Shwetank Dixit

In windows, whenever you install Opera in a different directory, it creates a different profile. However, on the mac, its a bit more complicated.

I for example, have multiple builds installed on my mac. I have all my mail on the current stable build. But I also have various other internal builds and alpha/beta builds installed. If I don't have multiple profiles for each of them, then the newest build would inherit the mails, and everything else, instead of the stable version. This is definitely something I do not want.

To have multiple profiles of Opera on the mac, you have basically two options, each of which is a way of doing the same thing in a different way.

First on foremost though, you should have the Opera builds installed in different directory. For example, the current stable version in /Applications/Opera and the new version in /Applications/OperaNew

The easiest method

Make sure you do not have the new build open. Also its a good idea to make sure you have your old build open.

1. Create a file called 'PrefsSuffix' (no extension like 'PrefsSuffix.txt' etc... just 'PrefsSuffix' without any extension) and enter any random thing in it (you should avoid linebreaks, '"', '/', '.', '|' and ':'). For example, the string 'Opera10macbuild'
   
2. Then goto the new build folder, that is, the directory /Applcations/OperaNew and right click on the Opera icon.
   
3. Then click on 'Show Package Contents'.
   
4. Then Click on 'Contents'.
   
5. Then Click on 'Resources'.
   
6. Then paste that file you created in that folder.
   
7. Start the Opera app in /Applications/OperaNew
   
8. Go to Opera->About Opera
   
9. Check the mail folder, and other folders, they would have directory like /Users/<yourusername>/Library/Application Support/Opera yourrandomstring/mail/
   

And thats it!

The Command line method

Some people may not be comfortable with command line. On the other hand, a lot of people are.

Simply make a file inside the Opera Resources folder named "PrefsSuffix" containing any sequence of letters you like (you should avoid linebreaks, '"', '/', '.', '|' and ':').

Easiest way to do that is probably to open the Terminal.app
$ cd /Applications/OperaNew/Opera.app/Contents/Resources/
$ echo "RandomString" >> PrefsSuffix

Where 'RandomString' is any random string you want.

Once you do that, repeat steps 7-9 of the previous method described above, to check whether your mail folders, etc have the new prefix or not.

I hope this helped!