Running Netflix in Linux Mint

[Overmind One]

Tripler mentioned having difficulties in playing Netflix in Linux Mint, so instead of just respoding to that comment, I decided to create a new thread. This worked for me, and I actually re-activated my Netflix account just to see how this is done. Again, I have done this in Linux Mint 17 and it is playing as I write this.

Add the PPA to your Mint 17, update the local repository index and install the pipelight-multi package by opening a terminal and pasting the following commands (line by line, not the whole block):

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:pipelight/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pipelight-multi wine-compholio

Enable both the silverlight plugin and the widevine plugin like this:

sudo pipelight-plugin --enable silverlight
sudo pipelight-plugin --enable widevine

Install the netflix-desktop package, available via the Pipelight PPA by typing this in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install netflix-desktop

Now, click your start button in Mint and start typing Netflix. You will see the Netflix red box in the list, and you can drag it to your taskbar to start it. I notice that yes it does work for all content, but the streaming content is not as smooth as watching it in the Windows side. I was unable to get any of the browsers to play Netflix in Linux Mint, mostly because they require the DRM plugins to be able to work and Linux will not allow them to be installed.

THIS WORKS. I just did it myself. Note the new Netflix icon on my taskbar:

 

[Tripler]

Excellent OM1 . It's all workin now . Thanks a bundle . I almost had it figured out as I started with pipeline first not knowing that when you type your password in terminal , it does not show up .
Thanks again

Tripled

 

[Bluce Ree]

If you use one of the beta browsers, you can get Netflix to run directly in your browser with HTML5. No plugins. They just started deploying the HTML5 version because it now includes DRM friendly features.

 

[Tripler]

If you use one of the beta browsers, you can get Netflix to run directly in your browser with HTML5. No plugins. They just started deploying the HTML5 version because it now includes DRM friendly features.

I tried that today with a beta chrome and it did not work so I found the Firefox version that OM1 helped to configure which now works perfectly .

 

[Overmind One]

I tried that today with a beta chrome and it did not work so I found the Firefox version that OM1 helped to configure which now works perfectly .

I tried that too. When you showed me that screenshot, I wanted to test it but I have been away from Netflix for about 4 months. I figured "what the hell" and decided to start it back up. I got the same problem as you did, so solving the problem led to this thread. I have been watching Netflix in Mint for the past couple of hours or so.

 

[Overmind One]

If you use one of the beta browsers, you can get Netflix to run directly in your browser with HTML5. No plugins. They just started deploying the HTML5 version because it now includes DRM friendly features.

What are you using in Mint to play Netflix?

 

[Bluce Ree]

Three steps.

- install the latest Google Chrome Stable from the software manager
- install "User-Agent Switcher for Chrome"
- create a new user agent using the following user agent string and set the "Indicator Flag" to "IE"

"Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/38.0.2114.2 Safari/537.36"

And that's it, you're done. Here's a screenshot of Netflix running in Chrome (stable, not beta) under Mint 17 with no Sliverlight plugin, just pure HTML5.

The article below explains with steps.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2687...-to-get-it-today-and-why-its-such-a-pain.html

 

[Overmind One]

Three steps.

- install the latest Google Chrome Stable from the software manager
- install "User-Agent Switcher for Chrome"
- create a new user agent using the following user agent string and set the "Indicator Flag" to "IE"

"Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/38.0.2114.2 Safari/537.36"

View attachment 30381

And that's it, you're done. Here's a screenshot of Netflix running in Chrome (stable, not beta) under Mint 17 with no Sliverlight plugin, just pure HTML5.

View attachment 30380

The article below explains with steps.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2687...-to-get-it-today-and-why-its-such-a-pain.html

Ah....I did the User Agent Switcher thing in Chromium and it did not work. All I did in Chrome Beta was to try to play it (they said it was already ready), and it wouldnt work. But the way I did it in the OP works fine. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Bluce Ree]

Ah....I did the User Agent Switcher thing in Chromium and it did not work. All I did in Chrome Beta was to try to play it (they said it was already ready), and it wouldnt work. But the way I did it in the OP works fine. Thanks for posting this.

This is much cleaner and simpler and doesn't require any additional packages or plugins other than the user agent switcher Chrome extension. Google Chrome supports Network Security Services (originally in Chrome beta but now in stable), which Netflix requires for DRM under HTML5. Chromium doesn't as of yet and neither does Firefox.

Seems like Microsoft has all but abandoned Silverlight anyway. Less crap installed in the OS.

 

[Overmind One]

This is much cleaner and simpler and doesn't require any additional packages or plugins other than the user agent switcher Chrome extension. Google Chrome supports Network Security Services (originally in Chrome beta but now in stable), which Netflix requires for DRM under HTML5. Chromium doesn't as of yet and neither does Firefox.

Seems like Microsoft has all but abandoned Silverlight anyway. Less crap installed in the OS.

This is a winner....

The latest Chrome browser for Debian Linux (I used the 64-bit for Mint 17) plays Netflix better than any workaround, including the Netflix Desktop fix I posted earlier. In my case, I did not even need to install the user-agent or made any adjustments whatsoever. I just went to Netflix, logged in and started watching. I recommend getting this directly from Google and choosing the 64-bit version. Use the gtk-installer to open/install.

I started noting some jerkiness with the Netflix Desktop/Firefox. This method results in much smoother playback and navigation.

 

[Tripler]

This is a winner....

The latest Chrome browser for Debian Linux (I used the 64-bit for Mint 17) plays Netflix better than any workaround, including the Netflix Desktop fix I posted earlier. In my case, I did not even need to install the user-agent or made any adjustments whatsoever. I just went to Netflix, logged in and started watching. I recommend getting this directly from Google and choosing the 64-bit version. Use the gtk-installer to open/install.

I started noting some jerkiness with the Netflix Desktop/Firefox. This method results in much smoother playback and navigation.

Could you post a link to chrome browser you downloaded ?

 

[Overmind One]

Go here: http://www.google.com/chrome/

You have to be in Linux to get the right one (Google will detect that). Choose the 64-bit Debian version.

NOTE: If Netflix does not play right off the bat, go to Chrome settings (the button on the top far right with the three horizontal lines) and click Extensions on the left. Click Get More, then type in Netflix. Install the extension and close the browser. Reopen and it should work.

Another great setting is to make Netflix the home page. You can even change the Google Chrome launch icon to the Netflix one pretty easily, as well as starting it in kiosk mode (fullscreen) upon opening....by adding --kiosk http://www.netflix.com to the launch command at the end. Make sure there is a space. When you do this, the only way to close Netflix and the browser is Alt+F4.

 

[Tripler]

WooHoo . It works like a charm . That really was much simpler huh . Thanks guys .

 

[Overmind One]

WooHoo . It works like a charm . That really was much simpler huh . Thanks guys .

I like the way it works for Netflix...but I still do not browse the net with it. I still use Firefox for that.

 

[Tripler]

I like the way it works for Netflix...but I still do not browse the net with it. I still use Firefox for that.

Yup . Me also . Firefox is my main browser .