puzzled by the non-default search engine

[dabler]

This is my first post to the Linux Mint Forums, but I'm not entirely a noob. I abandoned Windows back when Microsoft released its bizarre Windows 8. I tried Linux Mint back then among several other flavours of Linux, but found it looked too much like Windows. I kept trying to use DOS commands in Terminal. I soon switched to Ubuntu's Unity mainly because it struck me as a refreshingly new approach to the desktop, and was sufficiently different that I never forgot I was not using Windows. When Canonical decided to write-off its investment in Unity, I decided to move on. I found Panels in Mint allowed me to create a desktop that looked sufficiently like the desktop I'd built up in Ubuntu, so I became a Mint Cinnamon convert. I followed the upgrade path as far as Mint 18.3, but because I had started working on a desktop publishing project, I opted to freeze the underlying software base until it was finished - a strategy that was possibly unnecessary, but worked for me, because I was never distracted by PC problems. Once that project finished (in late May 2021), I could contemplate my next move. I opted to back everything up, start with a clean slate and install the latest Mint beta (20.2). I've been up and running for a week and haven't found a single problem, except that I can't get Warpinator to talk to my phone. My current theory is that my hybrid wired/wireless network doesn't look like a single network to the App, but that's not what I came here to talk about.

Finally, I get to the point of this post: Mint's version of Mozilla's Firefox browser. The default home page is https://www.linuxmint.com/start/uma/ - virtually identical to what my old 18.3 homepage showed. It starts with search "enhanced by Google", followed by recent blog posts. However, when I open a new tab, I get a different page with a Firefox logo and a search bar featuring "Yahoo". Previous experience with Yahoo has left me prejudiced against it. It was lousy at localising search results. When I investigated changing the default search engine, I learned that Linux Mint derives revenue from some search engines, but not from others. That's fair enough. I changed my default to DuckDuckGo - one of the preferred list. I did add Google because there are some searches it is just better at than any of the others. What perplexes me though, is why, if Google doesn't financially support Mint, Mint's own Firefox homepage is virtually an advertisement for Google search and has been for years?

[JoeFootball]

... if Google doesn't financially support Mint, Mint's own Firefox homepage is virtually an advertisement for Google search and has been for years?

I'm fairly sure that if you did a Google search directly from the default Firefox home page, LM would receive some small level of financial support.

[t42]

What perplexes me though, is why, if Google doesn't financially support Mint, Mint's own Firefox homepage is virtually an advertisement for Google search and has been for years?

It is two unconnected things. The first one, direct financial support based on the agreement. The 2nd one is a web page monetization, which can be in the form of AdSense where search results are automatically monetized (it is almost impossible to find a site without ADSence) or the Custom Search which is only available to a limited number of sites which Google deems eligible.

[dabler]

Thanks for the replies! It seems the best approach to support Mint would be to use the home page search box only if I need to do a Google search, but otherwise use the preferred search engines.

[motoryzen]

@dabler

I kept trying to use DOS commands in Terminal

Why? Dos has absolutely nothing to do with the Linux world..what so ever. That's like trying to fit a Ford part to a Honda car. It doesn't make any sense

[Moonstone Man]

That's like trying to fit a Ford part to a Honda car. It doesn't make any sense

Sure it does, just not to you.

https://www.motorious.com/articles/news ... nda-s2000/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/hybrid-en ... t-2172219/

That's what happens when you have ultra-short-sighted horizons on your imagination.

[motoryzen]

That's like trying to fit a Ford part to a Honda car. It doesn't make any sense

Sure it does, just not to you.

https://www.motorious.com/articles/news ... nda-s2000/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/hybrid-en ... t-2172219/

That's what happens when you have ultra-short-sighted horizons on your imagination.

*facepalm*. What a rude person you continue to be and also incorrect in this case.

Incorrect why? Simple. Did YOU build a Ford or Honda Car lately or EVER? Have YOU designed one? Nope. Neither have I, and I have SENSE ...enough to know from life experience that Honda parts were NEVER....designed to fit Ford cars..and Ford Parts were NEVER designed to fit Honda cars. It's not rocket science. It's not the same gentle stretch of chance as trying to get a Lincoln part to fit a Ford or an Acura part to fit a Honda.

Try actual research. It helps.

Also, common sense beats arrogance any day. Maybe one day you'll realize that. And by the way...those two links ..BOTH involve UN default or customized cutting. the chances of a Honda engine fitting into a Ford card ..WITHOUT...some cutting or grinding is as about as little as fitting a 2 foot wide diameter piece of steel through an 8 inch wide piece of paper opening and expecting the paper not to be destroyed... Get real.

Any other argument you want to lose? Facts don't care about your feelings. Move on. You just can't stand not to start crap with someone on here can you. (sigh) back to the bad seat you go kid.

[JoeFootball]

Thanks for the replies!

You're welcome.

It seems the best approach to support Mint would be to use the home page search box only if I need to do a Google search, but otherwise use the preferred search engines.

That's indeed an option. Only you can say what's best for you. Another option would be not use Google at all and donate to Linux Mint, but again, that's a personal decision.

[Moonstone Man]

*facepalm*.

Your ignore list is leaking.

[Moonstone Man]

Thanks for the replies! It seems the best approach to support Mint would be to use the home page search box only if I need to do a Google search, but otherwise use the preferred search engines.

There are better ways to get the best of both worlds. Remove the LM-kludged browser completely, replace it with a stock installation from the repositories, install an ad blocker and set up a regular $1/month or so contribution to the LM coffers.

[rossdv8]

I have SENSE ...enough to know from life experience that Honda parts were NEVER....designed to fit Ford cars..and Ford Parts were NEVER designed to fit Honda cars

Strange! I've made many parts made for one make of car fit a completely different make of car.
'You can make anything fit just about anything, with a bit of oxy (acetylene - NOT codone) and a Big Hammer"
We were taught that and it still applies.

Certainly, most BASH scripts will not run at an MS-DOS Prompt. But it is surprising how many do, with a very few changes. Many MS-DOS commands will work in a Linux Terminal. The same applies with some MS-DOS Shell scripts,

Likewise, in the olden days, we used Dos prompts long before Microsoft invented 'their' DOS. And even concurrently with Microsoft DOS. For a long time I still used DR-Dos (Digital Research - NOT Doctor). Among other things it had a functioning GUI long before MS-DOS four had one. And it was better than the one Microsoft developed.

I still even find the odd cp/m command in Linux and used to see them in MS-DOS.

So Ford - Honda - Ford? No reason why not ' for SOME' parts. . .

And now - back to Search Engines