Firefox 4.0.1 on Mint 11: Google searches

[Ctulhu]

Hi all

I am running Firefox 4.0.1 on Mint 11 and am kinda annoyed by the way Mint returns the result of Google searches. Like many other, I am using the addon greasemonkey and googlemonkeyr to get search results in 4 columns, with autoload, suppress other google crap like ads and have Google not track my results. On Firefox for Mint,

- that doesn't work when a search term is entered into the location bar even if Mint's search enhancer is disabled!
- that doesn't work when a search term is entered into the search bar even if Mint's search enhancer is disabled!
- that only works if I go to www.google.com manually and enter the word in the search bar (and sometimes I even have to take out all the crap in the URL to reduce it to the minimum as in this: <http://www.google.com/#q=kackvogel>).

Is there a way to get this back? I really don't care for the stupid Mint branding in my search results: I know which OS I am using and which I prefer without said OS messing with perfectly good search output. Any ideas?

Thx,
C

[proxima_centauri]

There are countless threads concerning this topic on the Linux Mint forums. See below:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=39623

[Ctulhu]

Thanks a lot, my searches of the forum were all about Greasemonkey and Googlemonkeyr so I didn't find that myself, sry 4 that

[Ctulhu]

Ok, it does take care of the search in the search bar, but not the one in the locationbar, but now I know to case a wider net, will search the forums again

[proxima_centauri]

What do you mean by "location bar" vs. "search bar"?

[Ctulhu]

I meant

- location bar: the field where the URL shows
- search bar/field: the extra field usually on the right into which you enter search terms (from the time before browsers followed Chrome in making that allowing the location bar to be used as a search field.

[adolson]

I meant

- location bar: the field where the URL shows
- search bar/field: the extra field usually on the right into which you enter search terms (from the time before browsers followed Chrome in making that allowing the location bar to be used as a search field.

Did you figure this out? It's driving me crazy. I would use the Mint-branded search if it actually had the features I use from Google's regular search (images, news, the ability to do conversions and calculations, etc). I always use the location bar for my searches.

Edit: I just downloaded the official Firefox tarball and extracted it to my desktop. Running that copy works fine. I guess this is the choice we have. It'd be nice if those in charge would fix this, or at least provide an option somewhere. I understand they need money, but annoying the hell out of users is not the way to do it. And then trying to guilt them into settling for a broken-ass search page is not helping. You need money? Ask me for a donation, make me pay for a download, whatever. Don't cripple my web browser, one of a small handful of things I actually use a PC for.

[Ctulhu]

I haven't figured it out yet, no, right now I am using the search bar/field with the fix proposed by proxima_centauri. I did think about the non-Mint Firefox tarball but was hoping one wouldn't have to do this in a user-friendly distro like Mint. I agree that the search results are rly something they should leave alone. I am wondering whether Pinguy or Zorin might also be good options to explore, but I rly like Mint in nearly all other respects.

[adolson]

I haven't figured it out yet, no, right now I am using the search bar/field with the fix proposed by proxima_centauri. I did think about the non-Mint Firefox tarball but was hoping one wouldn't have to do this in a user-friendly distro like Mint. I agree that the search results are rly something they should leave alone. I am wondering whether Pinguy or Zorin might also be good options to explore, but I rly like Mint in nearly all other respects.

The branding itself is fine by me - it's not like Mint is writing their own shittastic desktop and whatever like Ubuntu is up to lately. It's just purely a matter of functionality. Linux is about choice, at least for me, and I should have the ability to disable that search stuff. I doubt he would make a cent off me anyhow, with AdBlock installed and the fact that I have never, ever, clicked on a banner ad. So, in lieu of all that, I just donated some cash to Mint and when I received the thank you email, I replied and let Clem know that the search thing bothers me. I'm sure he knows but feels his hands are tied... I just don't want him thinking it's because I don't WANT to support Mint; I do. I just don't like being forced into something like this.

[kjkrum]

I understand they need money, but annoying the hell out of users is not the way to do it.

Precisely. It would be acceptable if the full functionality of Google were preserved, but this crippleware is simply hideous. And it's all the more awful because Mint 11 is otherwise so perfect, and because this isn't some intractable bug, but simply the developers' shortsighted stubbornness. I wish there were a distro I could recommend without a list of crap that requires fixing after the install, but thanks to this issue, Mint 11 isn't it.

[DMM8787]

I used the scripts available here to remove the CSE from the search box:
http://www.bbgamer.co.uk/archives/76

In order to remove it from the location bar, I had to modify the keyword.URL preference in Firefox's about:config:
1. Go to about:config, in the location bar.
2. Find the keyword.URL preference.
3. Context-click (right-click) the preference name, select Modify.
4. Enter "http://www.google.com/search?q="

I hope that helps.

[Ctulhu]

Ah, nice, I will check that out, thanks a lot!