While most Linux distros ship with Firefox, all major web browsers now have a Linux version, even Microsoft’s own Edge. With Chromium-based browsers becoming the de facto web default, Linux users may need them to complement Firefox.

Opera is a great Chromium-based alternative, and it’s been around even longer than Firefox. It includes modern basics like syncing and ad blocking, plus a VPN and crypto wallet. The unique Workspaces feature, which brings virtual desktop-like organization to your web browser, is truly a killer.

Let’s go through the different ways to install Opera browser on Linux.

Download Opera on Linux

Opera is available on a wide variety of platforms, in fact, it’s one of our top picks for Android. Several official Linux packages are offered. These include DEB for Debian and Ubuntu based distros, RPM for Red Hat derivatives like Fedora and Snap for Ubuntu or any other distro that supports it.

To download: Opera DEB | rpm | Snap (Free)

Although not an official package, Opera is also available for Arch-based distributions such as Manjaro Linux.

Installing Opera on Linux using the CLI

To install Opera via the command line, start by downloading the package corresponding to the Linux distribution you are using. Next, open a terminal window in your Downloads folder and enter the following commands, again depending on the distribution installed on your machine:

On Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo dpkg -i ./opera.stable-*_amd64.deb

On RHEL, Fedora and CentOS:

sudo dnf install ./opera.stable-*_amd64.rpm

On Snap supported distros:

sudo snap install opera

On Arch Linux and its derivatives:

sudo pacman -S opera

Hurry Yes Where Yes to continue and enter your password if prompted. Once complete, you will be able to find and launch Opera from the applications menu.

Installing Opera on Linux using the GUI

It is quite easy to install Opera using the GUI with DEB (for Debian and Ubuntu based distributions) or RPM (for Red Hat derivatives) packages.

1. First, download the Opera DEB or RPM package, then open your file manager and navigate to the Downloads folder.

2. Right click on the Opera DEB or RPM file and choose Open with another application.

3. Picking out Installation of the softwarethen click Select.

4. Once the software installer opens, click Installand enter your password when prompted.

5. Once the installation is complete, open Opera from your application menu.

You should now have Opera installed on your system! Be sure to check out some of the best privacy add-ons and productivity extensions to get the most out of them.

Install Opera graphically on Arch-based distributions

Although not an official release, Opera is fortunately provided in the official Arch community repository. To install Opera on Manjaro using the graphical package manager:

1. Open your distro’s GUI package manager (e.g. Add/Remove Software on Manjaro) and search for “opera”.

2. Mark Opera for installation by clicking on the Install button, To download button or checkbox.

3. Select Apply and enter your password if prompted.

Once the installation is complete, you can launch Opera from the applications menu.

Install Opera with Snap on Linux

If your distro supports Snap packages (such as Ubuntu), just open your package manager (e.g. Discover or Software), search for “Opera”, click Install, and enter your password if prompted. If your distro does not support Snap out of the box, you will need to install snapd first.

1. From the Snapcraft store link, click InstallSo choose Show in Desktop Shop. If your browser asks for permission, choose Open link.

2. A Open with window should appear. choose either Snap Store or your distro’s default software manager would work just fine.

3. When your software manager opens, click Install and enter your password if prompted.

Once the installation is complete, Opera should be installed successfully and you can open it from your applications menu.

Uninstalling Opera on Linux

It is easy to remove Opera from your system whenever you want.

Uninstalling Opera on Linux using the CLI

If you want to remove Opera but keep user data, open a terminal and enter the following commands, depending on the Linux distribution you are using:

On Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo apt remove opera-stable

On RHEL, Fedora and CentOS:

sudo rpm -e opera-stable

On Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -R opera

If prompted, enter your password and press Yes Continue.

If you installed the Snap package, run the following command to temporarily disable the software:

sudo snap disable opera

When prompted, enter your password and press Yes Continue.

On the other hand, if you want to completely remove all traces of Opera from your system, enter the following commands instead:

On Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo apt purge opera-stable

On Fedora, CentOS and RHEL:

sudo dnf remove opera-stable

On Arch Linux and its derivatives:

sudo pacman -Rns opera

For those who have installed the Opera Snap package:

sudo snap remove opera

Removing Opera on Linux using the GUI

The typical GUI method of removing DEB, RPM, Snap, and Arch packages involves browsing or searching for “opera” using the distro’s default package manager. You can also open the DEB or RPM file you installed to open the package manager directly to the appropriate software page. Once located, click Remove.

Confirm by clicking Uninstall then enter your root password to continue.

Unfortunately, there is no option to uninstall DEB packages via the GUI method on many recent Ubuntu-based distributions. So if you want to remove Opera on Ubuntu or KDE Neon, for example, the CLI method is the way to go. Meanwhile, the typical GUI method seems to work fine with RPM and Snap packages as well as Arch-based distros.

You can easily install Opera on Linux!

Unless you are using a fringe distro, the above steps should have helped you install Opera browser on Linux successfully. The exact software installation process may be a little different for each distro family, but the basic steps are more or less the same.

Although Opera is a cutting-edge web browser, it may not be for everyone. You can opt for another similar browser like Vivaldi if you want.