Opera FAQs, Tips, Tricks & Tweaks

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Sync Opera settings between Computers using Dropbox

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Several users use more than one computer and they want to synchronize all settings but Opera Link synchronizes only the following items.

  • Bookmarks
  • Passwords
  • Speed Dial
  • Notes
  • Typed browser history
  • Search engines
  • Content blocker rules

You can use Dropbox to synchronize or backup Opera settings. Another feature of Dropbox is it creates versions of a file automatically.

Dropbox version history
Dropbox version history

Computer #1
  1. Backup all Opera settings.
    Windows: Use Stu's Opera Settings Import & Export Tool.
    Linux: Backup ~/.opera directory.
  2. Creata a Dropbox account (use this referral link to get 250 500 MB of bonus space or this if you don't want bonus space), download (size: 14.4 MB) and install Dropbox.
  3. Creata a Opera directory inside Dropbox location directory and then create symbolic link for directories and hard link for files you want to synchronize. You can create and run batch/script file to create symbolic links as shown below.
  4. To sync the following directories/files

    dictionaries
    keyboard
    mail
    menu
    mouse
    sessions
    skin
    styles
    toolbar
    widgets
    operaprefs.ini
    override.ini

    Windows XP
    Download ln.zip (size: 37 KB) and extract contents to a directory. Create a file with the following content with bat extension, correct paths and run.

    @ECHO OFF
    
    REM Soft links
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\dictionaries" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\dictionaries"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\keyboard" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\keyboard"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Opera\Opera\mail" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\mail"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\menu" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\menu"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\mouse" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\mouse"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\sessions" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\sessions"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\skin" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\skin"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\styles" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\styles"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\toolbar" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\toolbar"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Opera\Opera\widgets" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\widgets"
    
    REM Hard links
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\operaprefs.ini" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\operaprefs.ini"
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\ln\ln.exe" "%APPDATA%\Opera\Opera\override.ini" "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\Dropbox\Opera\override.ini"
    
    PAUSE
    Hard links for operaprefs.ini & override.ini are not working because Opera deletes and then creates them when there is a change.

    Windows Vista & Windows 7
    Use mklink command to create symbolic links.

    Linux
    Create a script file with the following code, set executable permission and run.

    #!/bin/bash -
    
    cd ~/.opera
    
    ln -s dictionaries ~/Dropbox/Opera/dictionaries
    ln -s keyboard ~/Dropbox/Opera/keyboard
    ln -s mail ~/Dropbox/Opera/mail
    ln -s menu ~/Dropbox/Opera/menu 
    ln -s mouse ~/Dropbox/Opera/mouse 
    ln -s sessions ~/Dropbox/Opera/sessions
    ln -s skin ~/Dropbox/Opera/skin 
    ln -s styles ~/Dropbox/Opera/styles 
    ln -s toolbar ~/Dropbox/Opera/toolbar 
    ln -s widgets ~/Dropbox/Opera/widgets 
    ln -s operaprefs.ini ~/Dropbox/Opera/operaprefs.ini
    ln -s override.ini ~/Dropbox/Opera/override.ini
    
    exit 0

  5. Exit Opera.
  6. Right click on Dropbox tray icon and select pause syncing. Then again right click on Dropbox tray icon and select resume syncing.
Computer #2
  1. Follow step #1 for Computer #1.
  2. Install Dropbox, right click on Dropbox tray icon and select pause syncing.
  3. Follow step #3 for Computer #1.
  4. Empty the directories inside Dropbox Opera directory. Right click on Dropbox tray icon and select launch Dropbox website. Download files (operaprefs.ini & override.ini) from Opera directory and replace existing operaprefs.ini & override.ini files after closing Opera.
  5. Exit Opera.
  6. Right click on Dropbox tray icon and select resume syncing.

Now both computer Opera settings are synchronized.

Run Dropbox (or resume syncing) & wait for sync to complete before running Opera and after closing Opera.

Opera Mnemonic Keyboard ShortcutsHow to unhide Opera?

Comments

Charles SchlossChas4 Tuesday, March 6, 2012 2:53:26 PM

cleaver

XenoAntaresXAntares Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:55:38 PM

But remember, "\Local Settings\Application Data\" might have to be changed to your WinXP's localization.

[You could use something like the following, to get that path from the registry (while I agree, that that bloats the whole thing):
	set tempfile=opdrop-%date:.=-%-%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%.bat
	set tempfile=%tmp%\%tempfile:/=-%
	regedit /e "%tempfile%" "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders"
	for /f "usebackq tokens=1,2 delims==" %%i in (`type %tempfile%`) if %%i == "Local AppData" set mylocalappdata=%%j
	del /q "%tempfile%"
]

Abdulaziz Noratabdulaziznorat Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:18:13 PM

Good Evening Tamil !

d4rkn1ght Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:24:32 PM

Great! up

Mağruf ÇolakoğluZAHEK Tuesday, March 6, 2012 9:59:52 PM

up

Sami Serolaserola Wednesday, March 7, 2012 7:26:04 AM

Excellent idea

Abdulaziz Noratabdulaziznorat Wednesday, March 7, 2012 4:15:02 PM

bentronic Sunday, April 8, 2012 8:28:24 PM

I used Mercurial and Bitbucket to synchronize my feeds. The mail folder is a repository, and I have the following hook: pre-commit = hg add -I "*", which adds all non-tracked files when I commit (i.e., all the new feed messages). When I leave one computer, I close Opera, commit and push to Bitbucket, and then on the other computer, I pull from Bitbucket before I open Opera.

It works pretty well, though merging doesn't really work, so you have to remember to do it every time you leave a computer, otherwise you have to revert when you come back to it. The easiest way is to have a shell script for Opera that runs the pull on startup (after purging uncommitted changes and untracked files) and the commit/push after Opera is closed.

scott cummingI_ArtMan Saturday, April 28, 2012 9:19:23 PM

that's a great idea tamil. why didn't i think of that?
question: one of my computers is running windows 7 professional, the other is still an xp. won't that mess things up? i hate to do things i don't understand. cool

Tamil Saturday, April 28, 2012 10:57:11 PM

Originally posted by I_ArtMan:

won't that mess things up?

Nope, you can even sync Windows and Linux system.

scott cummingI_ArtMan Sunday, April 29, 2012 1:39:06 AM

cool. cool

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