Cannot authenticate nbcolympics.com (can't stream Olympic coverage)

[Kevin Wortman]

The 2012 Olympics are available to US cable subscribers, meeting particular requirements, at http://www.nbcolympics.com/

The authentication (sign-in) process does not work under Ubuntu. After completing all the sign-in steps, the site redirects you back to the un-authenticated version of the landing with no error message. I tried switching user agents to Win7 and it made no difference.

The process works using Firefox on Windows and Mac. Strangely, it works under Linux Mint out of the box! (Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon 32-bit live USB drive.) So this problem is specific to Ubuntu.

This problem was discussed in this forum thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=12135789

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: firefox 14.0.1+build1-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-27.43-generic 3.2.21
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-27-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu11
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: kevin 3134 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20120713224749
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf6dfc000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9228'
   Components : 'HDA:83847616,10280286,00100402'
   Controls : 21
   Simple ctrls : 13
Channel: Unavailable
Date: Sat Jul 28 12:37:42 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth2 proto static
 169.254.0.0/16 dev eth2 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.1.0/24 dev eth2 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.105 metric 2
PrefSources: prefs.js
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=14.0.1/20120713224749
RelatedPackageVersions:
 rhythmbox-mozilla 2.96-0ubuntu4.1
 totem-mozilla 3.0.1-0ubuntu21
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/15/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A04
dmi.board.name: 0C236D
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA04:bd01/15/2009:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron1318:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0C236D:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 1318
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[E. Lewis (ed-lewis)]

Also effects Fedora 17, Firefox 14. I sent a note of complaint to NBC.
Works fine on iPhone with downloaded app from App Store.

[Eric Fleming (ericcflem)]

I found a solution that worked for me at this link: http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/flash-player-11-problems-playing.html

Basically, first install HAL

sudo apt-get install hal

Then quit your web browser.

Finally, empty out some files from the Flash_Player folder in the hidden adobe folder in your Home folder.

cd ~/.adobe/Flash_Player
rm -rf NativeCache AssetCache APSPrivateData2

My problem had been that I'd click to begin the verification process, only to immediately be returned to the same page, after identifying my cable provider. I'd never even gotten to the point of logging in. This fixed things immediately.

[Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig)]

Given the workaround shown in the referenced thread, it seems likely that it could be Flash rather than firefox that's at issue; although the curiosity of why it apparently works on Mint is odd:

see:
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/flash-player-11-problems-playing.html#id_48891
Step One: Install HAL

sudo apt-get install hal

Step Two: Quit your web browser

Step Three: Clean out the Adobe Flash folder:

cd ~/.adobe/Flash_Player
rm -rf NativeCache AssetCache APSPrivateData2

[Eric Fleming (ericcflem)]

Does Mint include HAL by default? If so, I'd guess that's the answer to why streaming of the Olympics works in Mint and not Ubuntu. The first time the NativeCache, AssetCache and APSPrivateData2 files are spawned in Mint, HAL is already present. In Ubuntu, those files already exist, so need to be deleted, and respawned, after HAL has been installed. My guess is that if you took a fresh Ubuntu installation, then installed HAL before doing anything with Flash, that we'd be able to stream the Olympics without any tweaking being necessary.

[Kevin Wortman (kwortman)]

I followed the instructions in posts #4 and #5 on my Ubuntu install and they worked.

I agree with Eric that the most likely explanation is that for some reason NBC's player requires hal and a Flash cache that was created while hal is running. A fresh Mint install has the property that no .adobe exists and when it is created, hal is running and Flash initializes its cache accordingly.