5 ms·

Yet, in order to watch Netflix on FreeBSD, you have to jump through such hoops as "downloading either google chrome, vivaldi, or brave, and [using] a small shel

by kleiba 4y ago

Yet, in order to watch Netflix on FreeBSD, you have to jump through such hoops as "downloading either google chrome, vivaldi, or brave, and [using] a small shell script which basically creates a small jail for some ubuntu binaries that actually install widevine which is essential for viewing some DRM content such as Netflix" [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBYor4wL62Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBYor4wL62Q

IntelMiner 4y ago
Devils advocate: The people who work on the server engineering at Netflix don't exactly have much control over copyright holders being lawyer brained man children
alberth 4y ago
> which is essential for viewing some DRM content such as Netflix Are you complaining that Netflix doesn't want people to pirate content, content they might have licensed from 3rd parties which contractually bind them to not let being pirated? This + is the development/resources/cost of serving such few people on FreeBSD even worth it. Note: I'm a huge FreeBSD fan. But consider this totally understandable on Netflix part.
- somehnguy 4y ago
  But it doesn’t prevent it from being pirated at all. You can get any Netflix release you want within minutes of release on any torrent site. Sometimes before the official release even. It just makes normal people jump through hoops to watch the things they are trying to pay for. That’s a DRM issue in general though, I acknowledge this isn’t just a Netflix thing.
  - seanw444 4y ago
    And I will stick to getting it that way for as long as DRM exists on the given platform. I'll still pay for the subscription, but I'm handling the data my way.
    - KronisLV 4y ago
      > I'll still pay for the subscription, but I'm handling the data my way. Huh, that's an interesting take. I feel like something similar might end up being what you need to do with certain video games as well. For example, I bought Grand Theft Auto IV as a boxed copy back when it came out (though most of my games are digital now). The problem is that the game expects Games For Windows Live to be present, which is now deprecated and some folks out there can't even launch the game anymore. It's pretty obvious what one of the solutions here is.
    - webmobdev 4y ago
      Me too. Especially because these same DRM will soon be used to uniquely identify and profile you when these streamers also become an ad platform.
      - judge2020 4y ago
        What does DRM have to do with this? They'll connect what you watch on Peacock with what you watch on Netflix on your computer? Do you have a reference?
        webmobdev 4y ago
        DRM can be used to uniquely identify your device. An example of using DRM for tracking in Android: > When a device uses DRM for the first time, a device provisioning occurs, which means that the device will obtain a unique certificate and it will be stored in the DRM service of the device ... This provisioning profile has a unique ID, and you can obtain it with a simple call. This ID is not only the same on all apps, but also it is the same for all users of the device. So a guest account, for example, will also obtain the same ID, as opposed to the ANDROID_ID. Source: https://beltran.work/blog/2018-03-27-device-unique-id-android/ https://beltran.work/blog/2018-03-27-device-unique-id-androi...
- Thaxll 4y ago
  DRM makes 0 sense since you can get any content using torrents in 2min. It's not protecting anything, as a matter of fact it's just making people download more since it's a painful experience. For example on Windows with Chrome you only get 720p playback for Netflix, complete nonsense.
  - mschuster91 4y ago
    Yeah, but tell that to braindead content license owners.
  - googlryas 4y ago
    Sure, but if there was no drm, there would probably just be a chrome extension you could install and rip/share content more readily than via BitTorrent. I don't like it, but there is some logic to it. For business types, it isn't merely the existence of ripped copies, but the ease of creating and spreading them.
__MatrixMan__ 4y ago
BitTorrent is probably easier. I just wish there was a good way to send money to the artists without also funding DRM enhancements.
- andsoitis 4y ago
  So you want to send money to all the people who worked on the TV Show or the Movie you just downloaded? I don’t think you realize how impractical that is. Take a look at the credits at the end of a movie some time. Or look up the list of people who worked on a particular episode of a show (yes, it can vary throughout a season).
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - andrewxdiamond 4y ago
    Certainly impractical for big budget shows, but Patreon has proved the model works
  - __MatrixMan__ 4y ago
    It wouldn't be impractical if the studio planned ahead for it. There could be a the address of a smart contact at the end of the credits. Every time more than, say $1000, piles up in that address, whatever is there gets dispensed to the contributors at the end of that month. Plex could aggregate those addresses and tell you how to allocate your payment based on how you allocated your attention. Yes I know that's what Netflix does, but I control my Plex server. Nobody is then going to find additional ways to monetize that data. I know it's unconventional, but I really don't think it's crazy to want to reward the creators of content that you consume while simultaneously not wanting to contribute towards the development of ecosystems that prevent people from being in control of their tech.
    - reaperducer 4y ago
      It wouldn't be impractical if the studio planned ahead for it. Studios already plan for this. For a short time in the 80's, one of my mother's job responsibilities was making sure every single person involved in the production of a movie in the 1940's got their revenue check each quarter, whether it was for $50.00, or 12¢. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of checks.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
SpaceInvader 4y ago
FreeBSD is not a "desktop first" system and has strengths elsewhere. I use it for 20+ years constantly. Sadly my experiments with FreeBSD desktop ended years ago as there always was something "not working".
- asveikau 4y ago
  Typing this on a FreeBSD laptop. Haven't tried using netflix on it though.
  - Ar-Curunir 4y ago
    I don't think it needs to be said that while FreeBSD can serve as a daily driver for some people, it is insufficient for the vast majority of computer users in the world
    - asveikau 4y ago
      Ok then, you didn't need to say it.
pjmlp 4y ago
UNIX's strength was never in the desktop experience, rather server room.
- akreal 4y ago
  Not true for macOS.
  - pjmlp 4y ago
    You mean NeXTSTEP, all that makes it unique isn't part of POSIX, and Steve Jobs had a quite clear position on UNIX value for desktop computing.
  - thebitstick 4y ago
    macOS is not a UNIX-based operating system. It used to be marketed as "UNIX" but only because it met the Open Group's POSIX standards.
    - yehaaa 4y ago
      Not only does macOS comply to the POSIX standard, it also is a fully certified UNIX system. https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm
- nix23 4y ago
  That's just not true, it's not just apple but also SGI, maybe not directly desktop but workstation for sure.
jbirer 4y ago
That is the problem with the BSD license, it says "use my work and don't give anything back". Of course, GPL gets violated too, but would be very difficult by an American company like Netflix.
- nix23 4y ago
  Since Netflix is NOT deploying it's code/Devices to users it would be exactly the same with a GPL. >it says "use my work and don't give anything back". That's not written. But compared to GPL you just could read the whole BSD-2 license in 1 minute.

by kleiba 4y ago

IntelMiner 4y ago

Devils advocate: The people who work on the server engineering at Netflix don't exactly have much control over copyright holders being lawyer brained man children

alberth 4y ago

> which is essential for viewing some DRM content such as Netflix Are you complaining that Netflix doesn't want people to pirate content, content they might have licensed from 3rd parties which contractually bind them to not let being pirated? This + is the development/resources/cost of serving such few people on FreeBSD even worth it. Note: I'm a huge FreeBSD fan. But consider this totally understandable on Netflix part.

somehnguy 4y ago
But it doesn’t prevent it from being pirated at all. You can get any Netflix release you want within minutes of release on any torrent site. Sometimes before the official release even. It just makes normal people jump through hoops to watch the things they are trying to pay for. That’s a DRM issue in general though, I acknowledge this isn’t just a Netflix thing.
- seanw444 4y ago
  And I will stick to getting it that way for as long as DRM exists on the given platform. I'll still pay for the subscription, but I'm handling the data my way.
  - KronisLV 4y ago
    > I'll still pay for the subscription, but I'm handling the data my way. Huh, that's an interesting take. I feel like something similar might end up being what you need to do with certain video games as well. For example, I bought Grand Theft Auto IV as a boxed copy back when it came out (though most of my games are digital now). The problem is that the game expects Games For Windows Live to be present, which is now deprecated and some folks out there can't even launch the game anymore. It's pretty obvious what one of the solutions here is.
  - webmobdev 4y ago
    Me too. Especially because these same DRM will soon be used to uniquely identify and profile you when these streamers also become an ad platform.
    - judge2020 4y ago
      What does DRM have to do with this? They'll connect what you watch on Peacock with what you watch on Netflix on your computer? Do you have a reference?
      - webmobdev 4y ago
        DRM can be used to uniquely identify your device. An example of using DRM for tracking in Android: > When a device uses DRM for the first time, a device provisioning occurs, which means that the device will obtain a unique certificate and it will be stored in the DRM service of the device ... This provisioning profile has a unique ID, and you can obtain it with a simple call. This ID is not only the same on all apps, but also it is the same for all users of the device. So a guest account, for example, will also obtain the same ID, as opposed to the ANDROID_ID. Source: https://beltran.work/blog/2018-03-27-device-unique-id-android/ https://beltran.work/blog/2018-03-27-device-unique-id-androi...
Thaxll 4y ago
DRM makes 0 sense since you can get any content using torrents in 2min. It's not protecting anything, as a matter of fact it's just making people download more since it's a painful experience. For example on Windows with Chrome you only get 720p playback for Netflix, complete nonsense.
- mschuster91 4y ago
  Yeah, but tell that to braindead content license owners.
- googlryas 4y ago
  Sure, but if there was no drm, there would probably just be a chrome extension you could install and rip/share content more readily than via BitTorrent. I don't like it, but there is some logic to it. For business types, it isn't merely the existence of ripped copies, but the ease of creating and spreading them.

__MatrixMan__ 4y ago

BitTorrent is probably easier. I just wish there was a good way to send money to the artists without also funding DRM enhancements.

andsoitis 4y ago
So you want to send money to all the people who worked on the TV Show or the Movie you just downloaded? I don’t think you realize how impractical that is. Take a look at the credits at the end of a movie some time. Or look up the list of people who worked on a particular episode of a show (yes, it can vary throughout a season).
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- andrewxdiamond 4y ago
  Certainly impractical for big budget shows, but Patreon has proved the model works
- __MatrixMan__ 4y ago
  It wouldn't be impractical if the studio planned ahead for it. There could be a the address of a smart contact at the end of the credits. Every time more than, say $1000, piles up in that address, whatever is there gets dispensed to the contributors at the end of that month. Plex could aggregate those addresses and tell you how to allocate your payment based on how you allocated your attention. Yes I know that's what Netflix does, but I control my Plex server. Nobody is then going to find additional ways to monetize that data. I know it's unconventional, but I really don't think it's crazy to want to reward the creators of content that you consume while simultaneously not wanting to contribute towards the development of ecosystems that prevent people from being in control of their tech.
  - reaperducer 4y ago
    It wouldn't be impractical if the studio planned ahead for it. Studios already plan for this. For a short time in the 80's, one of my mother's job responsibilities was making sure every single person involved in the production of a movie in the 1940's got their revenue check each quarter, whether it was for $50.00, or 12¢. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of checks.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

SpaceInvader 4y ago

FreeBSD is not a "desktop first" system and has strengths elsewhere. I use it for 20+ years constantly. Sadly my experiments with FreeBSD desktop ended years ago as there always was something "not working".

asveikau 4y ago
Typing this on a FreeBSD laptop. Haven't tried using netflix on it though.
- Ar-Curunir 4y ago
  I don't think it needs to be said that while FreeBSD can serve as a daily driver for some people, it is insufficient for the vast majority of computer users in the world
  - asveikau 4y ago
    Ok then, you didn't need to say it.

pjmlp 4y ago

UNIX's strength was never in the desktop experience, rather server room.

akreal 4y ago
Not true for macOS.
- pjmlp 4y ago
  You mean NeXTSTEP, all that makes it unique isn't part of POSIX, and Steve Jobs had a quite clear position on UNIX value for desktop computing.
- thebitstick 4y ago
  macOS is not a UNIX-based operating system. It used to be marketed as "UNIX" but only because it met the Open Group's POSIX standards.
  - yehaaa 4y ago
    Not only does macOS comply to the POSIX standard, it also is a fully certified UNIX system. https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3683.htm
nix23 4y ago
That's just not true, it's not just apple but also SGI, maybe not directly desktop but workstation for sure.

jbirer 4y ago

That is the problem with the BSD license, it says "use my work and don't give anything back". Of course, GPL gets violated too, but would be very difficult by an American company like Netflix.

nix23 4y ago
Since Netflix is NOT deploying it's code/Devices to users it would be exactly the same with a GPL. >it says "use my work and don't give anything back". That's not written. But compared to GPL you just could read the whole BSD-2 license in 1 minute.