Chrome won't install on BionicDog64 <Solved>

[dcung]

Hi,

I have been using BionicDog64 mainly for video/live tv streaming. It has been wonderful.
Last week or so, Netflix stopped working on all 3 of my Dell D630. Other sites are fine.
I did a little googling and found Netflix and Firefox on linux have been problematic for some people out there. Don't know how it had been working for me all this time.

Anyway, I thought to just use Chrome instead for quicker solution. But after installing, Chrome does not run. It appears on the menu, that is, icon is there (Network/Google Chrome), but when clicked, nothing happen.

After doing apt-get update, I installed thru Package Manager and also by downloading .deb file. Both methods didn't work.

Anyone knows what I did wrong please?
Thank you.

[fredx181]

Hi dcung,

By default google-chrome won't run as root but to workaround that you can run with the --no-sandbox option

Code: Select all

google-chrome-stable --no-sandbox

For to run from Menu change in /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop the Exec= line to

Code: Select all

Exec=/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable --no-sandbox %U

Btw, you apparently managed to install google-chrome-stable, but just for info for others, the trusted key needs to be renewed on Bionicdog (error when running apt update), run:

Code: Select all

wget -q -O - https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add -
apt update
apt install google-chrome-stable

EDIT: If you don't want to run with the --no-sandbox option, you can also run as normal user "puppy", create script of below, make executable and run it:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

xhost +local:puppy

su puppy -c "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable "$@" --user-data-dir=/home/puppy/chrome/user --disk-cache-dir=/home/puppy/chrome/cache --disk-cache-size=10000000 --media-cache-size=10000000"

Fred

[dcung]

Thank you Fred.
That resolved my Chrome installation issue. Chrome is running now.

It turns out my Netflix issue still need further looking into. With Chrome, it 'improves a tiny bit'...
It runs intermittently, mostly sitting at 'resolving host' and most times timeout with 'unresolved name'.
So, it's 'better' than Firefox but not really usable.

A little puzzling for me. These are what I know, experimenting on the laptop:
1. Multiboot to Windows 10. Netflix ok - with both Firefox or Chrome, or even IE.
2. Multiboot to XenialPup64. Netflix ok - with Palemoon. (Note - only to Netflix page test. * See Mike's post below))
3. Multiboot to BionicDog64. Netflix - not working with Firefox, intermittent with Chrome.

But the same laptop is getting DHCP settings from same source - my TP-Link.
And why only Netflix, other sites are fine? I've tried DRM check or unchecked, though probably not relevant, since it looks like DNS issue.

Arrrgghh. It just so happens, BionicDog64 is the one that I am most happy with multi-monitor/TV setup.

[mikewalsh]

2. Multiboot to XenialPup64. Netflix ok - with Palemoon.

I hate to burst your bubble, but that is physically, and code-wise, impossible. Palemoon does not now, and never will, support DRM. Not while humans are born with a hole in their nether regions.

This is what I myself was told in no uncertain terms, over on the Palemoon forum:-

https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=22952

Tobin don't mince his words, and he's the chief guy that builds 'em over there. He's UXP all the way, and hates DRM with a passion. And without DRM, NetFlix is a non-starter; oh, sure, you can get the title pages up, but as for actually playing anything.....nope.

Forget it. Actually, some of it might be down to your location; NetFlix are quite "funny" about supporting streaming to certain geographical areas. And they won't say why, either.

(*shrug*)


Mike.

[dcung]

2. Multiboot to XenialPup64. Netflix ok - with Palemoon.

I hate to burst your bubble, but that is physically, and code-wise, impossible. Palemoon does not now, and never will, support DRM. Not while humans are born with a hole in their nether regions.
...
NetFlix is a non-starter; oh, sure, you can get the title pages up, but as for actually playing anything.....nope.

Forget it. Actually, some of it might be down to your location; NetFlix are quite "funny" about supporting streaming to certain geographical areas. And they won't say why, either.

(*shrug*)

Mike.

Thanks for the info Mike, you saved me sometime not to even bother with Palemoon further. I was actually thinking of installing Palemoon on BionicDog.
When I wrote "2. Multiboot to XenialPup64. Netflix ok - with Palemoon.", I only "test" that I could get to the Netflix page, not actually playing video. Something that I could not get to using BionicDog64/Firefox (not anymore anyway). I didn't test further since I had no intention to use XenialPup64, only to assist me with some troubleshooting. (Note - I edited post above for clarification).

As for my geo location, probably not the reason either, but who knows. I can definitely use Windows 10 (to play Netflix video) and also have android TV that is still playing Netflix video now.

[mikewalsh]

@dcung :-

If you're using Xenialpup64 - brilliant, solid, reliable Puppy, and my joint go-to 'daily driver' along with jrb's 'lite' spin on BK's Quirky April 701 - give either my Chrome-portable or Iron-portable packages a look (Iron's a total Chrome 'look-alike', and you'll find it very familiar; works exactly the same).

Chrome-portable thread

Iron-portable thread

They're very easy to use, and will even run from a flash-drive when unpacked. Download 'em, unzip 'em, stick 'em anywhere you want.....preferably outside 'Puppy-space', it goes without saying. Click to enter, click on 'LAUNCH' to, well, launch.

Let me know if they help at all. (As long as you always start with the 'LAUNCH' button, it will always use its own internal profile. Chrome, because it runs as 'spot', saves downloads to the /root/spot or /home/spot directory, and to use them you have to move them out of there and change permissions. Iron, by contrast, runs as normal 'root'.)

I also produce a small utility that moves stuff in and out of the 'spot' directory, along with changing ownership in the process. You can find Spot2Root here:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Help yourself to the one you need. Spot2Root runs from a small icon in the 'tray' area, and brings up a YAD-powered GUI with options. You can Quit from the tray icon by right-clicking it, if you don't want it sitting there permanently (I leave it there all the time). There's a Menu entry in Menu->Filesystem, if you just want to run it manually. There's enable/disable buttons for the auto-start option in /root/Startup, too.

Entirely up to you. And as for PaleMoon, it's well worth having as a secondary, 'standby' browser. I do a portable of that, too..!

(NetFlix issues in Linux are, by & large, a thing of the past. Chrome IS the easiest 'option', certainly, but it'll run reliably in most of the major browsers.....the exception being Opera, whose devs insist on changing the way DRM is accessed with every major release. I liked it last year, but I got tired of fighting the darn thing all the time..!)


Mike.

[dcung]

@mikewalsh

I appreciate you taking the time to write all these pointers.
I love puppy linux (and dogs) ever since I my first encounter in 2018. Actually, it was XenialPup that I first experimented on. Also, love the friendly and helpful community.

At the moment, I just live without Netflix in the bedroom after it stopped a couple weeks ago. As mentioned earlier, I am sticking with BionicDog64 simply because I'm too lazy to experiment again. I connected a Dell D630 and and old Samsung 47" TV. Just to prolong their life. Back then, I could not find other flavour that I was happy with, for the dual monitor support. Just realised, it's been over two years using this setup now.

When I feel like fiddling, I'll experiment again. You'll see me asking questions and assistance soon enough. But for the moment, I just go downstairs to my android TV for Netflix.

Cheers.

[dcung]

Thought I update this thread - rather than create new one.

I installed FossaDog64. I thought if my Netflix problem goes away, FossaDog64 would the closest to BiobicDog64 and probably would have similar multi-monitor support. I haven't tested yet if multi monitor support are similar/same, since it turned out, I'm having exactly same Netflix issue in FossaDog64 as in BionicDog64.

So, I didn't go further. Same using Chrome, slightly 'better' but not usable, hostname resolution (Netflix) takes too long or failed. And, just like in BionicDog64, every other websites are fine.

If it wasn't for covid19, I would have gone to a relative house to test if it is location related. The DNS resolution issue that is (combination Ubuntu/Firefox/Netflix).

I don't know which DNS server it contacted after leaving my house. I tried this idea of using a public DNS server that I got from Google, and it didn't help. Specifically, I tried that in BionicDog64/PeasyWifi/Ethernet, ie. I tried from one of my D630 that's wired. Not sure if I tried it correctly, since my Linux knowledge is limited.

Anyway, something for me to fiddle with, until I find a solution or get another android TV for the bedroom, and retire this old Samsung.

[dcung]

I installed BionicPup64-8.0.
Tried palemoon and it can get to Netflix page, but I didn't test playing video (per mike's info above).
I then install Firefox (using quickpet). Tried Netflix, no issues, works fine. I tried it from Firefox v62 (via quickpet) and auto update up-to v81, Netflix works fine. I played videos too.

But why?

Can anyone confirm that you currently can use BionicDog64/Firefox or FossaDog64/Firefox to watch videos on Netflix please? Especially if you're in AU.
I know I could for 2 years, but why stopped suddenly? TIA.