11.10 How to remove Ask as my search engine in Firefox

[XEtedBear]

I have very recently done a clean install of 11.10. For some reason I have this service called 'Ask' as the default search engine. I don't want it. I prefer Google. But I cannot figure out how to remove Ask. The obvious way - through <manage search engines> does not give the option to remove 'Ask'.

What method should I be using?


OK, I found it now: edit Keyword.URL in 'about:config' - at least, that seems to have worked.

[zombifier25]

Is anything showing up in about:addons?

[XEtedBear]

No, nothing connected with Ask (or Google) in either 'extensions' or 'plug-ins'

[zombifier25]

OK, it may be injected into about:config. Follow this tutorial and see if it helps: http://www.paperstreet.com/blog/582

[vasa1]

OP seems to have solved the problem but often it's not a simple solution. Anyone interested can look at this thread:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2460239

[vasa1]

I have very recently done a clean install of 11.10. For some reason I have this service called 'Ask' as the default search engine. I don't want it. I prefer Google. But I cannot figure out how to remove Ask. The obvious way - through <manage search engines> does not give the option to remove 'Ask'.

What method should I be using?


OK, I found it now: edit Keyword.URL in 'about:config' - at least, that seems to have worked.
And, re. "for some reason" ... The ask.com engine gets installed nowadays if we install fairly reputable software but just click enter, enter, enter at the time of installation instead of carefully reading what each step actually entails.

A video here: http://people.mozilla.org/~mverdi/video/ask.webm

[XEtedBear]

And, re. "for some reason" ... The ask.com engine gets installed nowadays if we install fairly reputable software but just click enter, enter, enter at the time of installation instead of carefully reading what each step actually entails.

A video here: http://people.mozilla.org/~mverdi/video/ask.webm

Yes, I guess that is the reason - but I am usually so careful in making this sort of choice during software installation. This has kept my systems (Linux and Windows) relatively spam and malware free. I regard this Ask thingy as malware since I didn't want it on my PC (btw PC, in my book, stood/stands for PERSONAL computer. I bought the thing; it's mine; I decide what gets installed). Hence this Ask 'stuff' was obviously embedded in the small print of something else and doesn't pass the test of 'could the owner be reasonably expected to know that Ask was going to be installed?


Not to put too fine a point on it, this ethically bankrupt behaviour pisses me off severely - especially in the FOSS world. Not only that, but Ask is so damnably ineffective that 'ask' is the last thing I would do with it. (Or, as the 2 old dears said in a Woody Allen movie; "the food here is terrible", "yes, and you get so little of it...")

[kansasnoob]

Yes, I guess that is the reason - but I am usually so careful in making this sort of choice during software installation. This has kept my systems (Linux and Windows) relatively spam and malware free. I regard this Ask thingy as malware since I didn't want it on my PC (btw PC, in my book, stood/stands for PERSONAL computer. I bought the thing; it's mine; I decide what gets installed). Hence this Ask 'stuff' was obviously embedded in the small print of something else and doesn't pass the test of 'could the owner be reasonably expected to know that Ask was going to be installed?


Not to put too fine a point on it, this ethically bankrupt behaviour pisses me off severely - especially in the FOSS world. Not only that, but Ask is so damnably ineffective that 'ask' is the last thing I would do with it. (Or, as the 2 old dears said in a Woody Allen movie; "the food here is terrible", "yes, and you get so little of it...")

I'm curious about your download source :confused:

I've been performing iso-testing since Hardy and I don't recall ever encountering a DL with Ask as the default search engine.

If some mirror/torrent does default to Ask we should know so that mirror/torrent can be checked for other possible problems.