How To Remove Linux Mint Custom Google Search in Firefox

[fschaap]

If you follow my instructions to the letter, you will always use the normal Google search, also in the Awesome bar. Scroll up, or direct link: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 20#p468916

I didn't write it down for nothing

Down to the letter, for one crucial detail: instead of using your xml file, I use the default one from the tarball. It has the default shortname "Google" so that's what I stick in the Firefox registry.

I have a sneaking suspicion that if I change the shortname, it will work (as in your case), but really, this shouldn't be anywhere near as convoluted as it is. I simply cannot grok this bit of stubborn behavior on the part of the Mint team, because in virtually every other area they are completely focused on getting as good a user experience as possible.

So, make the CSE a default, sure. Warn the user when s/he deletes it that this is a source of income, sure. Point out how to donate, sure. But, if it's the user's choice, respect that.

[blueXrider]

This is the easy way:
Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682
Install the addon and restart Firefox
Go to google http://www.google.com
Right click in google search bar and select “add to search bar”
Left-click arrow at left side of firefox search combo
Select “manage search engine”
You should find google at the bottom of the list
Move it to the top

By doing so your search results will use the original Google layout again (cached links, etc..) but hey everytime you make a search you could have made us grow at the same time.

From the The Linux Mint Blog

[xenopeek]

This is the easy way:
Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682
Install the addon and restart Firefox
Go to google http://www.google.com
Right click in google search bar and select “add to search bar”

This works, but as pointed out earlier this doesn't fully work. You don't get suggestions as you type in the search field with this method. I use that, hence I prefer my method

[PirateRussell]

Hey, at least it's not Unity!

I left Ubuntu this weekend for Mint. And didn't realize that this was a fund raiser!

[mikeeve]

... not that big of an inconvenience to help support an OS like Linux Mint. I think we can all agree on that.

No. Can't agree. I hate having to spend so much time just to restore Google to it's default. I've paid my dues to mint (literally!) and hate this nickel and dime (or is a penny and cent) stuff. Create just a one-click "Give me back my Google" app and let users decide how they want to help pay for Mint (as they should).

[mikeeve]

If you follow my instructions to the letter, you will always use the normal Google search, also in the Awesome bar. Scroll up, or direct link: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 20#p468916

I didn't write it down for nothing

Worked for me. Thanks.

Unfortunately, I have Mint installed 3 places (as boot, as virtual machine, as laptop) and will have to do it everywhere. Not to mention the occasional reinstalls. ..sigh

[MALsPa]

Create just a one-click "Give me back my Google" app and let users decide how they want to help pay for Mint (as they should).

+1

[xenopeek]

From Clem's blogpost about Linux Mint 12, the search engines part:

Going forward, we won’t be using a custom search engine anymore. Linux Mint is the 4th most popular desktop OS in the World, with millions of users, and possibly outgrowing Ubuntu this year. The revenue Mint users generate when they see and click on ads within search engines is quite significant. So far this revenue’s entirely gone towards search engines and browsers. Our goal is to give users a good search experience while funding ourselves by receiving a share of this income. Search engines who do not share the income generated by our users, are removed from Linux Mint and might get their ads blocked.

In Linux Mint 12 and upcoming releases we’re hoping to provide users with the following commercial search engines: Ask.com, Google, Amazon, eBay, and the non-commercial Wikipedia.

It won’t only be down to donations and sponsorships anymore, your activity on the web, every search query you make and product you buy will help fund our project.

[robertmbowes]

I used to use the Google Informative Search, but I can't find it anymore. Now when I search for that, I get the Google Safe Search or Google SSL. Here's the link to that. It works fine for me.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... sl-243978/

[Artichoke]

I quite agree with the principle of supporting Mint through use of the custom search engine; the problem lies with the annoyingly handicapped version of Google that the add-on gives me. It really frustrates me, and I've been driven to remove it.

I prefer the Amazon/eBay idea. Meanwhile, I intend to demonstrate my good faith by making a donation.

[syborfical]

This is the easy way:
Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682
Install the addon and restart Firefox
Go to google http://www.google.com
Right click in google search bar and select “add to search bar”
Left-click arrow at left side of firefox search combo
Select “manage search engine”
You should find google at the bottom of the list
Move it to the top

Thank you finally an answer.

I was 5 seconds away from never using mint again.
If I wanted annoying is hell options id use windows.

actaully it works for the firefox search bar not using the address bar to search.

THIS IS F*#KING ANNOYING.

[zoof]

I just found the easiest way to disable Mint's custom google search. I did
a "locate google.xml" and discovered two files:

Code: Select all

/usr/share/iceweasel/searchplugins/google.xml
/usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml

"sudo chmod -r /usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml" or "sudo rm /usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml" will force firefox to use the first (the standard default) rather than the second.

[syborfical]

I just found the easiest way to disable Mint's custom google search. I did
a "locate google.xml" and discovered two files:

Code: Select all

/usr/share/iceweasel/searchplugins/google.xml
/usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml

"sudo chmod -r /usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml" or "sudo rm /usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments/firefox/google.xml" will force firefox to use the first (the standard default) rather than the second.

I should say I am running LXDE mint.

And the directory usr/share/linuxmint/adjustments doesn't exorcist.

I'm just going to blog about mint and give it an adware rating of 8.
I think there dev's have proved they are arseholes.

This seems to fix it

http://danielj.se/2011/05/02/change-bac ... inux-mint/

[xenopeek]

Keep it polite please. The Linux Mint team has heard to the community on this, and already acted accordingly. For Linux Mint 12 there is no custom Google search engine.

Details under "Search engines" paragraph in the New features in Linux Mint 12 blog.

You can follow my short guide http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 20#p468916 in this topic to change back to normal Google on older versions of Linux Mint. This should work for DEs other than GNOME also, though you may have to extract the attached file to someplace other than Desktop if your DE doesn't allow files on the desktop.

[syborfical]

Keep it polite please. The Linux Mint team has heard to the community on this, and already acted accordingly.

I'll try and be a bit nicer.
But bastardizing Google like that is boarding on using IE or malwar.

"from freedom came elegance" ....

How hard would it be for the dev's to make an update for mint 11 to remove all the bastardization?

I have several mates who tried mint all agree the Google bastardization sucks. almost as much as unity.
This is the reason most people I know have tired mint they hate unity.
Most people use google and would like it the same no matter what platform.


The fact of the matter is. Its there its done. It can be undone. Surly It can be patched!

[Moxoxo]

This worked perfectly, thank you. It was driving me insane, and I can't believe it takes jumping through hoops to *restore* something as central to browsing as Google search. It's a pretty massive tampering with my browsing experience, and I don't care if it "brings revenue". I'm not obligated to partake in that, I'll donate if I want to, but considering how many other Linux dists there are, switching to one which simply doesn't mess with my browsing experience to begin with is *not* a problem.

[camber799]

I'm very happy to hear that Mint 12 will no longer have the custom search feature. As a search marketer it became impossible to use 11 because every update rolled back the custom search feature and unfortunately we need to see the correct search results pages so we had to migrate away-it was too troublesome. It's a great disro and a lot of hard work goes into it. I'm looking forward to trying 12.

[sagirfahmid3]

Easier way that I do, instead of following so many crazy xml editing stuff, is to download Firefox from www.mozilla.org (the tar.bz2 file), extract it, move it to "/opt", create a symlink to it, and that's it!
It's also safer that way as you are getting Firefox directly from their site instead of installing a modified DEB package (as in the case of Mint Search Custom)--not that I'm saying that the DEB files cannot be trusted, it just feels better knowing it didn't come modified.

This is what I do (I don't use the Firefox DEB from repo anymore)
1 Extract the downloaded firefox.tar.bz2 to desktop.
2 In terminal, type "sudo mv /home/{your username}/Desktop/firefox /opt/"
3 Now I make a symlink "sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/"
4 Click Firefox, and voila! you got the latest Firefox WITHOUT the custom search

Every time a new Firefox comes out, just follow the same steps basically (but remove the old firefox in /opt)
Hope that helps.

[xenopeek]

As noted earlier in this topic, you can also just extract the default Google search plugin xml files from the downloaded Firefox and overwrite those on your system. Seems a bit heavy to install Firefox twice Also, this means you don't get security updates for Firefox automatically--you will have to download and install each Firefox update manually.

[sagirfahmid3]

Hi Vincent, actually remember you gave me some instructions on removing Mint custom search? I asked a question like this once, but your solution didn't exactly work. You said edit something in about:config, I forgot what exactly, but anyways

Btw, if he wants, he can remove the Firefox from the repo in Synaptic.
And yes, I understand you have to manually install Firefox, but it's no big deal; just type in Firefox.com once a week and check