How to Install Opera Browser on Ubuntu Linux

Installing Opera browser on Ubuntu gives you a privacy-focused browsing experience with built-in ad blocking, free VPN, and battery-saving features that extend laptop runtime by up to 35% compared to default browsers. Whether you need ad-free browsing without extensions, secure public WiFi connections through Opera’s integrated VPN, or want to manage WhatsApp and Telegram directly in your sidebar, Opera consolidates tools that typically require multiple browser add-ons into a single cohesive interface. Opera is available in stable, beta, and developer channels, allowing you to choose between tested releases or cutting-edge experimental features.

On Ubuntu, you can install Opera using the official Opera APT repository, which provides access to the latest stable, beta, and developer builds with automatic security updates. This method ensures your Opera installation receives the newest features and security patches directly from Opera’s development team. Opera joins other browsers like Google Chrome, Chromium, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave in Ubuntu’s software ecosystem, each offering distinct privacy and performance features.

Choose Your Opera Channel

Opera offers multiple release channels that serve different use cases. Understanding the differences helps you select the channel that matches your stability requirements and feature needs.

Opera Channel	Primary Focus	Best For	Trade-offs
Stable	Production reliability, tested updates	Daily browsing, production work, users who prioritize stability	Updates arrive 4-6 weeks after features debut in Beta
Beta	Testing next release features with community feedback	Early adopters, power users who want new features before general release	Occasional bugs, minor instability possible
Developer	Bleeding-edge experimentation, nightly builds	Developers, testers, enthusiasts willing to troubleshoot issues	Frequent bugs, potential crashes, rapid changes

The Stable channel strikes a balance between reliability and feature currency, making it ideal for daily use. Beta provides access to upcoming features with minimal risk, while Developer delivers the absolute latest changes at the cost of stability. Production environments and mission-critical browsing should favor Stable, while development machines and testing setups can tolerate Developer’s experimental nature.

All three channels coexist independently on the same system without conflicts, allowing you to install multiple versions simultaneously for testing or comparison purposes.

Update Ubuntu System Before Installing Opera

Before installing Opera, ensure your Ubuntu system is current with all available packages. Updating first prevents compatibility issues and reduces potential conflicts during installation.

Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update

After checking for updates, proceed to upgrade any packages that might be outdated:

sudo apt upgrade

Install Required Dependencies

Next, ensure your system has the necessary dependencies for Opera installation:

sudo apt install dirmngr ca-certificates software-properties-common apt-transport-https curl -y

These packages provide essential functionality: dirmngr manages GPG keys, ca-certificates validates SSL connections, software-properties-common handles repository management, apt-transport-https enables secure repository access, and curl downloads files. Most modern Ubuntu installations already include these packages.

Import Opera’s GPG Key

To ensure the authenticity of Opera packages, import the GPG key with the following command:

wget -qO- https://deb.opera.com/archive.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo dd of=/usr/share/keyrings/opera-browser.gpg

This security measure ensures that the software you’re installing is genuine and hasn’t been tampered with.

Add Opera APT Repository

Add the Opera APT repository using the modern DEB822 format:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/
Suites: stable
Components: non-free
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/opera-browser.gpg
EOF

This configuration lets your system recognize and fetch Opera packages directly from the official source, ensuring you receive verified updates and security patches.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is the oldest currently supported release. All current Ubuntu versions (22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and supported interim releases) fully support the modern DEB822 .sources format shown above, which provides better maintainability and cleaner syntax compared to legacy .list files.

Install Opera Stable (Recommended)

First, refresh your APT repository index to reflect the newly added Opera repository:

sudo apt update

Next, install Opera Stable with the following command:

sudo apt install opera-stable

During installation, a prompt asks whether to add Opera’s repository file to “/etc/apt/sources.list.d/” for version upgrades.

Select ‘no’ instead of ‘yes’ since the necessary repository was already imported earlier. Opera uses this standard procedure to match the GPG key with the repository, ensuring software authenticity and integrity.

Note: You will be prompted to do this for each version (Stable, Beta, and Developer), so select no every time.

Once installed, confirm the Opera version:

opera --version

This will also verify the installation was successful.

Install Opera Beta and Developer Builds

Beta and Developer builds deliver Opera’s latest features before they reach the stable channel. These builds target users who want early access to upcoming functionalities and are willing to tolerate occasional instability. Opera’s various builds coexist independently, allowing you to install and use Stable, Beta, and Developer builds concurrently on the same system without conflicts.

Install Opera Beta Build

Install the Beta build with the following command:

sudo apt install opera-beta 

After installation completes, verify the Beta version to confirm successful installation:

opera-beta --version

Install Opera Developer Build

The Developer build provides the absolute latest features and developments from Opera’s team. Install it with the following command:

sudo apt install opera-developer

Similarly, verify the Developer build installation by checking its version:

opera-developer --version

Launch Opera Browser

Terminal Commands for Launching Opera

Launch Opera directly from the terminal using the command that matches your installed version:

opera

For the beta version:

opera-beta

And for the developer version:

opera-developer

For daily use, launching Opera from your desktop environment’s application menu is more convenient than terminal commands.

Accessing Opera from the Desktop

Locate Opera through your desktop environment’s application menu:

Navigate to Applications, use the Search function, and select Opera Stable (or Opera Beta / Opera Developer depending on which version you installed) from the list of applications.

Management Commands for Opera

Update Opera

First, open your terminal and execute the APT update command to scan for available updates:

sudo apt update

Once the update scan completes, upgrade all outdated packages with the following command:

sudo apt upgrade

This command upgrades all outdated packages system-wide. Alternatively, update only the Opera package by running:

sudo apt upgrade opera-stable

Note that if you have installed other versions of Opera, such as Beta or Developer, you can upgrade them by appending “-beta” or “-developer” to the command, respectively.

Remove Opera

Opera APT Remove Commands

Identify the installed Opera version, then run the corresponding removal command:

sudo apt remove opera-stable

sudo apt remove opera-beta

sudo apt remove opera-developer

Remove Opera APT Repository and GPG Key

After removing the Opera package, delete the Opera APT repository from your system. This prevents future reinstallation attempts from using outdated repository configurations:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources

Optionally, delete the GPG key associated with Opera:

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/opera-browser.gpg

Note: This step is optional and depends on your plans for using Opera on your system.

Fix Multiple Opera Repository Entries

Identifying and Resolving Duplicate Repository Entries

If you inadvertently chose “YES” while installing Opera, you might have imported multiple repository sources. This becomes evident when running update commands that display duplicate source warnings. Although these duplicates don’t prevent updates, cleaning them improves system maintenance and reduces terminal clutter.

Clear Opera Duplicate Entries

To rectify this, begin by removing the additional entries, ensuring to retain the original:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera*

Re-Adding Single Opera Repository

Subsequently, re-add the single, authoritative repository:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/
Suites: stable
Components: non-free
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/opera-browser.gpg
EOF

Executing this command re-installs all three versions of the browser: stable, beta, and developer. This step assumes you initially installed all three during the tutorial.

Refresh APT Index Cache

Finally, ensure to update your system to apply the changes:

sudo apt update

Following these steps, you resolve the issue of duplicate sources, leading to a cleaner update process. Moreover, updates for all three Opera versions will be received from a single source list instead of three. In the event of accidental deletion of the original entries, refer back to this tutorial to copy the necessary import directory code.

Prevent Opera Installer from Recreating Repository Files

Opera’s installer may recreate its own repository files even after cleanup. To prevent duplicate repository warnings, create a read-only placeholder file:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera-stable.list
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera-stable.list
sudo chmod 444 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera-stable.list

Consequently, this prevents the installer from writing to the placeholder file while keeping opera.sources as the authoritative source.

Resolving Opera’s Language Switching Issue

Opera’s language detection relies on system locale settings, but the browser sometimes fails to switch languages through its GUI preferences alone. This primarily affects non-English installations where Opera defaults to English despite correct system locale configuration. Many users who prefer languages other than English face difficulties changing the language in Opera because the browser exhibits persistent issues with language switching through its settings interface.

Setting the Opera Language

Resolving this issue requires setting the browser’s language and modifying the application file with a launch command. Depending on the language and Opera version, additional language packs may be necessary. Follow this comprehensive guide:

Modifying the Application File

Open your terminal and use the following command as an example:

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang={LANGUAGE CODE} %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

In this command, replace {LANGUAGE CODE} with the appropriate code for your desired language (e.g., ‘de’ for German, ‘es’ for Spanish, ‘ja’ for Japanese, etc.). This modification is for the Opera stable version. If you have installed the beta or developer versions, you need to adjust their application files similarly:

• For Opera beta: /usr/share/applications/opera-beta.desktop
• For Opera developer: /usr/share/applications/opera-developer.desktop

Installing Language Packs (If Necessary)

If Opera fails to switch from English despite correct system locale settings, install additional Ubuntu language packs using the following command:

sudo apt install $(check-language-support -l {language extension})

Here’s an example for German:

sudo apt install $(check-language-support -l de)

Applying Language Settings

The following commands cover popular languages for convenient copy-pasting. Note these commands target Opera Stable; adjust the .desktop file path for Beta or Developer versions as shown earlier. After running the command, configure the language in Opera’s GUI settings to complete the process.

German

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=de %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

French

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=fr %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Italian

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=it %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Japanese

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=ja %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Korean

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=ko %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Spanish

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=es %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Portuguese

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=pt %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Polish

sudo sed -i 's/Exec=opera %U/Exec=opera --lang=pl %U/g' /usr/share/applications/opera.desktop

Conclusion

The Opera APT repository delivers stable, beta, and developer builds with automatic security updates directly from Opera’s development team. Your Ubuntu installation now includes built-in ad blocking, free VPN access, and battery optimization features without requiring browser extensions. Choose the stable channel for daily reliability, beta for early feature access, or developer for bleeding-edge testing, all while maintaining compatibility with Ubuntu security patches and Opera’s integrated productivity tools.