How to Watch Netflix Instant Movies Using Linux

One of the best parts of Netflix is the unlimited online streaming that comes with most of their plans. Unfortunately, Netflix uses Microsoft's very closed, very proprietary Silverlight technology to display video on your PC, which is why it only works on Windows machines. Though there is a project that hopes to make Silverlight usable on Linux (Moonlight), they have not been able to make Netflix work to date. Luckily, if you are not willing to wait for Moonlight to catch up to Netflix, there is another way to watch Netflix streaming on your Linux PC.

Things You'll Need

• VMware Workstation
• Windows install disc
• Netflix membership

Instructions

1. Download VMware Workstation. Though the software is not free, there is a 30-day trial. Workstation is visualization software, which allows you to run one operating system within another. In this case, we will be running Windows (anything XP or newer will be fine) inside a Linux operating system.

2. Install Workstation. It is probably a good idea to accept all defaults, as there is no real advantage to reconfiguring the program during the installation. When the installation is complete, familiarize yourself with the software and explore some of the features; check some of the online tutorials for more information regarding how the software works and for a deeper understanding of what virtualization is.

3. Insert your Windows installation disc. Open VMware and follow the instructions on screen to install Windows. Once the installation is complete, you will be able to run Windows inside of Linux, using virtualization technology.

4. Navigate to Netflix.com and select a video you would like to watch instantly. You should be prompted to download Silverlight and, once you do so, you should be able to watch Netflix's streaming movies on your Linux PC.

Tips & Warnings

• As Moonlight matures, it might be able to handle Netflix's streaming content, so, in time, there might be no need to virtualize Windows on your Linux system. Be sure to check the Moonlight project every month or so.

• Running Windows through virtualization does not change Windows in any way, meaning that any problems, especially security holes, in Windows will not be fixed by VMware.

• Depending on copyright laws in your area, using a non-genuine copy of Windows might make you liable to legal action. It is recommended that you purchase a legal licensed copy of Windows.

References

• VMware Workstation
• Netflix on Linux
• Moonlight

Resources

• A Listing of Popular Linux Distros