How to Install Opera Browser on Debian

Opera Browser provides a Chromium-based browsing experience with built-in privacy tools that eliminate the need for separate extensions. The integrated VPN masks your IP address without requiring third-party software, while the ad blocker speeds up page loads by filtering tracking scripts and advertisements before they reach your browser.

Common uses include private browsing sessions where a VPN is essential, managing multiple social accounts through the sidebar workspace, and testing web applications across different browser engines. By the end of this guide, you will have Opera installed from the official APT repository with automatic updates enabled, plus the knowledge to switch between stable, beta, and developer builds when testing new features.

Choose Your Opera Installation Method

Two installation methods are available, each with different trade-offs. Review the comparison below to choose the approach that fits your needs.

Method	GPG Key Management	Debian Support	Steps Required	Best For
extrepo (Recommended)	Automatic	11, 12, 13+	4 commands	Most users; quick setup with minimal configuration
Manual Repository	Manual download	11, 12, 13+	6 commands	Scripted deployments, custom configurations, or learning APT internals

Most users should choose extrepo because Debian maintains the GPG keys and repository configuration, reducing maintenance overhead. However, the manual method offers more transparency if you want to understand exactly what gets added to your system, or if you need to customize the repository settings for automation scripts.

Update Debian Before Installation

Before installing Opera, update your Debian system to ensure package dependencies are current:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command retrieves the latest package information and upgrades installed packages to their newest versions, which helps prevent potential conflicts during Opera installation.

Method 1: Install Opera with extrepo (Recommended)

The extrepo tool is Debian’s official utility for managing external repositories. It handles GPG key downloads, repository configuration, and version detection automatically, which makes it the simplest way to install Opera.

Install extrepo

First, install the extrepo package from Debian’s repositories:

sudo apt install extrepo

Enable Non-Free Repository Policy

Since Opera is proprietary software, extrepo requires enabling the non-free policy before you can add Opera’s repository. To do this, edit the extrepo configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/extrepo/config.yaml

Locate the enabled_policies section and uncomment the - non-free line by removing the # character:

enabled_policies:
- main
# - contrib
- non-free

After making the change, save and exit the editor (in nano, press Ctrl+O to save, then Ctrl+X to exit).

Enable the Opera Repository

With the non-free policy enabled, add Opera’s official repository:

sudo extrepo enable opera_stable

Next, update the package index to include packages from the newly added repository:

sudo apt update

Then, verify that APT recognizes the Opera repository:

apt-cache policy opera-stable

You should see output similar to the following, confirming the repository is configured:

opera-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 125.x.x.x
  Version table:
     125.x.x.x 500
        500 https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable stable/non-free amd64 Packages

The version number in your output will reflect the current Opera release. Importantly, the key indicator of success is seeing the https://deb.opera.com URL in the version table.

Once verified, continue to the Install Opera Browser section below to complete the installation.

Method 2: Configure Repository Manually

Alternatively, if you prefer explicit control over repository configuration or need to script the installation, you can set up Opera’s repository manually using the modern DEB822 format.

Install Prerequisites

Before proceeding, install the required tools for downloading and verifying the GPG key:

sudo apt install curl gnupg -y

Import the Opera GPG Key

Next, download and install Opera’s GPG signing key to verify package authenticity:

curl -fsSL https://deb.opera.com/archive.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg > /dev/null

This command downloads the GPG key using curl, converts it from ASCII-armored format to binary using gpg --dearmor, and saves it to the keyrings directory.

Add the Opera Repository

Now, create the repository configuration file using the modern DEB822 format:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources > /dev/null <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/
Suites: stable
Components: non-free
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg
EOF

This configuration specifies the repository type, location, suite, component, architecture, and GPG key path for package verification.

The DEB822 .sources format is the modern standard for APT repository configuration. All supported Debian versions (11, 12, 13, and newer) fully support this format.

Verify Repository Configuration

First, update the package index to include the new repository:

sudo apt update

Then, confirm that APT recognizes the Opera repository:

apt-cache policy opera-stable

You should see output similar to the following, confirming the repository is configured:

opera-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 125.x.x.x
  Version table:
     125.x.x.x 500
        500 https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable stable/non-free amd64 Packages

This output shows Opera available from the official repository with a 500 priority, which confirms successful setup.

Install Opera Browser

With the repository configured (using either method above), you can now install Opera Browser. Opera offers three release channels: stable for everyday use, beta for previewing upcoming features, and developer for testing experimental capabilities. Additionally, you can install multiple versions simultaneously since they use separate installations.

Install Stable Build

Install the stable version of Opera for everyday browsing:

sudo apt install opera-stable

During installation, you may be prompted to configure Opera for version upgrades. Select NO and press Enter to continue, since choosing YES can create duplicate repository files that cause conflicts during future updates.

This prompt appears for each version (stable, beta, and developer). Always select NO so the installer does not import duplicate sources.list entries that conflict with your existing configuration.

Finally, verify the installation by checking the version:

opera --version

125.0.5729.21

Install Beta Build (Optional)

The beta channel provides early access to features planned for the next stable release. You can install it alongside or instead of stable:

sudo apt install opera-beta

As before, select NO when prompted about importing sources. Then verify the installation:

opera-beta --version

124.0.5705.51

The beta version may occasionally be behind stable depending on Opera’s release cycle. This is normal behaviour when a new stable version was recently released.

Install Developer Build (Optional)

Similarly, the developer channel provides early access to experimental features for testing purposes. This version may contain bugs, so avoid using it for daily browsing:

sudo apt install opera-developer

Again, select NO when prompted about importing sources. Then verify the installation:

opera-developer --version

126.0.5748.0

Launch Opera Browser

Launch from Terminal

Start Opera directly from the terminal using the command for your installed version:

To start the stable version:

opera

Alternatively, launch the beta version:

opera-beta

Or, run the developer version:

opera-developer

Launch from Applications Menu

Alternatively, you can launch Opera from your desktop environment:

1. Click on Activities in the top-left corner of your screen (or press the Super key).
2. Type “Opera” in the search bar.
3. Click on the Opera icon for the version you want to launch (Stable, Beta, or Developer).

Update Opera Browser

Opera receives updates through your regular system upgrade cycle. To update all packages including Opera:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Alternatively, to update only Opera without upgrading other packages, use the --only-upgrade flag:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade opera-stable

Similarly, for beta or developer builds, substitute the package name:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade opera-beta

sudo apt install --only-upgrade opera-developer

Afterwards, verify the update completed by checking the version:

opera --version

Remove Opera Browser

Uninstall Opera Packages

To uninstall Opera Browser, remove the package for your installed version:

sudo apt remove --purge opera-stable

Similarly, for beta or developer versions:

sudo apt remove --purge opera-beta

sudo apt remove --purge opera-developer

Next, remove orphaned dependencies that were installed alongside Opera:

sudo apt autoremove

Remove Opera Repository

If you no longer plan to use Opera, you should also remove the repository configuration and GPG key to keep your system clean.

If you used extrepo (Method 1):

sudo extrepo disable opera_stable
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/extrepo_opera_stable.sources

The extrepo disable command marks the repository as inactive, and removing the file completes the cleanup.

If you configured the repository manually (Method 2):

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg

Finally, refresh the package cache and verify the repository is removed:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy opera-stable

You should see the following output, confirming removal (no repository URL appears):

opera-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:

Remove Opera User Data

Warning: The following command permanently deletes your Opera browsing data, including bookmarks, history, saved passwords, and extensions. Back up your profile first if you want to preserve anything: cp -r ~/.config/opera ~/.config/opera-backup.

To completely remove Opera user data:

rm -rf ~/.config/opera ~/.config/opera-beta ~/.config/opera-developer
rm -rf ~/.cache/opera ~/.cache/opera-beta ~/.cache/opera-developer

Fix Duplicate Repository Entries

When installing multiple Opera versions (stable, beta, and developer), you may see warnings during apt update about duplicate repository sources. This happens because Opera’s installer attempts to create its own repository files during the initial package installation.

Remove Duplicate Files

To resolve this, remove any .list files created by Opera’s installer:

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

Regular apt upgrade operations do not regenerate these duplicate files. Only a fresh install or reinstall triggers the installer’s postinst script. Therefore, simply delete the duplicate files once and they stay deleted through all future upgrades.

Then, verify the warning is resolved:

sudo apt update

Restore Repository Configuration

If you accidentally remove the wrong file and need to restore the Opera repository, use the appropriate method based on how you originally configured it.

For extrepo:

sudo extrepo enable opera_stable
sudo apt update

For manual configuration:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera.sources > /dev/null <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/
Suites: stable
Components: non-free
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/opera.gpg
EOF
sudo apt update

Conclusion

You now have Opera Browser installed on Debian with automatic updates through the official APT repository. The integrated VPN and ad blocker work immediately, and you can switch between stable, beta, and developer builds as needed. For alternative browsers, consider Brave for privacy, Vivaldi for customization, or Firefox for broader web compatibility.