Enable H.264 codec support for Opera browser

opera_x264_support.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Author: Marco Carletti
# Date: May 2022
# Version: 0.2.0

# Last update: July 17, 2023
# Changed comments, tested versions and added other distros info, such as Debian and Fedora.

# Thanks to everyone for comments, suggestions, fixes and testings!

# Tested on
# ---------
#
# Ubuntu 18.04
#
# v0.1.0
#       62.0.3331.116
#       63.0.3368.66
#
# Ubuntu 20.04
#
# v0.1.0
#       70.0.3728.95
#       73.0.3856.284
#       74.0.3911.107
#       74.0.3911.232
#
# v0.2.0
#       87.0.4390.25
#
# Ubuntu 22.04
#
# v0.2.0
#       99.0.4788.13

# Other distros
# THIS SCRIPT WILL NOT WORK AS IS IS. EACH OS REQUIRES SPECIFIC FIXES.
# Search in the comments for further details :)
# -------------
#
# Debian 11.4
# Requires `-c` option in `sudo` commands (credits: `gidici`)
#
# v0.2.0
#       90.0.4480.80
#
# Fedora 37
# Requires to copy the lib file to opera lib folder and chown to root (credits: `JPDucky`)
#
# v0.2.0
#       100.0.4815.54 (Opera One)

# Release notes
# -------------
#
# v0.2.0   Smarter use of curl options to fix failing permalink. Special thanks to `dotarr` for the fix!
#          Last update: May 18, 2022
#
# v0.1.0   It is basically a cleaned version of what you can find in this post from Opera forum:
#          https://forums.opera.com/topic/34659/opera-linux-browser-h-264-support-through-x264-open-source-codec
#          Last update: Aug 18, 2020


# Retrieve latest FFMPEG release version.
# We get the complete url pointing to the latest zip package via the curl command.
#
# -L             If the server reports that the requested page has moved to a different location
#                this option will make curl redo the request on the new place.
#
# -o <file>      Write output to <file> instead of stdout.
#
# -s             Silent or quiet mode. Don't show progress meter or error messages.
#
# -w <format>    Make curl display information on stdout after a completed transfer. The format is
#                a string that may contain plain text mixed with any number of variables.
URL=`curl -L -o /dev/null -s -w %{url_effective} https://github.com/iteufel/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/releases/latest`
FFMPEGVER=${URL%\"*}
FFMPEGVER=${FFMPEGVER##*/}
FFMPEGZIP=${FFMPEGVER}-linux-x64.zip


# Download library from complete url and save it locally.
# Archive is extracted in the working directory and immediately deleted.
#
# -L (see above)
# -O             Write output to a local file named like the remote file we get.
#                Only the file part of the remote file is used, the path is cut off.
curl -L -O https://github.com/iteufel/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/releases/download/${FFMPEGVER}/${FFMPEGZIP}
unzip ${FFMPEGZIP}
rm ${FFMPEGZIP}


# Overwrite Opera libffmpeg (requires root privileges).
# Install (ie. copy) the latest version of the library in the system library folder.
# Before overwriting the Opera library file, make a copy... So we can manually rollback if we messed up things :)
sudo mv libffmpeg.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libffmpeg_h264.so
sudo mv /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so.orig
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libffmpeg_h264.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so

Thanks everyone! I've updated the script with your notes and fixes. I've also tested the script with the latest Opera version (currently, it is 87.0.4390.25).

Works with Opera 90.0.4480.80 on Debian 11.4. Thanks. I only changed sudo with su -c "...."

Works with Opera version :99.0.4788.13 and System:Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS (x86_64; ubuntu:GNOME)
Chromium version:113.0.5672.127
Thank you !!

Opera One(version: 100.0.4815.54)
fedora 37: had to change the bottom 3 lines to make it work, opera would not launch with the symlink

sudo mv libffmpeg.so /usr/lib64/opera/libffmpeg_h264.so
sudo mv /usr/lib64/opera/libffmpeg.so /usr/lib64/opera/libffmpeg.so.orig
sudo cp /usr/lib64/libffmpeg_h264.so /usr/lib64/opera/libffmpeg.so

also had to change ownership of libffmpeg.so to root

Система:Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS (x86_64; ubuntu:GNOME)
Версия Chromium:116.0.5845.141
Thank you

Will this work with flatpak package?
I'm using Opera's flatpack package form flathub on Fedora.

@butter-fly04 I don't know how Fedora+flatpak+flathub works since I use Ubuntu+apt, however OperaOne was tested under Fedora by @JPDucky. Check it here!

It is working on Debian 11, Opera One(version: 107.0.5045.21).
I downloaded codec from https://github.com/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/releases
Thank you. Great advice.

Unfortunately after Opera upgrade support for H.264 disappeared again :(

I created file opera_libffmpeg.sh and run this file after each opera upgrade. It takes several seconds only and I have support for H264 again.
Change folders name.

#!/bin/bash

# download compressed libffmpeg.so from below, copy to /home/adam/software and unzip it
# https://github.com/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/nwjs-ffmpeg-prebuilt/releases
sudo cp /home/adam/software/0.85.0-linux-x64/libffmpeg.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg_h264.so
sudo mv /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so.orig
sudo cp /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg_h264.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/opera/libffmpeg.so

Works perfect on LMDE 6

Thanks @mcarletti

Works perfect on LMDE 6

Thanks @mcarletti

Every time opera get updated you will need to run this script!

2025 and still working, thanks!