NetFlix is 'problematic' in newest versions of Iron...

[Mike_Walsh]

Afternoon, all.

Up until Iron 69, getting NetFlix to run under Iron in Linux was easy. The WideVine modules just sat inside the main browser directory, and the browser picked them up from there. The Puppy Linux packages I build from the tarball for the 'Puppy' community (both architectures) were super easy to get running properly.

From v70 onwards, things have taken a downhill turn. I suspect internal coding changes over at the Chromium Projects, but of course, I can't prove it.

Trying to build the packages in the same way as previously now results in NetFlix complaining about 'missing components', and insisting I go to 'chrome://components' and 'update' WideVine from there. Only when you do go to 'chrome://components', there's no sign of it.....and nothing I can do will persuade it to appear..! I've even taken onboard a suggestion from a Google Product Forum thread, and duplicated the WideVine modules in /.local/lib within the user's 'home' directory..... Still no joy.

I don't know whether Chromium is now using the same 'proprietary' coding as Chrome, but if they are, then it rather looks like they've 'dropped the ball' and forgotten to pass that information along to developers.

Does anybody have any ideas on this one? Has anybody managed to get NetFlix to behave itself from Iron 70 onwards? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.


Mike.

[Mike_Walsh]

*** BUMP ***

[kadu]

same issue here

Neflix is not working even when i copy mentioned file from Google-Chrome Version 77.0.3865.90 (Official Build) (64-bit)
cp -p /opt/google/chrome/libwidevinecdm.so /usr/share/iron

anyone with same experience on Linux?

[ddv]

Hi

I have the same problem with libwidevinecdm.so I have tried copying it to my Iron folder (/usr/share/iron), and I cannot get it to work. It will not show in chrome://components/ I have tried with both a version copied from a Chrome install and the one from Slack. Is there something I should do to make Iron register the libwidevinecdm.so?

Hope some one can help with this
Ps I am Linux Mint if that helps with problem solution?

[Mike_Walsh]

@ddv:-

The sad fact of the matter is that the Iron team don't give a rat's ass about this issue because it's of no consequence to them. Simple as that.

For a lot of people, however, this is enough of a deal-breaker that SRWare will find take-up of the browser slowing down eventually, if they can't be bothered to come up with some positive suggestions.....

(And the stupid thing is that it worked perfectly up to and including Iron 69. It's only from 70 onwards that the issue has reared its head.....) I believe the Iron team have removed the Encrypted Media Extension, which is needed for the WideVine stuff to be able to do its thing, but, of course, once again I can't prove it.


Mike.

[Mike_Walsh]

I need to update this, and at the same time give the Iron team a well-deserved apology!

Much of my annoyance in the above posts stemmed from my not understanding how the Chromium Project (aka Google's 'Chrome' R & D dept) had re-jigged the Widevine stuff to work in more recent versions. Once I'd figured it out, everything fell into place.....and NetFlix, Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Video, etc, etc, all behave themselves wonderfully with Iron now.

Instead of the Widevine modules sitting directly inside the main directory, the Chromium code-base has now been re-worked to make use of ALL Widevine components sitting inside their own, separate sub-directory. This is actually better, since it now makes everything far more 'modular', and much easier to work with!

To obtain the most up-to-date version of 32-bit Widevine, I make use of the "updater" scripts that Vivaldi have supplied with their browser. (This also gives me the up-to-date version of libffmpeg, too.....without which, everything tends to go haywire!) For 64-bit Iron, I just 'borrow' Widevine directly from Chrome itself.

So; heart-felt apologies for my rudeness above! (*sorry...*)

It goes without saying that I'm posting from Iron v89 ATM...


Mike.

[Abrax87]

...

Hi,...
Well - everbody has got a weak minute, or two, here and there.

Good to know those streaming platforms seem to run stable by now. Would be strange if not, honestly. The tech behind them should work independendly from any platforms (browsers/players), as long as the usual web protocols/interfaces are supported. The services should be 'unaware' of the backgrounds, as long as apps are using 'modern' features and run on a performant client, shouldn't they?

Can you provide links to those 'updater' scripts of the Vivaldi folks, and to infos about them? In case ppl like to check 'em, and see what had changed in particular?? I would like to.