[SteamOS] Watching Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and other websites on SteamOS

Watching Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and more via Google Chrome is now possible (well it was, but I needed just a little bit of help to complete this script). Support for custom URLs and images is now added.

Please submit any questions, comments, or pull requests to GitHub.

-PK

Overview

Be advised this is a work in progress. Netflix will launch via `google-chrome-stable` and connect to netflix in `--kiosk` mode. A default users config directory for Google chrome is copied over if it does not exist. For now, you must use the center Xbox 360 controller / PS3 controller to exit if using a gamepad. Other wise, CTRL+W or CTRL+SHIFT+W will cleanly close the tab(s).

Pre-requisites

• Some Linux knowledge
  
• Access to desktop mode of SteamOS (Settings > Interface)
  
• Password for the `desktop` user session (Fire up a terminal window and enter `passwd` to gain access to sudo).

How to install

sudo apt-get install git
git clone https://github.com/ProfessorKaos64/SteamOS-Tools
cd SteamOS-Tools
./desktop-software.sh install webapp

How it works

The script, on initial launch, the script will display relevant warnings and also ask you to add the Debian repository(s) if not detected first. You will need these added for installing Google chrome, so please add them if advised to do so.

You will be allowed to select a few "preset" web urls for the web app. You can choose custom to enter your own. You will also be asked if you want to enable "kiosk mode" or not. This determines if there are any window borders in the web app. The default, or an invalid selection, keeps kiosk mode enabled. Recently added, was mouse / keyboard emulation for web apps. Please see the Web-Apps wiki page[github.com].

Pre-set web apps with images included:

• Chrome Extensions
  
• Hulu
  
• Netflix
  
• SoundCloud
  
• Twitch
  
• Youtube
  
• YoutubeTV
  
• Custom URL

Available gamepads pre-set for mouse emulation:

• Xbox 360 (wired)"
  
• Xbox 360 (wireless)"
  
• PS3 Sixaxis (wired)"
  
• PS3 Sixaxis (bluetooth)"

Controls

The gamepad section below assumes you have enabled mouse control for the web app in question for supported gamepads listed during the script.

Gamepad

• Left Joystick (Up/Down/Left/Right) - Move mouse cursor
  
• Right Joystick (Up/Down/Left/Right) - Scroll wheel
  
• A/LB - Mouse left button
  
• B/RB - Mouse right button
  
• X/square - Spacebar (useful for pausing videos)
  
• Y/triange - Esc (useful for exiting fullscreen video)
  
• Dpad (left/right/) - backward or forward page navigation.
  
• Dpad (left/right/up/down) - Digital movement in Youtube Leanback mode
  
• Back button - Exit web app
  
• LT/L2 -Zoom out
  
• RT/R2 - Zoom in
  
• R3/Right stick click - Reset zoom position to default.

Keyoard

• `CTRL+W` will close the current tab (recommended).
  
• `CTRL+SHIFT+W` will close the current window.

Adding the web app launcher to SteamOS

Return to Steam Big Picture Mode and click on your library. Choose the "+" sign and "Add non-Steam game to my library." Locate the web app you just added and hit ok/A on your controller.

Helpful Hints

Below are just some helpful hints that may be of use to you. If you wish to add anything here, please message me or submit a GitHub issues ticket.

Devices

"Air Mice"

One nice device to have is some sort of "Air Mouse" like this device[www.amazon.com] on Amazon. I personally have this device and can attest it works great on SteamOS / Plex / Kodi, as well as general purpose tasks.

Otherwise, some pre-set gamepad selections for mouse / keyboard emulation are set in-script.

Other documentation and notes

• Please refer the the GitHub readme file for this resource[github.com]

Summary

If you have any questions, comments, or criticisms, please submit an issues ticket on GitHub:

https://github.com/ProfessorKaos64/SteamOS-Tools/issues

Note!
Please, do yourself a favor and read the disclaimer file, and readme docs under the docs/ folder in main git folder**

Thanks
Thanks to Dubigrasu, Shark, and Ryochan7 on Steam for their help getting this to work in Big Picture Mode!

See also

Other resources to check out:

• launching programs in new Xsessions from Steam bpm

[ProfessorKaos64]

@alexofaao2000, please submit an issues tick with detailed information to:
https://github.com/ProfessorKaos64/SteamOS-Tools/issues

[LongJawnSilver]

Ok so I followed your guide here, and it worked to get the icons to appear in bpm, but when I click on one it just loads to a black screen nothing more . I have tried my wired Xbox 360 controller and mouse and keyboard still just a black screen. When I switch to desktop mode however I can click on the apps and they load into a windowed mode fine no issue. I checked your github page to see if maybe someone else came across this issue, but sadly I found nothing.

Any idea on what I might have done wrong?

I'm just toying around with steamos for fun and wanted to see if I can replace my Xbox 360 with it if I get these apps to work right.

[ProfessorKaos64]

Yea, just gotta find a way to swap that in/out. Maybe look at that this week. If you do find it before me and wish to submit a PR, that is more than welcome.

[dubigrasu]

"until I can figure out some gamepad input to control the arrow keys"

I use xboxdrv for this: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/620695877275390493/#c620695877375230412
But I would likely recommend Antimicro (the very next post by Ryochan7.