Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

thredith · 2013-11-11 03:21:11

I've been wanting to enjoy Netflix in #! ever since I installed it, but thanks to Microsoft's Silverlight restrictions, such a simple task became a total headache. However, I've found an interesting way to make Netflix work natively, without using Wine (at least not manually) or the Netflix Desktop app.

I'm using Crunchbang Waldorf 64 bit (nonetheless, it should work under 32 bit systems as well), and I've successfully tested this method using both Iceweasel and Chrome browsers.

All you need to do is to install Pipelight in your system, plus a User Agent plugin for your web browser.

Ok, so let's get started!

First of all, if you're working under a 64 bit system, open your Terminal, and run the following line:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

This will allow you to install Pipelight in your 64 bit system. If you have a 32 bit system, then don't worry. Pipelight will run just fine.
Now, you must proceed to get the key for the Pipelight repository:

wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/DarkPlayer:/Pipelight/Debian_7.0/Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key

Good. Now let's add the Pipelight repo to your sources.list. Open a new Terminal window, and run:

sudo geany /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following line to your sources.list:

deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/DarkPlayer:/Pipelight/Debian_7.0/ ./

Save and exit. Then, go back to your Terminal, and perform an update:

apt-get update

Excellent! Now, you may finally proceed to install Pipelight:

apt-get install pipelight

So far, so good? Great! Here comes the "tricky" part of the setup... well, it's actually not tricky at all, but make sure you don't skip it! If you do, you'll get an error every time you try to run Netflix from your web browser.

If you have Iceweasel/Firefox do as follows:
1- Download and install this extension: User Agent Overrider
2- Restart your web browser. Once it loads, search for the extension's icon, click on it, and from its drop-down menu, select "Firefox 24/Windows".

If you have Google Chrome do as follows:
1- Download and install this extension: User Agent Switcher
2- You don't need to restart your web browser. Just wait until the extension loads, and search for its icon. Proceed to click on it, and from its drop-down menu, select "Firefox", and then "Windows Firefox 4".

Aaaaand.... that's it! You may now enjoy Netflix natively!

Last edited by thredith (2013-11-11 03:28:21)

bootlinux · 2013-11-19 22:42:42

Very Nice. I just gave your instructions a try and it worked perfect.
I tried the other methods over the months using the PPA but they never worked. Yours did. Good job.
I never liked the run in fullscreen default anyway.....

buttonmasher · 2013-11-20 17:46:29

Many thanks, thredith. Works like a charm on my 64bit #! laptop. I'll see how it does on my old desktop here in a little while.

Good stuff.

thredith · 2013-11-21 01:34:59

You're welcome bootlinux and buttonmasher! I'm glad to know it worked for you as well

mbemboom · 2013-11-21 19:36:34

As discussed here I've been having some issues getting this working right for me and I'm not sure what exactly is wrong. By following the instructions here I have been able to get it working great in Linux Mint 15 KDE. I have tried several different times in Crunchbang but am running into the same issue every time which is this error:

Just now I did a

sudo apt-get purge pipelight

and then followed your instructions exactly. I am still getting the error in the image.
I am open to any and all suggestions.

buttonmasher · 2013-11-21 21:03:15

Maybe it's the browser you're using? Try a fresh install of Firefox/Chrome without any addons and give it another shot? I'm just tossing ideas around, man. I'm sure thredith will pop in sooner or later and help you out.

mbemboom · 2013-11-21 23:13:57

I just tried Firefox and get the same error with the UA spoofer installed and Firefox 24/Windows selected

bhosshunt · 2013-12-31 04:27:47

Thanks for these instructions, very helpful.

tty-tourist · 2014-01-18 17:59:12

thredith wrote:

wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/DarkPlayer:/Pipelight/Debian_7.0/Release.key

This address seems to no longer exist. Browsed my way to this but that does seem very useful. Any idea where else I can find the key?

EDIT: works now. Guess the site was down yesterday ...

Last edited by tty-tourist (2014-01-19 20:33:41)

vic · 2014-01-19 10:44:59

Did not work out with Iceweasel. Installed Chromium and it works, thanks a {)

sleepyguy · 2014-01-20 01:57:48

wicked! got this working perfectly fine! Only issue i can see is there is some tearing on fast moving scenes... not sure if it's the display driver or some setting I'm missing. I tried on the same laptop (dual boot Win7-64) and netflix runs those same scenes perfectly.

Hmmm... still awesome though! Tks!

Grumpy · 2014-01-20 21:37:28

Worked just fine on #! 64 Lenovo. Thanks for taking the time. Cheers.

ElderV.LaCoste · 2014-01-21 23:18:49

Thanks for posting this. It works perfectly. Has anyone been able to get it to stream to Chromecast?

zazen23 · 2014-01-30 04:42:32

Works for me in the latest Mozilla Firefox 26.0! Tested the plugin at Bubblemark.com .

Grumpy · 2014-02-01 23:52:11

And works just fine on old Dell 32bit Inspiron. Cheers.

reundo · 2014-02-06 14:34:25

Just got it working on my 64bit install. Thanks!

bootlinux · 2014-02-12 21:35:41

I just installed Crunchbang on a second laptop today and setup Netflix per the instructions and all went well, except....
The User Agent Override now lists Windows / Firefox 26 which does not seem to work with Iceweasel 20.

The last time I installed Crunchbang and setup the system to run Netflix the User Agent Override showed Windows / Firefox 24 which did work.

I got this one to work by adding the following line to User Agent Override list:
Windows / Firefox 24: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/24.0

Then closed Iceweasel, opened Iceweasel and now Netflix works just fine when I select the Windows / Firefox 24 entry.

benhee · 2014-03-05 21:40:15

This works great for watching Sky Go in the UK, on 32bit lenovo, in iceweasel.

Thanks thredith

Geeman265 · 2014-03-06 18:21:44

I seem to be going around in circles with this. I've tried following the other guides with no success.

Thought I'd give this one a go. When I get down to installing pipelight, I get the following:

$ sudo apt-get install pipelight
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 pipelight : Depends: pipelight-multi but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

When trying to install the pipelight-multi, I get the "Depends: wine-compholio" issue like the common problem with the other threads.

What am I doing wrong??

cloverskull · 2014-04-08 13:30:58

Anyone care to try 64 bit / no user agent switching / new sexy features edition? http://www.webupd8.org/2014/04/pipeligh … -with.html

ntovik · 2014-07-09 16:46:31

Do I need to use the Crunchbag distribution, or will this solution work on any Linux distribution like Ubuntu 14.04 (Thrusty)?

vic · 2014-07-09 19:38:52

@ntovik, just google ubuntu netflix, lot of stuff about it.

XLII · 2014-08-04 20:21:29

Hey thanks, works like a charm!

Btw, if you get DRM errors (such as N8156-6003, N8156-6013, N8156-6023) this worked for me.

nomad · 2014-08-20 01:59:17

Gah Damn. I love results.

Joe90 · 2014-08-21 18:16:08

Any advice on getting this to work with BT Sport, just get offered the Install Silverlight button. This in Chromium. ??

CrunchBang Linux

SEARCH

#1 2013-11-11 03:21:11

Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#2 2013-11-19 22:42:42

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#3 2013-11-20 17:46:29

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#4 2013-11-21 01:34:59

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#5 2013-11-21 19:36:34

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#6 2013-11-21 21:03:15

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#7 2013-11-21 23:13:57

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#8 2013-12-31 04:27:47

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#9 2014-01-18 17:59:12

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#10 2014-01-19 10:44:59

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#11 2014-01-20 01:57:48

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#12 2014-01-20 21:37:28

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#13 2014-01-21 23:18:49

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#14 2014-01-30 04:42:32

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#15 2014-02-01 23:52:11

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#16 2014-02-06 14:34:25

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#17 2014-02-12 21:35:41

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#18 2014-03-05 21:40:15

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#19 2014-03-06 18:21:44

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#20 2014-04-08 13:30:58

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#21 2014-07-09 16:46:31

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#22 2014-07-09 19:38:52

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#23 2014-08-04 20:21:29

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#24 2014-08-20 01:59:17

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

#25 2014-08-21 18:16:08

Re: Enjoy Netflix in #! natively

Board footer