318484 - Point to uninstall instructions from the search engine/plugin page

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(addons.mozilla.org Graveyard :: Public Pages, defect)

Description

[Majken Connor [:Kensie]]

Since there is no ui to uninstall search plugins and especially since there was that problem with mycroft for a day or so bug 318213 it's probably a good idea to have a clear link to uninstall instructions on the search plugin page.

Currently if you click on the 'browse through more search engines' link, it takes you to mycroft.mozdev.org and at the top of THAT page it has a link to the kb.mozillazine.org article on uninstalling things. It'd be nice to have uninstall instructions somewhere on mozilla.org with an easy to find, but not too conspicuous link on the search engine download page.  Maybe add uninstall instructions to the faq?

Comment 1

[Mycroft Project (CC)]

I hope you don't mind me adding to the scope of this bug a little...
While you're at it, could you point out that the 'browse more...' link is to mycroft and that for now it's a little slow (I'm working on it...)
Also, a small acknowledgement of the source of the plugins might be nice ;)

(Also see comments 32/33 at bug 318213 about javascript)

Comment 2

[Michael Morgan [:morgamic]]

Sure thing Charles -- I'll see what I can do to make this better.  Should be updated before lunchtime.

Comment 3

[Mike Beltzner [:beltzner, not reading bugmail]]

Issue 1: 
Removing searchplugins is, at the moment, still rocket science. We need to ensure that we're not being disingenuous by having a helpful looking "How to remove search plugins!" link that leads to a complex set of instructions that don't hold up well cross-platform (ie: "find your profile").

The instructions are available through Google, and by my estimation, following those instructions requires at least as much skill as is required to create a google search.

A better approach here would be to either have an extension that helps people remove the searchplugins, or some other form of remote XUL application, although I'm guessing that permissions models would make the latter hard. I think such an extension already exists here:

http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/index.php?showtopic=3614

Let me check that out and see if we want to fasttrack it onto the AMO site.

Issue 2:
I've no objection to adding a shout-out to mozdev in the link at the bottom. Maybe change it to "Find more extensions at mozdev.org ..." 

Comment 4

[Mike Beltzner [:beltzner, not reading bugmail]]

sidenote: see bug 232272 for the real solution, which is to improve the searchbar management by allowing add/remove/moveupdown, etc.

Comment 5

[Michael Morgan [:morgamic]]

Fix has been checked in, and will be pushed shortly.

Added more credits and pointed to the extension, which now has a new home on AMO (thanks Alex).

So people have that as a way to remove a search plugin they don't want at least -- until the application has a better UI for removing them out-of-the-box that doesn't involve deleting their profile by accident.  :)