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How to Install BBC iPlayer Desktop on Ubuntu

16/06/2009 By
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The BBC iPlayer (and for that matter, Channel 4 4oD) now supports Linux. However, before you can download and/ or view DRM video the following prerequisites need fulfilling:

  1. Adobe Flash 10;
  2. Adobe Air 1.5.

The following instructions work with Ubuntu 9.04 – the Jaunty Jackalope – x86-64.

Installing Adobe Flash 10

Following the instructions on Anthony Hildoer‘s Web site is simplicity itself! Simply download his script and execute the following commands in gnome-terminal:

$ chmod +x flash10_en.sh
$ sudo ./flash10_en.sh

Installing Adobe Air 1.5

There isn’t an x86-64 version of Adobe Air so you’ll have to install the 32-bit version and use getlibs to resolve the 32-bit dependencies. Download getlibs from Cappy’s Web site and open getlibs-all.deb with the GDebi Package Installer. Next, download the Adobe Air installer to your desktop and do the following:

$ sudo apt-get install lib32asound2 lib32gcc1 lib32ncurses5 lib32stdc++6 lib32z1 libc6 libc6-i386 lib32nss-mdns
$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs
$ sudo getlibs -l libgnome-keyring.so
$ sudo getlibs -l libgnome-keyring.so.0
$ sudo getlibs -l libgnome-keyring.so.0.1.1
$ cd ~/Desktop
$ sudo chmod +x AdobeAIRInstaller.bin
$ sudo ./AdobeAIRInstaller.bin
$ sudo cp /usr/lib/libadobecertstore.so /usr/lib32

Finally, install the BBC iPlayer Desktop and enjoy your favourite BBC programmes without being connected to the Internet.

Filed Under: Tutorials/ How To Tagged With: , , ,

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  • John

    Hi Martin,

    Trying to follow your BBC iPlayer instructions, I get stuck at the following:

    $ sudo apt-get install getlibs
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information... Done
    E: Couldn't find package getlibs

    I cant seem to add getlibs in package manager. The same happens with lib32asound2 et al. I have the getlibs file on the desktop, and also tried it in Home folder. Running Ubuntu 9.04 and obviously deficient in brain cells. If you have time, could you please offer advice?

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      Hello John,

      Sorry my error. My .bash_history file indicates that I used apt-get but after removing getlibs completely it is clear that I must have downloaded the package first since it’s not available in any repository.

      I’ve updated the post. Please let me know if you it works for you now. Thanks for the feedback

  • John

    Thanks for your reply Martin. I had no trouble installing getlibs-all.deb, but still fail at lib32asound2. In the repositories I can see libasound2 or lib64asound2 but not a 32 bit version. I may be barking up the wrong tree anyway Martin as I now realize that I can’t use iPlayer Desktop as I am in Ireland. All I am trying to do is listen live via the website, but the iPlayer stops after connection, and the play buttons disappear. Ah well worse things happen at sea, I shall just have to listen through Windows or, god forbid, on a radio!

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      Viewing BBC iPlayer through your Web browser should work as soon as you’ve installed Adobe Flash. Did you use Anthony Hildoer’s script? The problem with lib32asound2 is a little harder to explain since this package is available from the standard x86-64 Ubuntu repository. Are you using a 64-bit architecture?

  • John

    Yes I did use Hildoer’s script, albeit without uninstalling the version I had got a few days ago from Adobe website, as I saw in the script a section that appeared to remove older versions. I might remove and try again. I am afraid a big oops is in order for the 64 bit version! Dual core Intel processor but I must have used a 32 bit installer. How do I tell for sure?

    uname -a reports:

    Linux Fast-Ubuntu 2.6.28-13-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 2 07:57:31 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      Using the following:

      $ uname --all
      Linux mico 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:58:03 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

      Shows the sort of output you get with a 64 bit processor. So it looks like you’re using an optimised 32 bit processor kernel: i686 (Intel Pentium III/ IV and AMD Athlon/ Duron.)

  • http://www.timgoodwin.co.uk Tim Goodwin

    Hi Martin

    Myself and others running AMD processors cannot install any Adobe Air Applications. Segfault with this error:

    /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgvfsdbus.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
    Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgvfsdbus.so
    /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgioremote-volume-monitor.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
    Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgioremote-volume-monitor.so
    /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgiogconf.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
    Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgiogconf.so

    Any ideas?

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      It looks like your system is trying to use a 64 bit library. You need the 32 bit library to get Adobe Air to work. Try the following:

      $ sudo getlibs -l libgvfsdbus.so libgioremote-volume-monitor.so libgiogconf.so

  • Gareth Bradley

    Hi Martin,
    I installed iPlayer from the bbc website. Everytime I started ubuntu it would pop up. So, I went to settings and turned off the Open on Startup type setting.

    Unfortunately, I can no longer find it! The bbc website will not reinstall it either. Does anyone know how to start it from the command line?

    Thanks

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      If BBC iPlayer is installed you won’t get the install option on the iPlayer home page. You should have an icon in your applications menu: Applications > Accessories > BBC iPlayer (and the Adobe Air installer.)

      If not, add to the panel and point to iPlayer:

      '/opt'/'BBC iPlayer Desktop'/bin/'BBC iPlayer Desktop'

  • Gareth Bradley

    Hi,
    Thanks for your help. I had no /opt directory so I must have inadvertently deleted it somehow! I had to reinstall Adobe AIR to get the installation to work on the iPlayer site.

    Thanks again!
    Gaz

  • Hilary

    I cannot execute the flash file when I type $ chmod +x flash10_en.sh and $ sudo ./flash10_en.sh. It said chmod: cannot access `flash10_en.sh’: No such file or directory.

    I have saved the file on desktop. Can you please help and tell me why? Thank you!

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      You need to execute the command from the desktop:

      $ cd ~/Desktop<tab>

  • Hilary

    Thank you!

    I think there must be sth wrong with my wrong set up. My iPlayer always display no programme available.

    Can you tell me how to remove the installed iPlayer please? Thank you!

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      Are you sure it’s not working? You’ll need to download programmes first before they show in iPlayer Desktop. Click the Get more programmes link and the BBC iPlayer Home page will load in your Web browser. Now choose a programme and when the CLICK TO PLAY page (Flash Player) is displayed click on the Download link at the bottom right of the video. As soon as you click on the link you’ll see the programme in iPlayer Desktop.

      If you want to remove iPlayer Desktop go to Applications > Accessories > Adobe AIR Uninstaller.

  • Hilary

    Aha! Sorry, I have been thick! It’s working now. :)

    Thank you so much!!!

  • Padi Phillips

    Having some problems with this, (i.e. it is as clear as mud). When something is described as ‘simple’ it should mean just that, but nothing I’ve found here is that simple. I’m aware that I’m probably missing something, but generally I find that ‘geeks’ tend to confuse nere mortals by assuming that everyone is as au fait as they are with the processes of running scripts, installing things through sudo etc. I am not stupid, but it has struck me that sometimes steps are missed out that whilst would not faze an experienced user, would totally flummox a newbie in that an ‘obvious’ step has been missed out.

    Maybe repetition is tedious to those in the know, but my experience as a language tutor has taught me that repetition is vital to the human learning process, and that going over old ground is vital. I believe that tutorials should be ‘self-contained’ so that they are in effect stand alone so that the user does not have to constantly refer to different pages or websites – something that has always been a bane of my life right from when I started to use computers some 20 years ago.

    My particular problem is that I’m finding it ridiculously hard to install BBC iPlayer on my Jaunty machine,and when I found your website I was relieved, however shortlived that proved to be.

    I am a relative ‘newbie’ to Ubuntu, and whilst I’m becoming quite experienced at using sudo, I am still very much in the dark when it comes to scripts. I have downloaded the script, but can’t get it to run. I’m sure that the problem lies with me, as I’m not sure where to save the script to so that sudo knows where to find it and do its stuff.

    I’d be grateful for any help, despite the fact that it’s probably a bit of a pain for you, (and quite possibly now difficult to get into the mind set of being a newbie who is a little confused). Computers are not second nature to most people, which is why so many remain with Windows, it’s ease of use has much to commend it even if the ethical considerations leave something to be desired.

    Thanks in anticipation.

    • http://martinwebster.eu Martin Webster

      Thanks for the rant. If you wanted help you only had to ask… like everyone else.

      BTW, this isn’t a tutorial. It’s an aide-mémoire.

      I’m guessing that reading Hilary’s first post and my reply may help you get the script to run. In this respect Linux is no different from Windows; the script needs to be in the current path to execute, e.g. ~/Desktop.

  • Mike F

    Thanks for posting this info.

    After following the instructions above I still couldn’t get iplayer working (I’d go the BBC website and click “Install iplayer”, a window would open and then nothing would happen).

    After a bit of experimenting (and it could be something else I did!) I installed “get-iplayer” through Synaptic. Hey presto – the install link on the BBC website worked and iplayer installed on my desktop (using Ubuntu 9.10 64 bit).

    Hope this is helpful to someone else.

    Regards,

    MikeF.

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