The new Search engine functions are AWFUL!

[Azula]

Hi, does anybody just HATE the way the search engines work after the latest upgrade?
The new way is limited and less functional.
- I can no longer choose from a list of my engines and simply click on them and have them the current search engine!
- When I choose the icon it immediately searches for it, I can't just set it as the current engine.
With only the first engine, I can now only mark a word and if I right click it, it is only the first engine I can use to search in a new tab, not, you know, the one I choose out of the list.
If I mark a text and drag it inside the search engine, it is only the first engine that it immediately searches for.
Selecting your current search engine was very functional and practical when you knew you would only need that one for the next. It had a icon on the left, so you always knew which one is set as the current one. And you could set it without doing an instant search.
- I can no longer just select one , without having typed in anythingand then click on it, then go to the site itself, using it as a simple bookmark. Noo, I cant even access the list, which is now just a collection of icons, without having typed in something first.

This new stuff has no improvements whatsoever, but only disadvantages.
Whoever came up with this must be crazy. I always liked Firefox because it only improved and you could design it the way you needed it.
I always despised companies that needlessly complicated their products and then made the previous version unavailable.
I tried to install an older version of Firefox, but it always updates to the latest version I am now stuck with.
Is there a way I can get the old search engine layout back?

[the-edmeister]

Open up about:config (typed in the Location Bar)
Right-click and toggle this preference to false

browser.search.showOneOffButtons

Then restart Firefox.




.

[Azula]

OH, thank YOU!!! That was so easy, thank you!!

[WaltS48]

Opinions vary. I think it is much easier to select an alternate search engine.

Using the Menu button > Options > Search tab, I can change the default search engine.

In the One-Click search engines box, I can move the search engines up or down, by dragging and dropping them in the order I would like them to appear in the search bar. But since you made the about:config change you won't see the Search tab in Options.

[Azula]

Opinions vary. I think it is much easier to select an alternate search engine.

Using the Menu button > Options > Search tab, I can change the default search engine.

That's true, but that takes about six clicks. The old way, you could always change your current default search engine with just two clicks. That's what I meant by needlessly complicating stuff.

In the One-Click search engines box, I can move the search engines up or down, by dragging and dropping them in the order I would like them to appear in the search bar. But since you made the about:config change you won't see the Search tab in Options.

That is true, too; I won't see them in Options, but you could always put the engines in the order you wanted them. Click the icon of the current default engine and under the last icon in the list there is the option for organising the engines. Put them in order, delete any of them, and, if you deleted the any of the standard ones, you can get them back without deleting any new ones you might have added.

[the-edmeister]

Just one more example of Mozilla "dumbing down" Firefox for the lowest common denominator! What they consider their "average user". And IMO another half-assed job from Mozilla; they should have gotten rid of the Search Bar altogether, IMO. Who the F needs search bars all over the place? about:home - about:newtab - Location Bar - and the Search Bar - when all four use the same damn search engine! [That was a real stupid change, using the selected search engine in all 4 places, with no "revert" pref in about:config for keeping the Location Bar separate as it had been since "day one".]
One more example of design decisions made during a circle-jerk! But at least they gave us a "revert" option thru about:config for this "showOneOffButtons" feature.

I have like 31 search engines in multiple Profiles - with many search engines that differ between the various Profiles. If I have more than 31, the drop-down list goes into "overflow" and needs to be scrolled to get to the bottom engines. And then there's multiple search engines for like 4 websites that I frequent where all the icons are the same; 5 for Google (but at least I have multiple different icons for Google that I either made, 'scarfed" somewhere, or saved before Google changed their icon for "Google search") and 3 for MozillaZine where I need to see the text.

And I change search engines so frequently each session that I "need" to see at least the icon to know which search engine I last used and is currently selected. Silly to use the Dictionary.com engine when I am searching for "pRon" images, that's what Google image search is good for.

.

[makaiguy]

Open up about:config (typed in the Location Bar)
Right-click and toggle this preference to false

browser.search.showOneOffButtons

Then restart Firefox.

Thanks. Like this much better.

[NanM]

IMO another half-assed job from Mozilla; they should have gotten rid of the Search Bar altogether, IMO. Who the F needs search bars all over the place? about:home - about:newtab - Location Bar - and the Search Bar - when all four use the same damn search engine! [That was a real stupid change, using the selected search engine in all 4 places, with no "revert" pref in about:config for keeping the Location Bar separate as it had been since "day one".]

+1
In any reasonably busy work day, I expect the last chosen browser download destination to be exactly that, not the default. Is that the next helpful change Mozilla's going to make for the user?

Same with search location. If I want the Fx default, I wouldn't bother having a search bar with carefully chosen search engines that I can leave uppermost without any interaction and that are denoted with a recognisable icon that doesn't need UI interaction to confirm.
Indeed, in the profile I use for mindless news site browsing, I just search with the url bar and have just a couple of alternatives in the search bar for edge cases.

Mind you, I didn't stay with the very silly new search interface long enough to confirm all these silly new behaviours; and from other reports the whole layer cake seems to be somewhat buggy anyway.

Thanks the-edmeister for pointing to the config.

[patrickjdempsey]

It sounds to me like your specific use-case wouldn't be changed AT ALL by the new behavior since you use a completely different profile just to have a different primary search engine. Most users who actually give the new system a chance find they actually like it because they can do "one off" searches without accidentally changing the default search engine, which also changes searchbar and home page search.

The best of both worlds in my opinion is to combine the two, which can be done with two lines of CSS code.

[NanM]

you use a completely different profile just to have a different primary search engine.

It seems to me that you may be interpreting my use of a separate profile in terms of search engine choice.
This isn't the case; I use a separate profile for "mindless browsing" - where it doesn't really matter to my browsing what kind of default Fx behaviour, other behaviours as well as search engine behaviour, goes on.

The best of both worlds in my opinion is to combine the two, which can be done with two lines of CSS code.

May I recommend profiles (of course not for the storage-limited, display-crippled mobile device user) as a much more concrete (and robust) way to implement all the functionality in Fx than loading one profile up with sesson-redundant extensions and bloating user.css?

For the "most users" explanation: I've no problem with that, as long as people continue to try to acknowledge the "other users" voices.
I've been a rusted-on Fx user, regular donations, since 0.8.5 and have always enjoyed seeing the absolutely huge range of user cases catered for in the community.

[patrickjdempsey]

Lol, if you think two lines of userChrome CSS is "bloating" then you should crack open the default theme some time.

[the-edmeister]

It sounds to me like your specific use-case wouldn't be changed AT ALL by the new behavior since you use a completely different profile just to have a different primary search engine. Most users who actually give the new system a chance find they actually like it because they can do "one off" searches without accidentally changing the default search engine, which also changes searchbar and home page search.

The best of both worlds in my opinion is to combine the two, which can be done with two lines of CSS code.

I don't think that was what NanM meant, which I read as using different Profiles for different types of browsing activities. Like maybe bill payment for one, where a user might want to use a Master Password; another for regular surfing the same web sites like news sites day after day where password security isn't as important; and maybe a third for work related activities. Reasons far beyond the default search engine or preferring the previous search bar scheme.


Out of curiosity, which two lines of CSS code are you referring to? And what would that combine?



Ed

[patrickjdempsey]

This will make the old search-engine-button appear so you can see the selected search engine and easily change it, but keep the one-off search popup:

Code: Select all

.searchbar-search-button-container { display:none!important; }
.searchbar-engine-button { display: -moz-box!important; }  

This IMO is a fundamental improvement over either individual method.

[mightyglydd]

Hmm doesn't work here with Stylish or userChrome Pat, I am using Frank's 'Nuke Searchbar Text' code, conflict...Or Idiot user?
@Hmm do I have to set 'browser.search.showOneOffButtons' back to true?

[patrickjdempsey]

@Hmm do I have to set 'browser.search.showOneOffButtons' back to true?

Yes.