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Firefox 49 For Linux Will Ship With Plug-in Free Netflix, Amazon Prime Video Support (mozilla.org)

Posted by msmash on from the plug-in-free-world dept.

Reader LichtSpektren writes: Widevine, the media protocol that allows users to watch videos on Netflix, is supported in Firefox for Windows and macOS. But until now, its users on Linux were required to use a plug-in. That changes with v49, which offers out-of-the-box support for Netflix.Mozilla plans to offer plug-in streaming for Netflix as well as Amazon Prime Video and other similar services. The v49 will be available on Linux in September. Mozilla adds that it will be removing support for NPAPI plugins from its browser in the near future, plugins that some video streaming sites rely on for playback. "Mozilla plan to support the Widevine CDM on Linux, letting users watch Netflix without plugins," the company said.

7 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Not plugin free by Carewolf · · Score: 4, Informative

    If they switch from NPAPI to CDM, that does not make them plugin-free. CDM is based on plugins and Widivine is a plugin.

    1. Re:Not plugin free by tepples · · Score: 3, Informative

      It does, however, drastically reduce the attack surface of plug-ins. The CDM is a much narrower, more focused API than NPAPI. And it'll be easier to avoid: don't use any services that offer Hollywood movies for online rental.

    2. Re:Not plugin free by roca · · Score: 4, Informative

      "The browser should be..." Sure! But it turns out that Hollywood won't let you play their movies in such a browser :-(.

      If you want Firefox to be that browser, just uncheck "play DRM content" in the preferences and you're all good.

  2. Not my fault by LichtSpektren · · Score: 3, Informative

    My original submission said nothing about plug-ins, so I declare this "not my fault"

    :P

  3. CDM is sandboxed by tepples · · Score: 2, Informative

    "the attack surface of plug-ins" oh fuck off. If processes can't be assigned fine-grained permissions then your operating system is shit.

    Unfortunately, people have allowed themselves to become locked into incumbent operating systems that are, as you put it, "shit". But given the presence of "sandbox" in the titles of bugs listed at Media/EME, it appears Firefox is at least trying to limit the permissions of the CDM.

  4. Re:How to remove plugin? by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hamburger menu > Preferences (or Options) > Content > Play DRM content

    Turn it off and no CDM will run.

  5. Widevine by GrievousMistake · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is the same buggy piece of crap that led to root exploit on many Android phones, since of course a media player needs privileged access to the kernel.

    http://bits-please.blogspot.co...

    But don't worry, that was a fluke, I'm sure the opaque blob for the PC is written by their best men, and not the scum of the earth who failed their McDonalds job interview.
    The complete loss of security to all their users is a small price to pay to eradicate unlicensed copying of movies once and for all!

    --
    In a fair world, refrigerators would make electricity.