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Fresh install of Mint 18, Firefox has no search engines.

  • 5 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by ideato

gbvoris
gbvoris
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I have a fresh install of Mint 18, Firefox has no search engines and I cannot add any. I followed the suggestions listed here, restating with out add ons had no effect. The answer which helped, removing search.json, search-metadata.json and search.sqlite; I could not use. None of these files are present. I have removed and reinstalled Firefox twice and still no files. 

  When I go to preferences and click Search, nothing happens - if I'm on  Content it stays on Content, etc.
  Searching from the address space works as does opening the search engine's home page and doing the search from there.
I have a fresh install of Mint 18, Firefox has no search engines and I cannot add any. I followed the suggestions listed here, restating with out add ons had no effect. The answer which helped, removing search.json, search-metadata.json and search.sqlite; I could not use. None of these files are present. I have removed and reinstalled Firefox twice and still no files. When I go to preferences and click Search, nothing happens - if I'm on Content it stays on Content, etc. Searching from the address space works as does opening the search engine's home page and doing the search from there.

All Replies (5)

ideato
ideato
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Hello gbvoris, please try to change in about:config the next preference

  • distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale

from "data:text/plain,distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale=en-US" to "en-US"

any luck ?

thank you

gbvoris
gbvoris Question owner
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ideato said

Hello gbvoris, please try to change in about:config the next preference
  • distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale
from "data:text/plain,distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale=en-US" to "en-US" any luck ? No luck; but maybe a hint. No entry similar to that. I attached a screen shot of the D's. thank you
ideato
ideato
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Hi, i see only the devtools.xxxx.... in the down area of the screenshot, seek for distribution.....

gbvoris
gbvoris Question owner
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ideato said

Hi, i see only the devtools.xxxx.... in the down area of the screenshot, seek for distribution.....

Not being familiar with about:config, I was looking for data...... I found a listing in the Mint forums, presented a bit different, or maybe I just looked at it different? The fix you gave me worked fine, thanks!

ideato
ideato
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you can copy from here the distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale and paste it in the search field in about:config page and you have the preference. :-)

thanks again