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

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!