OS incompatability with web sites?

[ARhere]

Someone please educate my ignorance.

This article on /. (http://news.slashdot.org/news/08/08/25/229210.shtml) talks about how a web site will not play its video if you are not using an approved operating system and browser combo.

The web site supports Firefox, and the video plays well on Firefox under Windows, but not if you are running Firefox on Linux.

My question is, what the hell does the OS have to do with browser software decoding and playing streaming video? What does the web server care what is running underneath the browser software? Do I need to get my tin foil hat???

-AR

[qstraza]

it could be done on purpose with php:p

[klange]

it could be done on purpose with php:p
It can only be done on purpose in situations like this. If it works in Firefox it works in Firefox.
This is also why we have the user agent switcher.

[Joeb454]

Javascript can also check for the OS. The point, I don't know, but it can be checked :)

[qstraza]

Evil bastards ;)

[xravexheavenx]

Lol. I smell AdWare! :P

Only reason I can think of why they would run a JS on a page t only allow WinBlows users.

My guess is there is a FireFox exploit for WinBlows users and they are taking advantage of it.

[Yes]

It needs Silverlight and the Move Network player, I don't believe there's a Linux client for either of them. They just check the OS because they know there aren't clients for Linux.

[ghostandmachine]

I've actually been on an IT job search web site that includes those who are certified in Linux but the site refuses to run in Firefox under linux

[y@w]

You have to keep in mind that Firefox doesn't render some things natively. It has to use third party applications to play videos, etc.. If Mozilla would build all the tools into the browser, besides violating some copyright laws.. we'd all complain about how bloated it had become. At the end of the day, the OS is what handles displaying the video and playing the sounds.. The only valid reason I can see to not allow the page to load certain components is to just not show things that won't work in Linux. The last thing you want to do from a usability perspective is to just let it display but not do anything.

[Orlsend]

Yeah some sites Like Apple and the TOEFL test sites wont work or will keep asking you to switch to aanother OS to View the content

[klange]

It needs Silverlight and the Move Network player, I don't believe there's a Linux client for either of them. They just check the OS because they know there aren't clients for Linux.

You're very much wrong about the first one (we have Moonlight, and despite the controversy, it is there and available and open-source), and I've never heard of the second.

[Yes]

You're very much wrong about the first one (we have Moonlight, and despite the controversy, it is there and available and open-source), and I've never heard of the second.

Oh, has Moonlight been released? I thought it was still in development. I Googled the second one and apparently they're supposed to be releasing a Linux client sometime in Q2 of this year (or has that passed already?).

[Dragonbite]

I would trust Moonlight before I trust Microsoft's Silverlight for Linux.

Not out of any paranoia, but the fact Miguel and team has done a good job with Mono and they "get" Linux while Microsoft is not experienced.

[clinux]

Javascript can also check for the OS. The point, I don't know, but it can be checked :)



<script type="text/javascript">
var info = navigator;
document.write("You are using:" + info.platform);
</script>