How to Install Opera Browser on Rocky Linux 8

Opera is a freeware, cross-platform web browser developed by Opera Software and operates as a Chromium-based browser. Opera offers a clean, modern web browser that is an alternative to the other major players in the Browser race. Its famous Opera Turbo mode and its renowned battery saving mode are the best amongst all known web browsers by quite a margin, along with a built-in VPN and much more.

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Opera Browser on Rocky Linux 8 Workstation.

Prerequisites

• Recommended OS: Rocky Linux 8.+.
• User account: A user account with sudo or root access.
• Internet Access

Update Operating System

Update your Rocky Linux operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh -y

The tutorial will be using the sudo command and assuming you have sudo status.

To verify sudo status on your account:

sudo whoami

Example output showing sudo status:

[joshua@rockylinux ~]$ sudo whoami
root

To set up an existing or new sudo account, visit our tutorial on How to Add a User to Sudoers on Rocky Linux.

To use the root account, use the following command with the root password to log in.

su

For desktop users, the tutorial will utilize the terminal for the installation found in Activities > Show Applications > Terminal.

Example:

Create & Import Opera Repository

By default, Opera Browser is not included in the standard Rocky Linux App stream. However, you can quickly create and import the official repository on your system by doing the following.

First, create and open up the repository file using any text editor:

sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/opera.repo

Next, copy and paste the following.

[opera]
name=Opera packages
type=rpm-md
baseurl=https://rpm.opera.com/rpm
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://rpm.opera.com/rpmrepo.key
enabled=1

Once done, save the file CTRL+O then exit with CTRL+X.

Note, this will import the GPG key also for the installation. If the GPG fails to import for some reason, import it manually using the following command:

sudo rpm --import https://rpm.opera.com/rpmrepo.key

Install Opera Browser

Now that you have imported the repository, you can now be installed Opera using the following.

First, update your repository list to reflect the new repository changes:

sudo dnf update --refresh

Now install the software with the following command:

sudo dnf install opera-stable

Example output:

Type Y, then press the ENTER KEY to proceed with the install.

Verify Opera Browser Stable

Once installed, confirm the version of Opera Browser installed. This will also verify the installation was successful.

opera --version

Example output:

82.0.4227.43

Optional. Install Opera Browser Beta or Developer build

Alternatively, you can install Brave Beta or Developer builds if you have downloaded the repositories. These two versions are not recommended daily, especially not on a main desktop or production server. However, you can install alternative versions for those who want to live on the edge.

Install Opera Browser Beta

sudo dnf install opera-beta

Install Opera Browser Developer

sudo dnf install opera-developer

Note, these do not replace your stable version, and they are installed separately.

Next, verify the installation of beta or unstable, use the following command.

Verify Opera Browser Beta

opera-beta --version

Example output:

83.0.4254.14

Verify Opera Browser Developer

opera-developer --version

Example output:

84.0.4295.0

How to Launch Opera Browser

With the installation complete, you can run Opera in a few different ways.

First, while you are in your terminal, you can use the following command:

opera

Alternatively, run the opera & command in the background to free up the terminal:

opera &

However, this isn’t practical, and you would use the following path on your desktop to open with the path: Activities > Show Applications > Opera.

Alternatively, if you cannot find it, use the search function in the Show Applications menu if you have many applications installed.

Example:

Now open Opera Browser, you will see the landing page. From here, you can modify the design of your tabs to any style you prefer.

Example:

Congratulations, you have installed Opera Browser.

How to Update Opera Browser

To update, run the dnf refresh in your terminal as you would check your entire system for any updates, including from the Opera repository.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

This should be run as often as possible.

How to Remove (Uninstall) Opera Browser

To remove the Vivaldi Browser, execute the following terminal command:

Remove Opera Browser Stable

sudo dnf remove opera-stable

Remove Opera Browser Beta

sudo dnf remove opera-beta

Remove Opera Browser Developer

sudo dnf remove opera-developer

Next, remove the file that you created to import the Opera repository.

sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/opera.repo

Comments and Conclusion

In the tutorial, you have learned how to import the Opera repository into the dnf source list and install the web browser by choosing either stable, beta, or developers branches.

Overall, Opera uses the Chromium page-rendering engine, so you’ll rarely run into site incompatibilities. Performance is fast, perhaps not the feast in the field. Still, it keeps its own and has unique features that make this an attractive alternative for many mainstream Linux users who want something different besides Firefox that comes standard on nearly all Linux machines.