
Opera 24 for Linux released on the Developer stream - tagawa
http://blogs.opera.com/desktop/2014/06/opera-24-linux-released-developer-stream/
======
Aoyagi
As someone who was left behind with Opera 12, I have mixed feelings about
this.

~~~
thomasahle
What's so great about Opera 12?

~~~
sgift
It was the last Opera with its own rendering engine. Now it is just another UI
for Blink. So sad.

~~~
mrweasel
While I would love just to have Opera 12 with the Blink rendering engine, I
was rather baffled by Operas decision to drop Presto. I though that their core
business was: "Making a small, good and fast rendering engine".

That are they suppose to be selling now?

~~~
tracksmer
Their core business was making browsers in general. Being small isn't that
much of an advantage anymore. They can now sell something that works
reasonably well on most modern hardware.

------
scrollaway
Opera really went a step backwards a while back when they switched from Qt to
GTK "For better compatibility with desktop environments", while DEs were
themselves busy switching to Qt.

I hope they will correct that soon.

~~~
marcoms
At least they don't have to use C++

~~~
pjmlp
With gcc and clang being written in C++, Symbian, BeOS, Genode, Mac OS X IO
Kit, Windows 8+ DDK support and WinRT, among many other examples, better
accept the computing world is slowly leaving C behind.

~~~
marcoms
I didn't mention C.

~~~
pjmlp
As someone that always been on the C++ side on the C++ vs C flames, since the
early days, it comes as consequence of statements like "At least they don't
have to use C++".

Sorry if you didn't meant like that.

------
rasz_pl
Still no customizability? Still no features from 12.xx? Still reskinned
Chromium? Why bother? ;/

~~~
mrweasel
I can understand Opera not wanting to maintain their own rendering engine,
except that I though that was their main source of income. What I can't
understand is why they release the WebKit/Blink based Opera when they did.

They shipped a version of "Opera" without the stuff that people loved and bet
that it was the brand that people loved. I used very few of the features in
Opera 12, but I switched to Firefox when the new version shipped because they
made it harder to get the privacy settings I want and I can't make DuckDuckGo
the default search engine (honestly: Is that really so hard to do?)

Dragonfly, the Opera web developer tool is another thing I would have loved to
be able to use, but I will accept that it's a bit harder to port and wouldn't
be a day one feature.

What they done in the past 12 version is beyond me, I don't see that adding
anything important or bringing back anything that people actually want.

Dear Opera please fix:

\- Customizable DEFAULT search engines.

\- Bring back Opera Link.

\- Bring back DragonFly (When you have the time).

If it saves time you can drop:

\- Speed Dial

\- Stash ( Serious question: Who needs that? )

\- Discover, see question regarding Stash.

\- Theme support, see question regarding Stash.

~~~
tracksmer
You claim they shipped a version without the stuff people loved, but Speed
Dial was one of the most popular features in the old Opera. Speed Dial is one
of the features that define Opera.

Seems you don't quite represent most Opera users?

~~~
easytiger
speeddial was added to opera fairly late on.

~~~
tracksmer
2007:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_of_the_Opera_web_brows...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_of_the_Opera_web_browser#Speed_Dial)

Doesn't really matter, though. Doesn't change the fact that it's a signature
Opera feature.

------
stepanbujnak
Last Opera release for linux was 12.16. That's about 12 skipped updates (I
just assume, I'm not familiar with the actual opera versioning) and that's
unacceptable. What guarantee does Opera give me that this won't happen again
and I won't be stuck with outdated browser for a year?

~~~
jccalhoun
Opera switched from their own engine, Presto, to using Chrome's Blink engine.
They probably won't be switching engines again any time soon.

~~~
rasz_pl
They didnt switch engines, they dropped their browser entirely and skinned
Chromium.

~~~
tracksmer
No, they didn't skin Chromium. They made a new interface on Chromium.

------
bla2
> not all of us want proprietary operating systems

Not sure if these people want to use a proprietary browser.

------
rawland
Opera, please open source the discontinued Opera 12!

~~~
rplnt
I'm still sticking with 11/12\. It's pain to use any other browser.
Performance is worse, ux is worse, basic functionality is missing, weird bugs
everywhere. Now I use combination of Opera, Firefox and Chrome (for js heavy
apps like gmail). Eventually want to switch to Firefox.

It's really sad they let everything go and made just another dumbed-down
featureless browser.

~~~
anoother
Precisely. I just tried this out.

    
    
      + It opened all the tabs from my Opera 12 session
      - It lost all my tab groups: seems it doesn't support them
      - It ate up RAM to the point I had trouble moving my mouse cursor
    

I, too, still use Opera 12 everywhere it's still usable, and Chromium for the
rest.

I don't need a Chromium replacement. I need an _Opera_ replacement, preferably
with all the shiny new features (in terms of compatibility, standards support
and performance) that Chromium has. Opera 12 isn't perfect, but if it had been
in development for the period of releases 12-24, it certainly would be the
only browser I'd need to use.

It's a shame _Opera themselves_ can't be motivated build a worthy upgrade to
their own browser. Without Presto, and the same innovative spirit that brought
us tabs, speed dial, mouse gestures, Opera Link, etc., etc., what exactly is
their USP?

~~~
rplnt
I think they were bought by someone (an UA or PL company I believe) and many
of the core people left (or were let go). But don't quote me on this, I've
just read in a random discussion as you do now.

~~~
tagawa
They weren't bought but in the past few years the CEO and founder left the
company and they did make some acquisitions, including in advertising (mobile
in particular) which is where a significant portion of their revenue now comes
from.

------
rebugger
Who would have expected that? Maybe this can be a userfriendlier alternative
to Chromium? All that is missing: opensource it.

~~~
thristian
Well, it's basically just Chromium, so I doubt it would ever be more user-
friendly, and effectively it _is_ open-sourced.

~~~
rebugger
Well there are 2 features I really miss in Chromium (which are implemented in
Opera now): * easily Add/remove websites from the speeddial * closing the last
tab won't quit the browser (this annoyed me the most)

~~~
ewzimm
Last time I used Opera there was no way to change the default search engine.
That was a deal-breaker for me.

~~~
jlarocco
The saddest part about that is that opera was the first browser I knew of that
allowed changing the default search engine in the first place, about 13 years
ago.

------
finishingmove
Ironically, this happens the day after I finally stopped using Opera. As a
long time Windows and Opera user, I finally switched to Ubuntu a few days ago,
and frankly wasn't so surprised to find out that Opera is not even supported.
All the things that made it good died with 12.16 and this was just the last
drop in a sea of users' tears. Now, having it suddenly available again, I
don't feel like going back there anymore. Goodbye, although I can't help but
feel the real goodbye was said a long time ago -- what came after was just
denial.

------
brokenparser
Does it still come with mail and bit torrent clients?

~~~
anonymfus
No. IRC and RSS/Atom also not supported.

~~~
brokenparser
Then they should call it Opera 3.24, or -1 and count backwards from hereon.

------
steanne
one CAN switch the default search engine in Opera 12 (which is good, because i
ain't switchin'.)

a) drop down the search bar and pick manage search.

b) pick the provider you want as default and hit edit.

c) hit the details button.

d) select the tick boxes for "use as default" and "use as speed dial".

------
lurkinggrue
WOW! I never expected they would do it. Shame it's still Opera 24.

------
Miraries
The incompatibility with websites on old Opera was enough for me to
temporarily switch to Chrome. Now I'm making freaking extensions which bring
some Presto features to it so it's more usable until Opera makes some
significant changes to the new browser...

------
mike--
There is package for rpm-based linux?

~~~
oyvindeh
It's only packaged for Ubuntu for now. But you can try to follow these
instructions:
[https://gist.github.com/ruario/99522c94838d0680633c](https://gist.github.com/ruario/99522c94838d0680633c)

~~~
mike--
Many thanks.

