In today's open source roundup: Soon you'll be able to enjoy Netflix without hacks of any kind. Plus: A writer at The Verge loves Linux but doesn't use it, and five reasons why government organizations should embrace open source Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services ever, but it’s always been a headache for Linux users to enjoy it on their computers. Watching Netflix has always required a variety of hacks to get it working properly. Now it looks like those days are over, according to a senior Netflix engineer. According to Ubuntu Mailing List: Netflix will play with Chrome stable in 14.02 if NSS version 3.16.2 or greater is installed. If this version is generally installed across 14.02, Netflix would be able to make a change so users would no longer have to hack their User-Agent to play. What is the process of getting a new NSS version into the update stream? Or can somebody please provide me with the right contact? Thanks! -Paul from Netflix More at Ubuntu Mailing ListHat tip: TechCrunch See also: The VergeEngadget This is great news for Netflix customers that use Linux, and it’s long overdue. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be a few weeks at the soonest before Linux users will be able to take advantage of this change. If you want to watch Netflix on Linux in the meantime, here are some articles with information on how to do it: How to watch Netflix (Watch Instantly) in Linux How To Easily Enable Silverlight, And Watch Netflix, on Linux How to Install the Netflix Streaming Client On Linux A writer at The Verge loves Linux The Verge has a love letter to Linux from a writer that doesn’t even use it. According to The Verge: Linux is doing just fine right now, and it’s not going anywhere. The idea that just five people in the world use it — a notion that holds some pretty unfortunate sway — is patently false. Nevermind that it basically won mobile… globally. Technically. So I want fawning coverage of the next kernel release. We should have lengthy Voxsplainers on why Tux is the Linux mascot. And we really need more love from mainstream developers, because Netflix is just a start and emulators aren’t enough. Linux matters. Period. More at The Verge It’s great to see such positive comments from a writer even if he doesn’t use Linux as his daily operating system. He sees the value of Linux, and he’s very glad that it’s around. Given the negative portrayal of desktop Linux in the media sometimes, it was very refreshing to bump into this column on The Verge. You can also take a poll about which Linux distro you use at the bottom of the article. I voted for Debian, but it looks like Ubuntu is way ahead of everything else, with more than 50% of the vote as I write this. Five reasons why government organizations should embrace open source Government Executive lists five important reasons why governments should incorporate open source software into their technology infrastructures. According to Government Executive: The notion of “open source” predates software and the Internet by centuries, yet many of today’s largest government IT shops are still reluctant to turn to open alternatives from proprietary software, even in the face of shrinking budgets, overworked staff and heightened citizen expectations. Here are five reasons why your organization should embrace open innovation as part of its technology strategy: 1. Price Point 2 Flexibility 3. Ubiquity 4. Support 5. Engagement More at Government Executive Hopefully this article will encourage some managers in government to give open source software a shot in their departments. The advantages of open source are so compelling that you’d think it would be obvious, but there are still plenty of folks out there who don’t understand that. So articles like these are a helpful way to give them a gentle nudge in the direction of open source. Here are a few other articles that encourage the use of open source software: Benefits of Using Open Source Software 4 reasons companies say yes to open source 10 Reasons Open Source Is Good for Business What’s your take on all this? Tell me in the comments below. The opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views of ITworld. Software DevelopmentOpen Source