If your Linux-using mates suddenly disappear for a day or two, we can explain why: Netflix has just revealed it's fully and formally available on the OS
As the streamer points out, Chrome's worked for in-browser playback since 2014. But not officially.
As of Tuesday, however, "users of Firefox can also enjoy Netflix on Linux."
Netflix reckons this is "a huge milestone for us and our partners, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Mozilla that helped make it possible."
HTML 5 had a lot to do with it, too, because by enabling plugin-free video playback it meant Linux users were spared the the recurring security nightmare that is Adobe Flash, which recently made a meaningful Penguin-land after ignoring Linux for years.
The reason you haven't switched to Linux is:
- 1. Games
2. Netflix
[editors note: the game situation isn't all that bad now, with over 3,000 games now available for Linux on Steam]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @04:35AM
"I have a bad feeling about this!"
(Score: 2, Interesting) by mechanicjay on Thursday March 23 2017, @04:45AM (3 children)
I've been successfully watching Netflix on my various Linux boxes for a couple years now. It became super easy a little over a year ago when Chrome on Linux started shipping with all the DRM bits to make it work. So really, the only reason Chrome has been installed on my Linux boxes is as a Netflix viewer.
TL;DR; I've been watching Netflix on Linux natively for over a year now with Chrome.
My VMS box beat up your Windows box.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @05:19AM
Prior to Chrome support there was always wine-pipelight support for various plugins (silverlight mainly) that'd make things worth smoothly. I had Netflix running back in 2011 on Firefox just because I could.
(Score: 3, Touché) by CoolHand on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:39AM
Ummm, did you read TFS?? You said exactly what it did.. I think the news is that it is OFFICIALLY supported, and you can now use Firefox..
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:38PM
Exactly. This isn't news at all; I've been watching Netflix on my Linux machines for ages now with Chrome, and like you, it's the only reason I even have Chrome installed. I honestly don't care if it wasn't "official"; official according to whom anyway? Either it works or it doesn't, and Chrome has been working fine for years.
(Score: 3, Informative) by bzipitidoo on Thursday March 23 2017, @04:51AM (14 children)
1. games
2. income tax software
3. FUD over MS Office specific files
4. viewing or ripping copy protected DVDs
5. hardware support, especially support for 3D acceleration in open source, libre graphics drivers.
Netflix was never on my list. The Pirate Bay has always been fully functional on Linux. 3 and 4 are not for me, but for other family members still stuck on the idea of watching movies on DVDs, and afraid that LibreOffice can't handle MS Office files absolutely perfectly.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @05:16AM (3 children)
Most of what you're after can be done with wine or even a vm (sure, you're still running windows at this point, but it's a lot more convenient than waiting for it to shut down and reboot). The only things you're really held by are the gaming (it's getting better, but if the games you want are windows only, you don't care how many thousands of OTHER games are on steam for linux) and the gpu support.
(Score: 3, Informative) by mhajicek on Thursday March 23 2017, @05:42AM
OpenGL CADCAM.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Thursday March 23 2017, @01:06PM (1 child)
Sure, but setting up dual boot is easier than extracting the preconfigured windows into a virtual machine.
A typically live-boot distro will cater for this.
I'm sure that converting the install into a vm isn't unbelievably hard, but it's not as push-button upon install as dualboot is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @06:40PM
Provided you install Windows first.
(Score: 4, Informative) by mechanicjay on Thursday March 23 2017, @05:56AM
4. viewing or ripping copy protected DVDs
VLC with the right libs will let you watch just about any DVD out there and HandBrake will rip em. I haven't watched or ripped a DVD on Windows since about 2009...
My VMS box beat up your Windows box.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @06:05AM (4 children)
5. hardware support, especially support for 3D acceleration in open source, libre graphics drivers.
I take it you don't see linux + closed source, proprietary graphics drivers as an acceptable solution; fair enough.
So your solution is... windows + closed source, proprietary graphics drivers?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @08:08AM
Makes good sense. I have a desktop running open source software, and a laptop running closed source software. Guess which one is running Windows... If I need a closed source driver, guess which one it's getting installed on...
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Thursday March 23 2017, @03:36PM (2 children)
Graphics drivers aren't the only hardware issue keeping users off Linux. The other issue is Linux's poor support for things like the camera, Bluetooth, and suspend in Bay Trail laptops such as the ASUS T100TA and X205TA. And that's after years of improvement; it used to be even worse, with not even backlight brightness, audio, WLAN, and the T100TA's detachable keyboard working.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:30PM
Everything in my Asus X551M works with Linux...although it doesn't have Bluetooth and I seldom use the camera or suspend.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @04:15AM
Bay Trail is terrible on Linux and a complete anomaly. Intel basically gave up on it while usually they offer all sorts of patches for the chips to run well. There is no x86 system with worse support than Bay Trail, and it does boot and mostly function...
(long time Linux user and not so happy T100 owner here)
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @07:37AM
Posting AC, for obvious rebuttal.
I have to use Windows, because they pay me to. Not only do they pay me to use Windows, they only pay me to use Windows if I post about how essential the Windows operating system is on forums like this one. It really has nothing to do with games, with "office" software, or with DRMed video, it is because they pay me. So now I beg of all of you Soylentils, since I get bucks from trying to convince you that Microsoft is still relevant, when it is obvious (rebuttal) to all and sundry that it is not, I only ask you to consider my kids! Without the money that Microsoft gives me, I will not be able to afford Rice Crispies for my kids, and make the payments on my Lambhorgini. So if my kids starve, it is all on you, you free software commies, you!
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:44PM (1 child)
2. Everyone's moving to web-based tax software these days.
4. Viewing DVDs on Linux has worked fine for many years now with VLC. What are you talking about? Besides, since you like Pirate Bay, you can do better by just downloading Blu-Ray rips from there; you'll get better resolution and quality than a DVD rip.
As for other family members, don't worry about them. If they insist on using Windows, let them, and let them deal with all the problems that come with that platform. They can call Geek Squad or whatever when they need help. It's not your job to be their unpaid IT support.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @02:51AM
At the Linux Mint forum recently, phd21 had a good answer for this.
So, pretty much all changed over to Linux Mint, but... [linuxmint.com]
My usual lotsa-answers place [alternativeto.net] was disappointing on this one.
.
family members [...] If they insist on using Windows, let them, and let them deal with all the problems
The line is "I don't do Windows."
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @02:25PM
1) your priorities are screwed up.
2) sounds about right. funding the IRS is treason but, hey go ahead.
3-5) horseshit.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @05:55AM (1 child)
I ate their livers with fava beans and a nice Chianti.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:51AM
My friends went AWOL after I ate pinto beans and onion...
I would have went AWOL too, but I couldn't physically get away from the emitter.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @07:27AM (2 children)
About a year ago I tried Netflix under Ubuntu. Had to install some funky browser plugin, extra libraries and had a MS license to agree to at some point (I shit you not, think it was font related). I recall the experience was ok-ish, but very glad they've taken more steps forward.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:44PM (1 child)
All you had to do was install Google Chrome.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:06PM
I think I was using Chromium or a Firefox-based browser, hence the additional steps.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @08:15AM (6 children)
HTML 5 had a lot to do with it, too, because by enabling plugin-free video playback it meant Linux users were spared the the recurring security nightmare that is Adobe Flash
Actually plugin free? Or did someone forget to mention the new DRM plugin system that was recently added to Firefox?
Because if you think Flash is a security nightmare, just imagine what a brand new closed source plugin is going to be... After all, Flash has had a decade of security fixes (often one per week), and I see no reason to expect these new DRM plugins to be any better, so I'd expect that after a decade of security fixes every week, these plugins will be as secure as Flash is now (i.e. still not anywhere near secure).
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday March 23 2017, @09:05AM (1 child)
No, you need the right EME installed, with "supporting hardware" No RGB VGA connection I guess!
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Wootery on Thursday March 23 2017, @12:14PM
The funny thing is you can view Netflix on Linux using Chrome, and screenshot as much as you like. The EME binary-blob doesn't seem to do a thing to prevent capture.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Thursday March 23 2017, @09:16AM
Actually plugin free?
This is the right question. 'EME' is not an alternative to binary-blob plugins, it's just an alternative delivery mechanism for them.
What's actually new here, then? As the summary points out, Netflix has worked in Chrome-for-Linux for years now, precisely because Chrome-for-Linux bundles an EME blob.
Did something change in Firefox? My understanding is that Mozilla isn't in the binary-blob business, but they're willing to leverage EME machinery that exists elsewhere on the host machine. What's really new here?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @01:19PM (2 children)
So you only need a closed source blob for the DRM, but it just handles the DRM not 101 other things like flash (or silverlight) does. It seems like there is a lot less potential for vulnerabilities with this set up.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:35PM (1 child)
Then you have missed that unlike Flash, this plugin will be written by people with intent to cause harm. See the Sony root-kit.
Adobe is just incompetent, they are not intentionally destructive, even though at times it may seem like they are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 27 2017, @10:07PM
e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sklyarov [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by KritonK on Thursday March 23 2017, @09:00AM
Games(Don't care.)Netflix(Ditto.)(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:18AM (2 children)
Try this game: http://www.moddb.com/games/chaosesqueanthology [moddb.com]
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:46AM (1 child)
Looks kinda cool... Are you involved in its development?
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 25 2017, @07:47AM
Yes.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by requerdanos on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:13PM (6 children)
editors note: the game situation isn't all that bad now, with over 3,000 games now available for Linux on Steam
First, thank you for taking the time to be an editor here.
Second, I believe this statement is more propaganda than helpful, even though it's technically true.
The "game situation" is, to some people, a genuine reason not to switch operating systems.
I am not one of those people--I already switched. This was possible for me because every function in my workflow (and playflow as it were) works fine in GNU/Linux.
If some significant portion of what I do had not been available, then I had the choice of either "not switching" or "changing what I do". But even a missing single function would have been a deal-breaker if I could not either implement it or avoid it.
Think of it this way: Let's say my operating system was "Nintendo 64" and I was an avid gamer. And my essential tasks were getting more stars and finding all the coins in Mario 64, and unlocking Special Cup tracks in Mario Kart 64, and doing [whatever people do] in Paper Mario and Mario Tennis and other such games. Now let's say one of the annoying sony fanboys tells me "You should switch to Playstation 2. There are over 3000 games available."
The N64 had less than 500 games [zetaboards.com] ever released for it, but with about 1800 [gamesradar.com] PS2 native titles plus around 1200 [nintendoage.com] PSX games, most of which are quite playable on the PS2, the number of playstation games statement is pretty accurate.
Here's the rub. How many of those 3000 games help me in my daily workflow of collecting Mario 64 stars? Unlocking Mario Kart 64 Special cup? Finding gold, red, or blue coins?
AC said earlier in this thread, and it's the takeaway message here:
[Linux gaming is] getting better, but if the games you want are windows only, you don't care how many thousands of OTHER games are on steam for linux
I see what you are saying; the games situation is improving, to be sure, and it's great improvement. The Winehq folks toil and trudge and make game after game playable on Linux. Valve is making the situation better by embracing Linux and making more and more games work. These are all good things.
But still, if you pick a random gamer's five or ten favorite games, half of them will still be unplayable in Penguin land. Even if 3000 lesser games work fine.
Ars Technica [arstechnica.com] puts it this way:
[We're] cautiously optimistic about the promise of a viable PC gaming market that doesn't rely on a Microsoft OS... Valve has already transformed gaming on Linux from "practically nothing" to "definitely something" and could be on the verge of making it much more than that.
Like you, I hope it keeps getting better and better. But Netflix *works*. Every movie, every show you want to watch plays just the same as it would under another OS. That's not true for Steam.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 23 2017, @02:54PM
Yeah, but what if you want to play games X, Y, and Z, and X only works on N64 and Z only works on Playstation 2? And what if the PS2 somehow maliciously causes problems with your N64, and in general is extremely unreliable, and on top of that is just a PITA to use, with horribly designed controllers that give you RSI and also discolor the skin on your hands from toxic chemicals used in the plastics, whereas the N64 has highly ergonomic controllers that are perfectly safe to use?
At some point, you have to decide how much pain you want to put up with to use a certain platform, and if you really *need* it that much and the applications on it. Is game X *soooo* important that you're willing to choose your computing infrastructure based on that one thing? For many of us, the answer is no. If that game company really wanted my business, they'd support my platform of choice. If they don't think it's worth it, that's their right, and it's my right to not buy from them and do something else with my time. If that involves game-playing, there's plenty of other games available for Linux, so I'd rather patronize a company that aligns better with my computing preferences.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @03:02PM
numbers numbers numbers tl;dr
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Pino P on Thursday March 23 2017, @03:33PM (1 child)
How many of those 3000 games help me in my daily workflow of collecting Mario 64 stars?
What prevents you from changing your workflow from Mario to Spyro? It wouldn't be too much harder than from PaintShop Pro to GIMP, which I've used to make graphics for four commercially published video games. And with games not published by Nintendo, there's not quite as much chance of Content ID taking your ad revenue if you post a review to YouTube.
Unlocking Mario Kart 64 Special cup?
I've read good reviews for changing your workflow to Lego Racers, Crash Team Racing, or Toy Story Racer.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Thursday March 23 2017, @08:14PM
How many of those 3000 games help me in my daily workflow of collecting Mario 64 stars?
What prevents you from changing your workflow from Mario to Spyro? It wouldn't be too much harder than from PaintShop Pro to GIMP
Being more serious for a few moments... I have had jobs with Photoshop as one of my essential tools. Once with Photoshop 3, then 4, then 5; later with Photoshop 7, CS, and CS2. Yet one book purchase later (Grokking the Gimp, which I highly recommend) I was up to speed with Gimp and I've used it ever since.
HOWEVER! I have tried Spyro, Rayman, Sonic Adventure, many different non-Mario games, and to be honest, I still, 20 years later, have an N64 and still play Mario 64. (My current savegame only has about 25 stars because I don't play as often nor for as long as I used to). Haven't played any of the others in years.
This helps me to understand people who tell me "Yeah but I gotta have game [so-and-so] and it doesn't work in Linux". Okay, I get it. For me there is no one Windows-platform game that would hold me to Windows, and indeed I don't Windows anymore. But I get that for others, this is a thing.
Unlocking Mario Kart 64 Special cup?
I've read good reviews for changing your workflow to Lego Racers, Crash Team Racing, or Toy Story Racer.
Again: I've played Mickey Mouse Club Racing, Crash Team Racing, even diddy kong racing, lots of different Racing games, and now, 20 years later, I still play Mario Kart 64. The only game that comes close, in terms of gameplay (not story or organization), is perhaps ironically Super TuxKart.
Photoshop -> Gimp was dead easy for me, but Nintendo -> Non-Nintendo wasn't. For whatever that's worth.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday March 23 2017, @06:13PM
640k copies of Tux Racer should be enough for anybody.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by CoolHand on Friday March 24 2017, @12:31PM
You're welcome..
I just said things are getting better... To the point that if you WANT to switch (and don't have a particular game(s) that you are stuck on, it's entirely possible to go with Linux and have a great gaming experience. Personally I'd kept a console around for years so I didn't have to dual boot Windows for games. But finally two years ago I built myself a homemade Steam Machine, and I now have about a hundred games on there (out of a Linux Library of over 500), including many AAA, and have spent hundreds of hours on it. These are big commercial games, in all categories. I understand that not EVERYONE is willing/able to switch at this point, but it is becoming much more practicable for a large percentage of people. Plus, things are looking even brighter with the advent of Vulkan. If it takes off, as it looks like it will, it will make supporting multi-platforms much easier. The Ars link you posted was from over two years ago, and things have changed hugely since then, so I didn't even bother to click through on it to tell you the truth...
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams