Opera supreme customization

[KSoD]

Alright i know many people are sitting here wondering about all of this now. But there is a few tricks that can be done to Opera jsut like it can be done to Firefox to allow for Opera to get customized and work nicely.

Opera uses Javascripts instead of Extensions. In this aspect things are done a bit differently. But not really so much that it makes life difficult.

First you create a folder for the Javascript files you want to use. Most of the time it is suggested you create it at:

C:\UserJS

But i prefer to have it with my Opera Profile. So i create mine here:

C:\User\<Username>\AppData\Raoming\Opera\Profile\userjs

Note this is Vista/Win7 location

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\AppData\Opera\Profile\userjs

Note this is the XP location

Load up Opera and select Tools -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Content -> JavaScript Options. Add the location of your newly created script directory to My JavaScript files.

Now from here check out the list located in the Opera Forums.

FAQ - User JavaScript - Opera Community

They have links to all the JS files. Just find the file, right click and save linked content as to save the .js file as it is. Can also just open the file up, copy all the contents to notepad and save it as the file.js and do it that way as well.

Now There is a JS Manager as well. Very first thing linked in that thread. I dont use it personally but it would be of great value.

Also if you use this script aagmfunctions.js that is a Greasmonkey clone for Opera. Not all Greasemonkey Scripts will work. But many do.

There is site specific scripts for places like YouTube, Google, Experts-Exchange and such to get rid of stuff or even add in stuff. There are scripts for FlashBlock just like it is in Firefox, BlockIt is like No Script. There are so many more among the internet as well. I found a few other sites.

There is some other tweaks out there as well to get the browser to look the way you want. Take mine for example.

Take a look at that screen shot. You will notice that it is very different from the stock shots of Opera you see around. The Address Bar is at the top instead of the menu bar, the personal bar is next and then the tab bar.

This is not a default setting. But it can be achieved easily. The sidebar is also nice. Right click on it and select Customize and you can add web panels to it. TinyURL is a nice one to have. Just click it and bam, TinURL's page loads in the sidebar ready for use. No need to even scroll away from your current page.

The other ones that are Stars are things for Web Development. Quick references and such. But there is so much more available.

Now at the top next to that Key you see a Up and a Down arrow. Those are top and bottom buttons. They do exactly what that sounds like. Top of page or bottom of page.

In the Tab Bar right next to the tab for this site you see a icon there. That is the Menu Bar. It is a mini menu. Everything is there for use.

So as you see there is much more that can be done with Opera. Aside from just changing the theme and a few basic settings. There is so much more that can be done. I have jsut barely scratched the surface of everything this browser can do.

 

[KSoD]

To express this even further let me show you something that i found recently.

This is a thread in the BST area. Not to pick on AP4LIFETN but his was the first example i found. Now you will notice that viewing this breaks teh forum skin.

So i hover over the image for a second and what pops up....

Look at that a little Zoom box. I can adjust the picture size without having to do anything but click a button. So I click on the - for the images and wouldnt you know it....

The site skin is fixed. All of that just cause i used the Zoom Image User JS for Opera. It even has a Greasemonkey Part.

So yes folks there is a lot that can be done. I know several are sitting here going but Firefox...yeah. But this is just one example. I have over 50 JS Scripts now. Easily. This was just a fun one to show.

 

[KSoD]

To continue this expose i now present 2 new things i have found.

The first is how to use Opera to view pages in IE within the Opera Browser.

On this page here you will see that there is options to view a page in IE from within Opera or to open with various other browsers. To use the view with IE you need another application install.

MeadCo's Neptune is what it is called.

Install that, restart Opera and add that button. Click on it and it will open a new tab in IE Mode so you can view it and do as you wish. Granted it is a bit slower than just opening IE. but it is useful none the less. The next addition is also very useful.

Browse your hard drives via the browser window. Now people familiar with Linux and Konqueror know of this since Konqueror is a file viewer as well as a browser. Now Opera can do it as well.

This page here shows a bunch of buttons. The last one listed is the Drive Browser.

Click on it to install the button, place it where you want and once clicked will give you a layout like this:

Click me to see image

this is more of a FTP software layout. But if you just need to get a quick glance of a file or something like that. This is perfect.

So there you go. Some more useful tips on how to customize your Opera Browser to work for you.

 

[Trotter]

You know my Firefox configuration. Any chance on getting Opera into the same config?

 

[KSoD]

I am very close. there are some things that are not possible cause they dont have the Javascript files or the working Greasemonkey scripts.

I got the look almost the same. It is as close as it can be given the options that can be done via Operas setup.

I got the top and bottom buttons. I got the menus gone. I got the tinyurl, bookmarks, flashblock, adblock, noscript covered.

The CookieCuller is just about built in to Opera. It isnt as intensive but it is close to what it is in Firefox.

I do have the BBCode and HTML code on right click. There is ways to link Opera up to a download manager as well.

Fasterfox isnt needed. Opera 10 will have turbo which is that but better.

nightly tester tools wont be needed. I have a uploader for various things in my sidebar. There is some translator javascripts out there along with a sidebar translator option via google.

It has a dictionary built in now without having to install one.

The sync does what XMarks does for your bookmarks. But not the passwords. That can be done by saving a file though.

So i have taken just about every extension that i got from you and figured out how to get it onto Opera now. Like i said there is some limits and it doesnt look exactly like Firefox, but i am close.

It takes a bit more work to do what i have. But in the long run it is worth is. For comparison...

click me...large picture

That is Opera and Firefox side by side on my 2 montiors. Probably should have loaded the site...but the only difference is that i have the bar where the picture is for the removal service thought the image isnt there.

So i am close. I am looking almost daily at new ways to customize Opera and get it setup for optimal use.

 

[KSoD]

For those that want to try out this setup follow these steps.

Install Opera Unite. Get it from here. I always use the MSI installers. The other one is the classic installer if you wish. they are the same just a different extenstion.

From there once you run Opera for the first time it will be default. Close it out. Download the rar of the custom profile here.

Now copy that rar file and place it in the Opera 10 Beta Profile folder.

C:\Users\<username>\Roaming\Opera\Opera 10 Beta

In there you should see Dictionary and the other browser files. That is the actual profile for opera. Paste in the rar and use the extract here right click option of WinRar. If you have it. If not extract it to there with whatever software you use. It will prompt for a file overwrite. Say YES.

When you load up opera it will now look like this:

*NOTE*

Oh yeah just for reference. The pic shows multiple tabs but only the one shown (The first one which is active, the Opera 10 Beta Page) will load. The rest are up there for me to use as a reference to write up this tut.


The first hash is the File Menu. Since the Menu bar is disabled this is where you will find all of your options for file, edit, view and so on. The double hash mark is the sidebar panel extender. Click it once to extend and show the sidebar click it again to hide it.

2 things you have to do now.

1. Click on the file button. Select Tools>Preferences>Advanced>Content. In there click the Javascript Options button. There select the folder now present in your new updated opera profile folder with the name userjs. Upon restart this will kick on the custom UserJs files i have installed.

2. on the sidebar click the + sign. There you will get the screen that comes up for the sidebar panels. The bookmarks one is already active. Click the check box for Unite. that will give you the Unite options. (This might require you to create a account on Opera.com)

With step number 2 if you go to this page here, you will be able to go through and select various items that you can add to your sidebar. The things like the tinyURL, Uploader 4 and that are listed in there.

Then you can go under the bookmarks and remove the ones they have stored by default. You can go File>Import & Export to automatically get your bookmarks from other browsers. Save you the time. If you already have taken steps i have posted about before on how to export your browser bookmarks to a file you can just import that file with steps listed here.

Then you can also create a Opera Sync profile which will automatically sync your bookmarks with your Opera.com profile and store them online so that if you have to do a reinstall all you have to do is sign into the Sync again and get your bookmarks back. Just like XMarks for Firefox but without the password feature.

Sadly after you import your bookmarks you will have to go to your sites and have Opera save your passwords for them. This site will save using the new post from visitor method. They will be saved via the Wand and saved to the wand.dat file. So if you end up having to do a reinstall you can save that file to save your wand data.

The Up and Down arrows near the address bar are the top and bottom buttons. If you double click or middle mouse click on the 3 dots under the tab bar you will get to see the picture tab view. Do the same to disable that.

The forward and back buttons are already setup to be optimal. Click the arrow and it goes that direction. click the down arrow next to them brings up your drop list of sites you have been to for quick reference.

Note #2

This is extreme customization. I have a guide to basic customization as well that should be done to make opera work better for you. Located here.

Note #3

I have already included a urlfilter.ini file for adblocking. For information about that check out my post here.

Note #4

Upon posting on a site such as this if you right click in the text area you will see a few extra options. That being BBCod and HTML code. Highlighting text and going to these areas and selecting the appropriate code you want to you will automatically wrap the highlighted text in the code desired.

Note #5

I do not have the NoScript (Called BlockIt for Opera) installed. The reason for this is that it doesnt operate the same way as it does in Firefox. There is no control for you to allow a specifc site to be allowed to execute its scripts. I do have a couple of scripts for blocking external scripts from being executed which work great. If you wish to get the BlockIt and try it out it is located here. Right click on the .js file and select the Save Linked Content As option to save the .js file to your system and place it in the userjs folder in the profile area of Opera.

This page here is a decent list of Opera.js files already done. Some are links to other forum topics at opera.com while some are the actual .js files. If you click on it and get a wall of text, that is the .js file and go back to the previous page and use the Save Linked Content As option to save the file. Then just place them in the userjs folder which is now there.

Note #6

I did have it posted that the Flashblock was not working. I have resolved that issue. Go here, download the Flashblock.js file (Right click select Save Linked Content As) and place it in the userjs folder. It will then work as expected. Dont know why the version i have with the profile doesnt work as it works fine for me. But this is a great fix for the problem as well as getting you flashblock.

That should about cover it. That should get Opera setup close to mine in operation and use. If you have any questions feel free to ask i will answer them best of my ability.

 

[KSoD]

Today i want to talk to you about 2 other features of Opera.

Notes and Personal.

What these are is kinda fun. They are 2 things that show when you right click in a text area of a site or where ever you can input text. But they can be customized.

Insert personal you setup easily. Just right click, select insert Personal and click Edit. There you will get this screen:

Now when i right click and choose the Personal option you will see that the text i just loaded will be presented easy for me to just click and insert.

Now the Insert Note is a bit different. That does require you to have a Opera Account on the my.opera.com site. It is free registration so it is useful for such things as this.

Now what you do is you go to your personal page and under the heading you will see a Opera drop down menu. There you will see the notes selection.

There you can put in anything you wish. Just for reference i will show one of my entries...

You can put such things in there that you want to have quick right click access to. Such as websites, emoticons used on sites, just about anything you want to ad. It is nice, easy and convenient to have these options. The Personal aspect will be reset upon reinstall. But once you Sync your Opera install with the services online the Notes will return automatically.