Adding Google to Firefox on Linux Mint

The default browser of Linux Mint Debian Edition, as in many distributions, is Firefox. The thing is that Firefox on Linux Mint comes fully customized. It uses a Linux Mint page as its homepage, Yahoo for search, and Duck Duck Go as the default search for the address bar. Personally I prefer to use Google. So let's get to the changes:

1 – Change the address-bar search.

Type about:config in the address bar and confirm with the "I'll be carefull, I promisse!" button (or in Portuguese, "Eu serei cuidadoso, prometo!"). Firefox will open a list of configuration strings and tweaks. Look for the keyword.URL string and change the value to:

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&q=

2 – Add Google to the Firefox search box.

The search box comes with Yahoo by default and doesn't include an option for Google. Click the Yahoo icon and select "Manage Search Engines". Click the Get more search engines… link and, under COMMERCIAL ENGINES, click the Google icon. Google won't be installed yet. Click the Yahoo icon in the search bar and choose "Install Google". Then choose "Manage Search Engines" again and move Google to the top of the list.

3 – Change the home page

This one is easy. Go to the Edit menu and select "Preferences" and, on the "General" tab, under Homepage, enter:

https://www.google.com.br/

Or enter any other URL you prefer.

That's it!