How do I make control-click in Opera open new tabs?

Update: As of version 11.50, control-click opens the new tab in background, as desired. Yay!

In Opera, as opposed to all other modern browsers I know, control-click does not open a new tab. Moreover, I couldn't find any good way to configure this behavior. The best available option seems to be this. However, it's so hacky that it won't work on HTTPS sites unless you enable user javascript there, which doesn't seem like a good idea. There also seem to be other proposed solutions, but none of them seem to work.

I'd like this because my laptop has no middle mouse-button, and I'm a creature of habit.

Do people have any ideas (for the latest version, 10.50)? I'd like ctrl-click to open a background tab, but I can do with foreground. Thank you!

user21952-is-a-great-name

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 171

In Opera, you can also use shift+click, it's the equivalent. – Gnoupi – 2010-03-31T19:22:53.867

1I am aware of this. I want my browsers to be uniform. – user21952-is-a-great-name – 2010-03-31T20:28:25.877

1Opera 11.50β has ctrl+(left)click opening a new tab/page in the background. I just couldn't see the problem until i tried it on Opera 11.11, where it doesn't work. We can hope it stays that way out of βeta. – allanrockwell – 2011-06-19T05:20:57.230

1If you found the solution, answer your own question and mark it as accepted to that others with this same issue will know how to fix it. – Wuffers – 2011-06-28T23:22:56.717

Answers

Just tried the js hack, indeed it doesn't work by default on HTTPS. But you can turn on User JavaScript on HTTPS pages: http://www.opera.com/docs/userjs/using/#securepages

Andrew

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 11

Not technically a keyboard shortcut but since you mention that you want an easy solution when you're on your laptop you should check out this extension. It will allow you to open a new background tab with a long left click. Doesn't sound like much but on a laptop it's a life saver.

Christian Hagelid

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 171

Thank you -- I haven't tried this since Opera fixed the original problem, but this seems very helpful. – user21952-is-a-great-name – 2011-07-31T10:06:20.717

Besides some hacky way as you describe, I don't think there is a way to change Opera's behavior in this manner.

The only solutions I can think of are:

Using Shift + Click, but that's different from other browsers, then (even though I believe it was done in first versions to use the same keyboard shortcut as IE used to open in another window, when tabs were only existing in Opera. I could be wrong, though). Edit: This actually opens the tab and switches to it, it's not an "open in background". Adding Ctrl allows to open in background, as shown by mrtreb.
Some hacky way using AutoHotKey (example of scripts here) to make Ctrl behave like Shift.
Depending on the way you use your laptop, for example without a mouse and only with a trackpad, there are some trackpads which allow you to configure pressing left and right at same time send a "middle button" event (this is what I use on my laptop)
If you are using a mouse without middle button, you can activate gestures in Opera, and the default gesture to open a link in another tab is pressing right mouse button on the click, then going down before releasing.

Gnoupi

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 7 909

There's reportedly a hacky way of doing it via UserJS (second comment on this page), although the user in question refers to Opera 9.5.

MartW

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 1 852

Yes, that's what I linked to. Unfortunately, it's so hacky that it doesn't really work on https sites. – user21952-is-a-great-name – 2010-04-01T19:35:19.073

The shortcut key for it is:

ctrl + shift click (equivalent to middle click) ..

mrtreb

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 1

2Indeed, adding ctrl allows to open in background, while shift + click alone switches to the new tab. However, the OP wants strictly ctrol + click only, here. – Gnoupi – 2010-07-03T16:23:31.697

I know; this doesn't help since my hands are used to control-click. Since I use many computers, I can't use Opera everywhere. – user21952-is-a-great-name – 2010-07-04T14:58:52.423

Worked in Ver 11.00 :

Menu --> Settings -Preferences (or just Ctrl+F12)
Advanced --> Shortcuts --> Keyboard setup - Opera Standard (become blue)
Bottom buttons:> Duplicate - Rename - [ your chosen name ] - OK

Keyboard setup - [ your chosen name ] (becomes blue)

Edit (the bottom one) - Find - [type] Open link

Under Browser Window find:

"Open link in new page" and "Open link in background page"

If found then change "input context" value (click on it) to:

EnterCtrl Enter+Ctrl+Shift

IF NOT FOUND - MAKE THEM:

bottom buttons:>

New - click on value to change - type the input context above - same for Actions - click OK OK

No need to restart - it is taken right away!

dpsuper

Posted 2010-03-31T19:12:19.803

Reputation: 1

This didn't work for me at all - this changes the keyboard behavior, but not the mouse. – user21952-is-a-great-name – 2010-12-29T01:39:42.153