How can I install two different versions of Opera?

[melody5697]

There's this game I wanna play on Neopets, but it's really, really, really old. It's so old that it uses a version of Flash that no browser supports anymore. (Except Safari, but that's irrelevant, since I'm not booting into Windows 10 and suffering through the automatic software updates just to install an old version of Safari to play a game.) I asked the people on r/operabrowser if there's any way I can get it to work in Opera (since that's my main browser), and I was told to try Opera 12. But when I tried to install that, I got this message:
Error: Breaks existing package 'opera-stable' conflict: opera ( )
How can I install it without breaking the current version of Opera? I have Linux Mint 18.2.

[JerryF]

I don't think you can or should install two versions of the same software at the same time.

Have you thought of using Virtualbox and setting up Mint in that, the you call install the version of Opera that you need to run Neopets.

Can you copy and paste the result of this command from Terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

Please paste the result in between code tags found above where you type. The button will look like this </>

[BenTrabetere]

Otter Browser is designed to look like Opera 12.x, but I do not know if it behaves like it or if it is compatible with NeoPets. I think it is still in Beta.

There is an AppImage for Otter Browser on its website. I do not know if this will solve your problem, but it should not harm your system if you want to try it.
https://otter-browser.org/

Download the AppImage and make it executable.

[Neil Edmond]

Is there a portable version of both Opera versions that could be run without installation?

[Hoser Rob]

Flash updates are central to browser security so I doubt any currently available browser would support such an old version. And I also don't see how you could install both versions. Besides, using an old Flash version is just asking to be hacked. Just how good is this game?

[kukamuumuka]

If you want to run Opera 12.16 and Opera 52 + on the same system, you need to use tar.bz2 version from 12.16 and installed deb version from 50 +
https://ftp.opera.com/pub/opera/linux/1216/
https://www.opera.com/

[melody5697]

I don't think you can or should install two versions of the same software at the same time.

Have you thought of using Virtualbox and setting up Mint in that, the you call install the version of Opera that you need to run Neopets.

Can you copy and paste the result of this command from Terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

Please paste the result in between code tags found above where you type. The button will look like this </>

I think you misunderstood. Neopets works just fine. It's just two games called Hannah and the Pirate Caves and Hannah and the Ice Caves. Maybe TNT (that stands for The Neopets Team) decided they're not worth maintaining because there's a third game in the series called Hannah and the Kreludor Caves. (Kreludor is Neopia's moon.) I'm not sure I want to use Virtualbox... When I was first looking into installing Linux right after Windows 10 came out, my grandpa suggested running Windows in Virtualbox, but I thought I read that I would have to give it some of my RAM and then I would have less RAM the rest of the time regardless of whether or not I was running Virtualbox at the time. Maybe I misunderstood because I didn't know much about computers back then. (I still don't know a lot, but I know more than I did then. I switched to Linux because I hate Windows 10, not because I was particularly interested in learning more about computers.) But here's the result of that command:

Code: Select all

katie@Princess-Luna ~ $ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: Princess-Luna Kernel: 4.8.0-53-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.4.3 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya
Machine:   System: HP product: HP Notebook v: Type1ProductConfigId
           Mobo: HP model: 81EB v: 61.36 Bios: Insyde v: F.18 date: 09/26/2016
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-6100U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9216
           clock speeds: max: 2300 MHz 1: 499 MHz 2: 499 MHz 3: 499 MHz
           4: 499 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Sky Lake Integrated Graphics bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.09hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 520 (Skylake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 12.0.6 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.8.0-53-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 4000 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           IF: enp1s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: rtl8188ee port: 3000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: wlo1 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (1.3% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST1000LM035 size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 475G used: 6.6G (2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 6.33GB used: 1.00GB (16%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda7
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0C mobo: 29.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 228 Uptime: 6 days Memory: 5103.2/5857.8MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

Otter Browser is designed to look like Opera 12.x, but I do not know if it behaves like it or if it is compatible with NeoPets. I think it is still in Beta.

There is an AppImage for Otter Browser on its website. I do not know if this will solve your problem, but it should not harm your system if you want to try it.
https://otter-browser.org/

Download the AppImage and make it executable.

The issue is that some very old games on Neopets use a very old version of Flash that no modern browser supports... I don't think a newer browser is gonna support an ancient version of Flash. Most of the website works just fine. It's just two very old games that I guess TNT (The Neopets Team) doesn't care about anymore because they're part of a series and there's a newer game in the series.

Flash updates are central to browser security so I doubt any currently available browser would support such an old version. And I also don't see how you could install both versions. Besides, using an old Flash version is just asking to be hacked. Just how good is this game?

Well, I know I was able to install multiple versions of Internet Explorer on one computer when I first got administrative privileges when I was nine (probably my dad only let me have administrative privileges because my little sister and I were the only ones who used that computer and there was nobody else to update software), so I assumed that would also be possible on Linux Mint. Sorry for being dumb. The game is VERY good. I can't get hacked if I use a live CD or a live USB, right? Would the same apply to a live USB with data persistence? I think I might have another functioning USB drive lying around somewhere. I'll have to find it, though.

[Hoser Rob]

... I was able to install multiple versions of Internet Explorer on one computer when I first got administrative privileges ....

Linux isn't just a free version Windows. It's quite different. One big difference is that in WIndows you just think you're the administrator. MS is. And in Linux if you're the administrator ... ie. you have a sudo password ... the OS assumes you know what you're doing. WIndows assumes the user knows nothing.

About building opera from source, I think I mentally blocked that out before. It's a much more difficult way to do it and can lead straight to dependency hell. There's a reason that less experienced users are steered towards the repos. The last software I installed from source was a backported wireless kernel module, which I actually needed.

[JerryF]

...
my grandpa suggested running Windows in Virtualbox, but I thought I read that I would have to give it some of my RAM and then I would have less RAM the rest of the time regardless of whether or not I was running Virtualbox at the time.
...

When you run Virtualbox, you will need to give it some of your RAM, usually anywhere from 1GB to 4GB, but when you close Virtualbox, you will get back your RAM. Virtualbox won't take your RAM while it's not running.

Thanks for providing the inxi command results. The specs of your computer show that you'll be able to run Virtualbox quite well if needed.

Now, am I understanding correctly that the games are played through a browser so they're not 'installed'?

...
I can't get hacked if I use a live CD or a live USB, right? Would the same apply to a live USB with data persistence? I think I might have another functioning USB drive lying around somewhere. I'll have to find it, though.

Anytime that someone is connected to the Internet, either by a Live DVD or USB or installed version of Mint has the potential of getting hacked. But since Linux is more secure than Windows, it's much less likely.

So, if playing that game only requires a web browser, you can create a Live USB and install an older version of Opera that will have the Flash version you need for the game.

You also have the option of installing Virtualbox, installing Mint as a virtual machine, and then installing the older version of Opera that you need.

Now, for an unsolicited opinion, I would prefer the Virtualbox solution. Having to run a Live DVD or USB means rebooting to play the game, then rebooting again to use your installed Mint 18.2. That's a bit of several reboots.

With Virtualbox, you start it, the virtual machine 'boots' with whatever version of Mint you install in that virtual machine, run the older version of Opera, play your game, shut down the virtual machine, close Virtualbox, and you're back to your installed version of Mint 18.2 on your notebook. No physical rebooting needed.

The great thing about having a virtual machine is that you can create 'snapshots' of the virtual machine and if by chance the virtual machine has an issue in the future, you can restore it to a previous condition by using a snapshot.

I have Virtualbox on my laptop to run Windows 10 in a virtual machine with several snapshots.

[Moem]

Sorry for being dumb. The game is VERY good. I can't get hacked if I use a live CD or a live USB, right? Would the same apply to a live USB with data persistence? I think I might have another functioning USB drive lying around somewhere. I'll have to find it, though.

Using a live CD or USB makes you less secure, not more so, since these can't be updated with security updates and so you'll be running unpatched kernels and an OS with potential vulnerabilities. I'm not sure whether a live medium with persistence can be updated; whether it's secure, depends on that.

And please don't call yourself dumb. Not having a certain piece of information does not equal being dumb. I've met dumb people and you're not one of them.

[trytip]

where is this game? is there a link or download to test?

[BenTrabetere]

You might consider running ReactOS virtual machine. Opera 12 can be installed from its Application Manager.
https://www.reactos.org/

[JerryF]

where is this game? is there a link or download to test?

http://petpages.neopets.com/games/game. ... ame_id=349
http://petpages.neopets.com/games/game. ... ame_id=473

[trytip]

sorry, shockwave is not used anymore which is not the same as flash media and it never worked in linux.