How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2.xx

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Monsie
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How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2.xx

#1 Post by Monsie »

Hi all,

I find that Google Instant is an annoyance. Not only is it distracting, but I find that the instant search suggestions that appear seem to interfere with my keyboard response, such that I end up with repeated characters and other typos while typing in a search query. This happens on all of my computers, not just on my Wary Puppy desktop.

While there are many ways to disable Google Instant, most solutions are either temporary or a workaround in my opinion. I don't know of any add-ons for Seamonkey that either disable Google Instant or allow me to permanently save the cookie that Google sets after I turn off the Instant search in Google preferences. Consequently, when I decide to "clear private data" in Seamonkey including cookies, I must re-set my Google preferences next time I do a search.

After researching the problem, and trying some file hacks of my own, I've come up with a solution that I like and works for me. The result is that I can now click on the search button in Seamonkey to access Google, without ever having to worry about Google Instant again, nor do I have to be concerned with clearing my cookies or re-setting my search preferences.

Here is what I did...

First of all I found that I needed to use Google with a different url, one that doesn't use Google Instant at all. That url is basically: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0 The last part "complete=0" is important because it tells google not to use any special features within its search parameters. Now since I am Canadian and speak english, I modified the url slightly to reflect that, and so my url is: http://www.google.ca/webhp?complete=0&hl=en If I were to bookmark either web address, then I can search without Google Instant or search suggestions ever distracting me again. Instead of bookmarking these or creating a new tab just for search (a redundant feature since Seamonkey already has search engine access built in) I wanted this to work with the browser search button, Here is where the file hacks are necessary.

There are two files that need to be modified: google.xml and search.json Basically I need to remove the default search parameters that Google uses and replace it with one of the aforementioned urls that overides Google Instant. Once I have saved the new info, I am done. :)

Locate google.xml by going to /usr/lib/seamonkey-2.3.2/searchplugins directory. Open up google.xml with geaney text editor and on the line (second from bottom) where it says: <SearchForm> delete the basic url for Google and replace it with the new url that I have mentioned already. You may want to modify it to reflect your locale as I did or you can set it at: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0 and it should work. Save your changes in geany. Then go to your home directory and click on the big eye to reveal your hidden directories. Open up the directory called: .mozilla From there, open up the seamonkey directory, then one last directory which for me is called: 3o1ptd5r.default I'm wondering if this directory is named a little differently for everybody, but in any event there are no other directories to choose from so whatever yours is named, open it and look for the file: search.json This is a sort of javascript file that Google uses in Seamonkey in conjunction with the browser's profile -- I believe. In any event, open this up in geany, then select "line wrapping" in the menu. Now, carefully look down the page for: Search","__searchForm": Right after this and inside the quotation marks you will see the default url for google. Replace this with the new url while making sure that you set it inside those quotation marks. Save your change in geany, close out of your directories and you should be done.

Now open up Seamonkey 2.3.2 then click on the search button and google should open up with the new url in the address bar. Try a search to confirm that Google Instant is permanently disabled. I noticed also that when I went to search settings to check my google preferences, the google instant button was on... but no matter because the new url overides this setting.

One last tip is that I copied the two files to my tmp directory before I modified the originals in case I made some typos or messed up the files otherwise thus making it easy to recover from possible mistakes.

Hopefully I do not come across as too long winded, as I want to make my instructions clear, and to explain why I wanted to make these changes. I am not a programmer or developer, just a seasoned "hacker" of sorts after nearly twenty years of using a computer. Feel free to ask me questions re: above if there is anything you aren't sure of. Finally, I realize of course that there is often more than one way to solve a computing problem... this is just one way that worked for me.

Cheers

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Aitch
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Location: Chatham, Kent, UK

#2 Post by Aitch »

All I did, was click on the icon that looks like a sunflower top right, by sign in, select search settings, and set google instant off, then saved preferences - note: cookies must be on for settings to be saved

I like the idea of http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0

...however it appears to have google instant = on, despite my usual browser set to off?

Aitch :)

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Monsie
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How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2,xx

#3 Post by Monsie »

Hi Aitch,

As I noted in my post, I would be fine with turning google instant off in the search settings if it meant that I could save the cookie permanently, so that once I turn this setting to "off" it stays that way. But I like to clear my browsing history completely about every three days, and once I clear my cookies, I clear the cookie that Google sets regarding my search preferences, and so... then I have to go back and turn google instant "off" again. For me, this is a temporary solution.

Now there is nothing inherently wrong with that. However, I think we can probably agree that some of these concerns or issues come down to individual preferences as a user. It "bugs" me that I have to reset the google instant button to "off" on a regular basis. I think that you would probably agree that there are plenty of repetitive routines that a user completes on a computer anyway, and once one gets the operating system set up to one's liking, one likes to leave it that way.

As I also noted, I could choose to create a new bookmark or create a new tab for search using the alternate url for google, but again it comes down to individual preference: I tend not to like duplication of features or function. There is a pragmatic basis to this approach also. I am running Wary on a 1999 Pentium 3 desktop with a 500 mhz cpu and 384 mb of ram. I find that Wary runs remarkably well --I am sometimes amazed-- but I know that I can't push things too much, that it is in my best interests to run lean and not have extra tabs open in Seamonkey for example, because the browser slows down and more ram gets used...

Lastly, I noted in my post that the alternate url for google namely: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0 has no direct effect in terms of actually turning the google instant button "on" or "off" --rather the search parameters contained in this url overide the settings pertaining to google instant. The net effect then, is that google instant is turned off even though the button may be in the "on" position. As far as I can tell then, there is no conflict here even though the search settings may look at odds with what the browser is actually doing.

Back to the cookie that google sets when disabling google instant -- I think it would be useful to have a plugin for Seamonkey that allows one to save individual cookies as in this case. Also, I thought that I read somewhere in google help pages that it is possible to save this cookie if one has a google account and sets these preferences when logged in to his/her account. I may be mistaken here. I don't have a google account so I can't test this, but maybe someone who does can add to this discussion and confirm either way if it is possible to permanently save the search settings for google.

cheers,
Monsie

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Aitch
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Location: Chatham, Kent, UK

#4 Post by Aitch »

Hi Monsie
I totally appreciate you trying to get the best out of your PC-Puppy combination....don't we all!

Many, many people hate google instant, and it's only google's revenue stream that stops them removing it, I think

Here's one possible, untested [warning: contains expletives, apologies - my modifications for forum use, poster just used expletives]
Install firefox

Install UAControl addon

Restart Firefox

Tools -> UAControl Options

Add site:

www.google.com

Change action to custom: Google_Instant_Is_F*cking_Sh*t

Click OK

Also add any local googles affecting you like:

www.google.co.uk

Change action to custom: Google_Instant_Is_F*cking_Sh*t

Click OK

Restart Firefox

Profit!!!
source http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/W ... 3909&hl=en

Aitch :)

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Monsie
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Location: Kamloops BC Canada

How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2.xx

#5 Post by Monsie »

Hi Aitch,

Wow... the "solution" that you referred to made me realize that there are always some people in this world whose approach to problem solving is foul and contemptuous in nature.

Anyhow, I hope there are some puppy users who are willing to try my solution to the problem(s) with google instant. I believe my approach is quite useful, especially for those who have similar preferences as myself, and also for those who run puppy on an old computer with lower resources. I would be pleased to hear that my solution worked for other puppy users, and I cannot see any reason why it would not.

Other users may simply want create a bookmark or search tab for google using the alternate url. In fact, this is what I did on my debian desktop, but that system has a 2.8 ghz cpu with 2 gb of ram so I have no worries there.

Thanks for your feedback and for contributing to this topic. :)

Seasons Greetings,
Monsie

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Aitch
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Location: Chatham, Kent, UK

#6 Post by Aitch »

Hi Monsie

I wasn't taking anything away from 'your' suggestion [which is all over the web, btw]...the link was intended to highlight the level of user frustration with google instant/autocomplete/user-preferennce-set-by-google

The person to notify/file complaint with is the search community manager Kelly F

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/W ... 6924&hl=en

There's also always scroogle or other search engines

http://www.thesearchenginelist.com/

Aitch :)

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Barkin
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#7 Post by Barkin »

Aitch wrote:There's also always scroogle or other search engines

http://www.thesearchenginelist.com/
No mention of DuckDuckGo , which like Scroogle does not track you.

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Monsie
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How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2.xx

#8 Post by Monsie »

Aitch, Barkin,

Yes, I agree. There are certainly alternative search providers to use if one doesn't want to use google.

I also looked at Seamonkey add-ons and there are currently no other search plugins available for the browser other than what it already provides. However I found a link with more info about making your own plugin at the Mozilla Developer Center. While I am no developer, it got me thinking that it might not be that difficult to create a new xml file as a search plugin for Duck Duck Go, Scroogle, or maybe even Lycos...

So I may look in to this just for fun because maybe I have "an itch to scratch"

Monsie

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Monsie
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How to permanently turn off Google Instant in SeaMonkey 2.xx

#9 Post by Monsie »

Hi all,

Just a quick update to say that I installed SeaMonkey 2.61 on my Wary Puppy desktop today... I did so following Barry's announcement on his blog that he had compiled the latest version of Seamonkey for Wary and released it as a pet package.

Once again, the Google search plugin for SeaMonkey is configured to use Google Instant in order to make search predictions on the fly... So, once again I have applied my file hacks exactly as I have explained in my first post... and all is well for me once more. I can clear my browser data completely without Google Instant returning to "On" (its default setting) and I can use the browser search button with Google, but without the frustration of Google Instant. If you haven't already done so, please take the time to read my first post, because I explain at length the rationale for my approach.

If instead, you want to turn off Google Instant in the search settings that Google provides, you can still do so, but you'll have to do at least one search in order to access Google's search settings button, as it (the button) now comes up on the first results page of any search that you do. *Jan. 29th update: it appears that the Google search page is back to "normal", because the gear icon for search settings is in the upper right corner where it used to be... it seems that the engineers have been testing various page designs/layouts lately.

Other than that, my impression of SeaMonkey 2.61 is that it uses noticeably less memory than version 2.32 This would make sense because the browser engine is based on Firefox 9 and, it is my understanding that Mozilla has fixed a lot of bugs, memory leaks etc. with Firefox 7 and versions it's released since then... so, all in all, it seems (so far) that SeaMonkey 2.61 is the way to go.... google instant or not.

Cheers,
Monsie
Last edited by Monsie on Sun 29 Jan 2012, 23:38, edited 1 time in total.
My [u]username[/u] is pronounced: "mun-see". Derived from my surname, it was my nickname throughout high school.

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Aitch
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#10 Post by Aitch »

Thanks, Monsie

That reminded me that I had intended to add your tip to my search page, .......now done

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=29754

Aitch :)

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greengeek
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#11 Post by greengeek »

Nice work Monsie.

I really don't like Google instant when I am using some of my lower-powered PCs, or when I am sharing a wireless connection with lots of other users. However, I don't mind it so much when I'm on my fastest laptop, surfing through a wired link (ie: full speed connection).

I am going to try loading the newer Seamonkey and using your mod on some of the PCs I look after.

It is also possible to use your suggested google url by adding it to the bookmarks. I've just added it as "Google NoPrompt". That way I can now easily choose which version of the google page I use. (I tend not to use the magnifying glass search button...)

Some people might choose to set the "no google prompting" url as a homepage.

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Monsie
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How to permanently turn off Google Instant in Seamonkey 2.xx

#12 Post by Monsie »

Hi all,

Here is an important update.

I have discovered a problem with respect to my file hacks when it comes to updating SeaMonkey and keeping one's existing browser profile.

What is happening is that the new version of SeaMonkey automatically imports one's existing profile at startup.... and not liking the configuration for Google in the file search.json it is deleting all of the code for the Google search engine...therefore rendering my "fix" useless :roll:

I discovered this problem yesterday when I decided to install SeaMonkey 2.9.1 for testing purposes while keeping my default SeaMonkey 2.6.1 on my Wary desktop. However, it could also happen when one decides to upgrade SeaMonkey while keeping his/her existing browser profile.

Fortunately there is a fairly easy work-around :D which solves this problem. The solution is to create a new user profile upon first running the newer version of SeaMonkey. To do this, one needs to start Profile Manager --in my case:

Code: Select all

cd /usr/local/seamonkey
./seamonkey -profilemanager
Create a new profile name. It can be placed in the browser's default location. It is not necessary to create a new folder and/or a new location to make a new profile, though you have this option. While running Profile Manager, be sure to un-check the box that says: Don't ask at startup This way, Profile Manager will always start first so that you can be sure to specify the correct profile that you want to use with whichever version of SeaMonkey that you wish to open.

Once your new profile is set, restart SeaMonkey. Now you will have to apply your browser tweaks manually (including my file hacks if desired) since no settings are being imported. Note: of course, that you will be able to import your bookmarks if you have this backed up to an html file so, all in all, it is not too much extra work.

Monsie
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