support Linux, the platform. Netflix is available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chrome OS but not for desktop Linux. One of the reasons could be that Netflix still uses Microsoft's Silverlight which is not supported on Linux. However Linux users have managed to get it to work on their distros. Now openSUSE users can also run Netflix using Pipelight."

Comments

Works like a charm on Ubuntu two

[jonnyj]

Instructions are here: http://www.webupd8.org/2013/08/pipelight-use-silverlight-in-your-linux.html

I've been using it for several week with Netflix on Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.10. It also works with Eurosport Player.

Re:Works like a charm on Ubuntu two

[DavidClarkeHR]

Instructions are here: http://www.webupd8.org/2013/08/pipelight-use-silverlight-in-your-linux.html

I've been using it for several week with Netflix on Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.10. It also works with Eurosport Player.

Great. Now get it working on QNX, and my blackberry playbook is useful. In 2011.

Ironic?

[PNutts]

No. The word I'm thinking is plagiarism. With the exception of the last sentence the summary was lifted from the ./muktware site with only one word changed.

Slow day?

[infinitelink]

Dated much? Use of Pipelight to run Netflix on linux distros has been long available, publicized, shows for every search of "run Netflix on Linux", so...why is this here?

Don't forget FreeBSD

[ZorkZero]

The OS doing the heavy lifting (serving the actual video, up to 1/3 of the traffic on the net during peak hours) is FreeBSD.

Re:Don't forget FreeBSD

[CrankyFool]

I work at Netflix, on the Cloud and Platform Engineering side, responsible for doing some stuff in the cloud. We use both Linux and FreeBSD -- Our cloud infrastructure runs on Linux, so all the API calls, license calls, logging in etc is hitting Linux servers. And once you start downloading a movie, you're downloading it from one of our caches, which runs on FreeBSD.

Re:Right...

[infinitelink]

Unfortunately, no. It's not that I am unaware that Slashdot lags, just surprised at the greatness of lag in this particular instance. I mean, it is a lag of many months or more, not days or weeks. Pipelight's been around a while--check out Slashdot's own earlier story: http://slashdot.org/story/13/08/19/2311245/netflix-comes-to-linux-web-browsers-via-pipelight One wonders whether the editors (there are editors, right?) here actually pay attention to submission or if it's all auto-run.

Netflix runs on linux.

[Lumpy]

Every BluRay player that has netflix on it is running Linux. so they are lying when they say they do not support it. My Panasonic BluRay states it runs linux in the manual and the License information, and there is Netflix right there on it.

Netflix does not support a generic distro because they dont want to bother supporting it.

Re:Netflix runs on linux.

[zippthorne]

They don't have to support linux. All they need to do is provide an API and the community will take care of it for them. Not sure how the DRM part would work, though. Is DRM possible with open source software? Could they provide binary blob of just that part?

Re:Netflix runs on linux.

[Anonymous Coward]

Uhm, I run linux on my servers AND it's my primary computer OS. Linux has been my primary desktop for well over 10 years now. We are not a 1% user base and since we actually know a thing or two about computers we demand a proportionately smaller amount of support time. In fact, I'd argue that we as linux users are more often than not providing support to the front line phone personal by pointing them directly to the problem.

The media industry simply refuses to allow any media play back no a device or OS that isn't completely locked down. THAT is why there is no native linux client.

Re:Netflix runs on linux.

[TheRealMindChild]

The code to run netflix on your Bluray player and any other smart appliance has a binary blob they interface with to do the actual work. They can't "release the source" and honestly, the solution is different for every smart appliance out there, even if it runs linux

Re:Netflix runs on linux.

[Bengie]

Yes, running Linux with a custom DRM binary. You can get the GPL'd Linux code form the Bluray maker, but you won't get the part that's required to decode the streams.

Re:Netflix runs on linux.

[DarwinSurvivor]

Pipelight is a LOT more than a binary blob DRM module. It is an entire instance of Silverlight running in Wine. My laptop hits 100 celcius with the fan at FULL speed watching Netflix. I can do full 3D gaming and it only hits about 70 or 80.

Re:I don't see a problem.

[hcs_$reboot]

If only a post "preview" was available..

People watch netflix on a computer?

[alen]

Why?
There is this thing called a tv with 40" inch screens

Re:People watch netflix on a computer?

[VortexCortex]

There is this thing called a tv with 40" inch screens

From where I'm sitting, my 23" computer monitor consumes about three times the visual range of my 50" TV, and it's higher resolution too. I can even watch it while it's twin brings up this web page.

Ah, well, not everyone's computer chair is as comfy as mine, but if you think about how much more time you spend at the terminal, that doesn't make any damn sense now does it? Perhaps you need to learn how to browse from a reclining captain's chair?

Engage.

Re:WOW even the summary is wrong

[Desler]

It's just some guy spamming his website here for page hits. Pipelight was already posted about here back in August.

Netflix Android native app works fine in linux

[Cito]

Install the Android x86 libs then download Netflix native android Linux app from google play and it runs on any Linux flavor smoother and simpler than pipe light wine hacks

Re:Android is linux

[Tekoneiric]

Actually no... Linux is the underlying OS to which the Android system runs. Saying Android is Linux is like saying GNU is Linux. It does sit tightly on top of Linux but one could conceptually port Android to run on top of another Unix like variant, say FreeBSD.

Re:Android is linux

[hufter]

Saying that Android is Linux is like saying that Ubuntu is Linux. Linux is actually just the kernel, which they both use.

Silverlight doesn't work on MacOS either...

[tekrat]

I've tried to use Netflix on my Mac when for some reason it doesn't work on the TV. It works fine for Safari, but Chrome, which is my default browser, results in jittery video, unwatchable. Admittedly, not MacOS's fault, but annoying nevertheless.

I mean really if I have to switch browsers, when Youtube works everywhere is just ... wrong...

Re:WOW even the summary is wrong

[jedidiah]

...which is all refuted by a simple counterexample: MacOS.

Apple never bought into this bend over and say ahh deal which is why Macs support neither BluRay nor CableCard.

Yet they have Netflix player.

So it's clearly not "Linux hippies" that are the problem.

HELL. Two competing subscription streaming services run just fine on Linux (namely Amazon & Hulu).

Netflix upper management just decided to get into bed with Microsoft and make some poor technology choices. It has nothing to do with things "imposed externally by media moguls".