Cannot change default search engine from DuckDuckGo to something else
Even in safe mode, I cannot make a change to my default search engine stick; it always reverts to DuckDuckGo.
After changing the default search engine in Preferences->Search to, say, Ecosia Search, typing a space character in the address+search bar goes from a generic world favicon to DuckDuckGo. Restarting with a cleared cache doesn't help.
None of my addons are related to search except Ecosia Search. Even with Ecosia Search removed, I get the same behavior, the default search engine reverts to DuckDuckGo. In any case, safe mode with all addons disabled doesn't change that behavior.
If i remove DuckDuckGo from the list of search engines, I cannot search at all and I cannot choose a default search enigne from the drop down list in Preferences->Search.
Note that I can always choose an alternate search engine in the drop down search menu, and that works. Setting a default search engine doesn't work.
Any suggestions on how to make a search engine other than DuckDuckGo be my default search engine would be appreciated. As a bonus, an explanation of why I'm having this difficulty would be wonderful.
TIA.
Chosen solution
Hi, you appear to be using Firefox from the repositories (distributionID: archlinux), so it is possible this is related
You can try the Firefox version from the official Mozilla server if you currently use a version from the repositories of your Linux distribution.
You can rename/remove search.json.mozlz4 in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed to rebuild the search engines registry.
You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
Firefox will rebuild search.json.mozlz4 from the builtin search engines.
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Suluhisho teule
Hi, you appear to be using Firefox from the repositories (distributionID: archlinux), so it is possible this is related
You can try the Firefox version from the official Mozilla server if you currently use a version from the repositories of your Linux distribution.
You can rename/remove search.json.mozlz4 in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed to rebuild the search engines registry.
You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
Firefox will rebuild search.json.mozlz4 from the builtin search engines.
You are correct, I am using the Arch Linux distribution, but your solution of quitting Firefox, deleting the file search.json.mozlz4 worked. (There was a momentary hiccup when Firefox seemed to want to insist on using Google, but some antiacid in the the form or a restart cured the problem.)
Thanks.