How To Remove Linux Mint Custom Google Search in Firefox
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:01 am
There are other posts discussing simpler and better ways to remove the Linux Mint branded google custom search in Firefox including the simple way. But if you really want to get ugly and remove the mint google custom search files you can! Before you do this you should understand that this google custom search generates revenue for Mint, so donate first!
Deleting The Custom Search
This shouldn't be necessary at all. You should just be able to add your new search engines following the instructions below.
First, go into firefox and in the upper right corner go click on the search engine list and go to Manage Search Engines. From here delete the one titled Google. This is the custom google mint search on default installs.
Next let's remove the actual file.
The XML files for Firefox search engines are located here: Inside this directory you should find a google.xml file which contains the Mint custom search fields. Back this file up and remove it.
Adding New Search Engines Manually
Inside your firefox profile create the directory searchplugins. In my case:
Place into this directory the XML files for your search engines. Note: It seems you cannot have the <ShortName> element of the XML file conflict with previously deleted search Engines, so Google is not a valid <ShortName>. Google Search is used instead.
The default google.xml search file is somewhat hard to find online. I haven't verified if this is up to date and official but it seems so: http://www.mozillalinks.org/download/google.xml
If you download this file you need to change the <ShortName> of the file to something else like Google Search instead of just Google. I've done this change and the result:I can't seem to upload .txt or .xml files to this forum so let me know if the above doesn't copy and paste correctly. Copy and paste the above and place it into a google.xml file your searchplugins directory and restart firefox. Then in the upper right corner you can go back to Manage Search Engines and move the Google Search to the top. That's it.
If you want it to be the actual default navigate to in firefox and type browser.search in the filter. Click on browser.search.defaultenginename and change the value to Google Search or whatever the <ShortName> is for your google.xml file.
This should now have you setup with the default google search. I don't guaranty this to work, it might even destroy all your valuable data, follow at your own risk.
Another cool search engine file I wrote is google-anonymoused.xml which just adds a Anonymouse'd google search to the search engine list.
Note: suggestions are enabled and are coming directly from google, you can change this by editing the file and deleting line 7 in the .xml file.
that line should look like:
Please let me know if there are any problems or suggestions for improving this.
Enjoy,
Evan
Deleting The Custom Search
This shouldn't be necessary at all. You should just be able to add your new search engines following the instructions below.
First, go into firefox and in the upper right corner go click on the search engine list and go to Manage Search Engines. From here delete the one titled Google. This is the custom google mint search on default installs.
Next let's remove the actual file.
The XML files for Firefox search engines are located here:
Code: Select all
/usr/lib/firefox-addons/searchplugins
Code: Select all
sudo rm /usr/lib/firefox-addons/searchplugins/google.xml
Inside your firefox profile create the directory searchplugins. In my case:
Code: Select all
mkdir /home/evan/.mozilla/firefox/3q8p08rn.default/searchplugins/
The default google.xml search file is somewhat hard to find online. I haven't verified if this is up to date and official but it seems so: http://www.mozillalinks.org/download/google.xml
If you download this file you need to change the <ShortName> of the file to something else like Google Search instead of just Google. I've done this change and the result:
Code: Select all
<SearchPlugin xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/2006/browser/search/">
<ShortName>Google Search</ShortName>
<Description>Google Search</Description>
<InputEncoding>UTF-8</InputEncoding>
<Image width="16" height="16">data:image/x-icon;base64,AAABAAEAEBAAAAEAIABoBAAAFgAAACgAAAAQAAAAIAAAAAEAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA7PT7%2F3zF6%2F9Ptu%2F%2FRbHx%2F0227%2F%2BTzvb%2F9vv5%2F97h0f9JeBz%2FNHoA%2Fz98Av9AfAD%2FPHsA%2F0F6AP8AAAAA%2Fvz7%2F1%2B33%2F8Mp%2Bz%2FFrHw%2FxWy8f8bs%2FT%2FHqrx%2F3zE7v%2F%2F%2F%2F7%2Ft8qp%2FzF2A%2F87gwH%2FP4ID%2Fz59AP8%2BegD%2FQ3kA%2F97s8v8botj%2FELn3%2Fwy58f8PtfL%2FD7Lw%2Fxuz9P8vq%2Bf%2F8%2Fn%2F%2F%2F779v9KhR3%2FOYYA%2F0GFAv88hgD%2FQIAC%2Fz17AP%2F0%2B%2Fj%2FN6bM%2FwC07%2F8Cxf7%2FCsP7%2Fwm%2B9v8Aqur%2FSrDb%2F%2F7%2B%2Fv%2F%2F%2FP7%2FVZEl%2FzSJAP87jQD%2FPYYA%2F0OBBf8%2BfQH%2F%2F%2F3%2F%2F9Dp8%2F84sM7%2FCrDf%2FwC14%2F8CruL%2FKqnW%2F9ns8f%2F8%2Fv%2F%2F4OjX%2Fz%2BGDf85kAD%2FPIwD%2Fz2JAv8%2BhQD%2FPoEA%2F9C7pv%2F97uv%2F%2F%2F%2F%2B%2F9Xw%2Bv%2Bw3ej%2Fls%2Fe%2F%2Brz9%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2B%2Fz6%2F22mSf8qjQH%2FOJMA%2FzuQAP85iwL%2FPIgA%2FzyFAP%2BOSSL%2FnV44%2F7J%2BVv%2FAkG7%2F7trP%2F%2F7%2F%2Ff%2F9%2F%2F7%2F6%2FLr%2F2uoRv8tjQH%2FPJYA%2FzuTAP87kwD%2FPY8A%2Fz2KAP89hAD%2Folkn%2F6RVHP%2BeSgj%2FmEgR%2F%2FHo3%2F%2F%2B%2Fv7%2F5Ozh%2F1GaJv8tlAD%2FOZcC%2FzuXAv84lAD%2FO5IC%2Fz2PAf89iwL%2FOIkA%2F6hWFf%2BcTxD%2Fpm9C%2F76ihP%2F8%2Fv%2F%2F%2B%2F%2F%2F%2F8nav%2F8fdwL%2FNZsA%2FzeZAP83mgD%2FPJQB%2FzyUAf84jwD%2FPYsB%2Fz6HAf%2BfXif%2F1r6s%2F%2F79%2F%2F%2F58u%2F%2F3r%2Bg%2F%2B3i2v%2F%2B%2F%2F3%2FmbiF%2FyyCAP87mgP%2FOpgD%2FzeWAP85lgD%2FOpEB%2Fz%2BTAP9ChwH%2F7eHb%2F%2F%2F%2F%2Fv%2F28ej%2FtWwo%2F7tUAP%2B5XQ7%2F5M%2B5%2F%2F%2F%2F%2Fv%2BbsZn%2FIHAd%2FzeVAP89lgP%2FO5MA%2FzaJCf8tZTr%2FDyuK%2F%2F3%2F%2F%2F%2F9%2F%2F%2F%2F0qmC%2F7lTAP%2FKZAT%2FvVgC%2F8iQWf%2F%2B%2F%2F3%2F%2F%2Fj%2F%2Fygpx%2F8GGcL%2FESax%2FxEgtv8FEMz%2FAALh%2FwAB1f%2F%2F%2Ff7%2F%2F%2Fz%2F%2F758O%2F%2FGXQL%2FyGYC%2F8RaAv%2FOjlf%2F%2B%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F9QU93%2FBAD0%2FwAB%2F%2F8DAP3%2FAAHz%2FwAA5f8DAtr%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2Fv7%2B%2F%2B2bCT%2FyGMA%2F89mAP%2FBWQD%2F0q%2BD%2F%2F%2F%2B%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FP7%2FRkbg%2FwEA%2Bf8AA%2Fz%2FAQH5%2FwMA8P8AAev%2FAADf%2F%2F%2F7%2FP%2F%2F%2F%2F7%2FuINQ%2F7lXAP%2FMYwL%2FvGIO%2F%2FLm3P%2F8%2Fv%2F%2F1dT2%2FwoM5%2F8AAP3%2FAwH%2B%2FwAB%2Ff8AAfb%2FBADs%2FwAC4P8AAAAA%2F%2Fz7%2F%2BLbzP%2BmXyD%2FoUwE%2F9Gshv%2F8%2F%2F3%2F7%2FH5%2Fzo%2Fw%2F8AAdX%2FAgL6%2FwAA%2Ff8CAP3%2FAAH2%2FwAA7v8AAAAAgAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAEAAA%3D%3D</Image>
<Url type="application/x-suggestions+json" method="GET" template="http://suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?output=firefox&client=firefox&hl={moz:locale}&q={searchTerms}"/>
<Url type="text/html" method="GET" template="http://www.google.com/search">
<Param name="q" value="{searchTerms}"/>
<Param name="ie" value="utf-8"/>
<Param name="oe" value="utf-8"/>
<Param name="aq" value="t"/>
<!-- Dynamic parameters -->
<Param name="rls" value="{moz:distributionID}:{moz:locale}:{moz:official}"/>
<MozParam name="client" condition="defaultEngine" trueValue="firefox-a" falseValue="firefox"/>
</Url>
<SearchForm>http://www.google.com/firefox</SearchForm>
</SearchPlugin>
If you want it to be the actual default navigate to
Code: Select all
about:config
This should now have you setup with the default google search. I don't guaranty this to work, it might even destroy all your valuable data, follow at your own risk.
Another cool search engine file I wrote is google-anonymoused.xml which just adds a Anonymouse'd google search to the search engine list.
Code: Select all
<SearchPlugin xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/2006/browser/search/" xmlns:os="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/">
<os:ShortName>Google [Anonymoused]</os:ShortName>
<os:Description>Google [Anonymoused]</os:Description>
<os:InputEncoding>ISO-8859-1</os:InputEncoding>
<os:Image width="16" height="16">data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAABHklEQVQ4jbVSwXEEMQijFP+3CZrgTynqhO1EpbgU5bHG500m+YUZxh6MhMCYmRkAfw64fcwjgpkpd8cZf+UCcAAiqTmn1oNXleacIimSalDHADy5q4LGGCKpiGBVbcIGVJUigiQ1xpC767ouGgC5uzJTraSqBEBV9bqT1H3f6qIAZAA2uAn6/t3Pt03g7li99wyUmSKn3FPuz/1U2LljDJmZWUSwWeecqqoF9uW5Yr4rL0I3vG0PT5Kmu6aZ2u777ha2nV+JHtbTAsWqx8ndgplpAxd4LwUA9rd95PsmzMzd94k7FTiAvQdN0IO7rosH+KXiXOHXGmemIoJrhf/H3Myw3M2M32Lt9kveDp7Avwh4EPxQYPaz2kl4njQz/wJw6Zgu4tBEqgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==</os:Image>
<SearchForm>http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en</SearchForm>
<Url type="application/x-suggestions+json" method="GET" template="http://suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?output=firefox&client=firefox&hl={moz:locale}&q={searchTerms}"/>
<os:Url type="text/html" method="GET" template="http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.google.com/search">
<os:Param name="hl" value="en"/>
<os:Param name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"/>
<os:Param name="q" value="{searchTerms}"/>
<os:Param name="btnG" value="Google+Search"/>
<os:Param name="aq" value="f"/>
<os:Param name="oq" value=""/>
<os:Param name="aqi" value=""/>
<os:Param name="sourceid" value="Mozilla-search"/>
</os:Url>
</SearchPlugin>
that line should look like:
Code: Select all
<Url type="application/x-suggestions+json" method="GET" template="http://
suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?output=firefox&
client=firefox&hl={moz:locale}&q={searchTerms}"/>
Enjoy,
Evan