306266 - url bar search (not deactivated google bar) returns "I'm feeling lucky" result regardless of about:config browser.search.defaulturl contents

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Search, defect)

Description

[Dave North]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.7.10) Gecko/20050725 Firefox/1.0.6 (Ubuntu package 1.0.6)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.7.10) Gecko/20050725 Firefox/1.0.6 (Ubuntu package 1.0.6)

Until recently I have eliminated the google search bar since I prefer to just
enter search terms into the URL bar and save the real estate.

In the last week or so I've started to see searches return "I'm feeling lucky"
results, which is no doubt another change inspired by some genius with too much
time on their hands. Searching google (unfortunately requiring a trip to
google's home page first) yielded a nice page with a presumed fix:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_:_Tips_:_Location_Bar_Search

Greatly cheered, I naively entered the "fix" (though I was a hair dubious, since
the default string listed did not match my original string).

So I tried a few variants. I tried old mozilla strings. I tried random
gibberish. No matter what, the same behavior exhibits itself, leering at me with
tongue fully extended and eyes bulging, lording its superior power over my
feeble user efforts to dare to ask for 'a little bit more.'

Same thing happens on windows, though I'm typing this from Linux. I have tried
newly downloaded versions; same stuff.

Oddly, it doesn't happen on my Mac yet, though the about:config string is the
same. I hesitate to mention this as it might encourage our genius to hunt down
this sole remaining bastion of satisfaction and redhat it. But in the interests
of science I'll put my future at risk.

If nobody is going to own up and fix this (hey, no user control is a feature! We
know what's best!) could someone at least mention what older versions actually
do work?

Thanks!

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. type something nonurlish in url bar
2. scream in horror at result
3. change about:config string as per instructions mentioned above
4. Repeat process ad infinitum

Actual Results:  
I felt lucky whether I felt lucky or not. Generally, my luck ran out.

Expected Results:  
Delivered google search results page.

Mac is 1.6 but not recently upgraded. I shall probably never upgrade it again.

Comment 1

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

As that page clearly states, you have to change the preference keyword.URL, not
browser.search.defaulturl.

Comment 2

[Dave North]

Hmm. Right you are! Oops. But, here's my default string:
http://www.google.com/search?btnI=I%27m+Feeling+Lucky&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=

This doesn't match the page either, but changing it by eliminating the roughly
equivalent section "btnI=I%27m+Feeling+Lucky&" does work. Thanks!

Is it at all bugworthy that the string has changed and the instructions are out
of date?

Sorry for my confusion. You're quite right the page clearly states that field.
Weirdly I didn't notice it because my search was on the other field! Google
outsmarted me.


Dave North

Comment 3

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

The other field is that set by the search bar that you no longer use. The
instructions you found are slightly out of date which is unfortunate but is not
really a bug with firefox, especially since mozillazine is not really official
mozilla though of course there are close connection. I only really say this
because we try to keep bugs on bugzilla restricted to actual firefox issues.

kb.mozillazine.org is a wiki so you can probably add some extra info to that
page to clear up any confusion in the future.