[SOLVED] help from Firefox/Google users

[fohat.digs]

Every time I set up a new computer I have this issue that drives me crazy.

I use Firefox and Google regularly, but I have difficulty setting it up to get new tabs to open to Google with the cursor in the Google search bar.

Rather than defaults, or re-setting defaults, it seems that multiple add-ons are required to accomplish this.
I have used "New Tab Homepage" for years, and it successfully opens a new tab into the main Google page.
 
However, Firefox seems determined to place the cursor in the URL bar at the top, and at the end of whatever character string is already there.
I have installed various add-ons and selected "URL bar blank" but even then it never seems to work.

All I want to be able to do is, for example, press Control-T (for a new tab) and immediately type  < best time to transplant iris bulbs >  without any additional drama such as picking up the mouse to move the cursor or backspacing to get rid of whatever residual characters are lingering in the URL search bar, or any other intermediate steps. I can't understand why this is not the default, anyway, but I am old and crusty and clearly do not think like other people.

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Please do not threadcrap with suggestions that I change browsers or search engines. I am satisfied with my preferences, as you are with yours.
My structural and functional annoyances with the others are far greater than the minor issue above.

[Darkshado]

As far as Chrome goes... Ctrl+T, cursor moves to the address/search bar (iirc known as "omnibar"), type your search, press enter, voilà! No need to click in the search box on the homepage itself.

[trizkut]

Does firefox not automatically use your default search engine when you type something in the address bar that isn't a URL?  I thought it did.

[ddot]

Your problem intrigues me because I know I've fought a similar battle in the past.  Unfortunately all my Firefox customization problems have kind of become a blur over time.  Customizing Firefox to the way you want it seems to be a never ending battle as Mozilla keeps changing things behind the scenes.  I was kind of lazy over the past few years, setting up a portable version of Firefox the way I liked it, then just kind of ignoring all the updates for a while and just relying on SandboxIE for security.  Maybe not the best approach, but somehow I survived.  I recently switched to 45 ESR on one of my computers (and rebuilt all my customizations) and I plan on trying to keep updating it as I shouldn't have to fear too many changes on the ESR channel.  We'll see how that goes.

I remember I used to use an addon called NewTabURL and I distinctly remember getting around this very problem with that addon.   I pulled out one of my old archived portable versions and retested it.  It seems to work as I remember and as you seem to want it too.  It has an uncheckable option to "select location bar after loading the new tab".  If you keep that unchecked and set Google as your homepage, you open a new tab, Google loads as default and the cursor selects the search box.

In 45 ESR, I'm using an addon called New Tab Override.  I can't exactly recall why I switched, but NewTabURL updates seem to  have stopped, so maybe that's why.  After testing it, the old "select the location bar" problem seems to be back, I guess I just never noticed it before.  However if you have Goggle as a bookmark and middle click that, it opens Google in a new tab, but the search bar is selected instead.  Interesting.

I've also played around with script blockers over time and I think I recall that being an issue as well.  Are you blocking any scrips on the Google home page?

trizkut may also have a point too as you can customize the location bar to a google search when you type something that doesn't match a standard URL format.

I have another computer that I use too and I just can't recall what Firefox version and what extensions are on that one.  Let me check on that computer too and get back to you.

[fohat.digs]

After you reach over, pick up your mouse, move the cursor into the box, and click - then it does.
But that whole procedure is a great cumbersome annoyance to me.

[rowdy]

When I type Cmd-T (on a Mac, same Ctrl-T on Windows) in Firefox (which I use to browse GH), I get the new tab page showing thumbnails of often visited pages.  The cursor is in the address bar at the top and I can start typing my search, which is passed to Google as my default search engine.

This is the default behaviour, and AFAICR has always worked that way.

Cmd-/Ctrl-T opening a new tab should not be putting any text in the address bar - that's the point of a new tab.  What text are you seeing there?

[xtrafrood]

Chrome for me = ctrl + T then I type whatever it is I want to look up and press enter (URL bar is set to Google search)

For Firefox I think you have to set Google as the default search engine.

Edit - I had to set Google as my default search engine in order to achieve the same results. I unchecked the boxes for all the other search engines/wiki etc. just in case. It works fine for me. (ctrl + t) + search with the url bar = success!

[whentheclouds]

why don't you set a keyword search in firefox? assign something like 'g' to google, ctrl+T, type 'g searchquery', press enter and there you are

p.s. can be done with or without addons

[fohat.digs]

ctrl+T, type 'g searchquery', press enter

Somehow I have failed to communicate what is bothering me. You just described adding 14 keystrokes between Ctrl-T and the beginning of my search.

I want that number to be zero, not even 1. And not even thinking about reaching for, or touching, the mouse in the process.

But ddot's New Tab Override may be the best solution.

[algernon]

Stock Firefox 38 (but the behavior is the same in pretty much all versions prior and after), no addons: Ctrl-T pressed, focus is on the address bar. I start typing the query, hit enter, google (or your default search engine) is searched. No configs necessary, no addons, no nothing. No mouse involved either.

You do lose the ability to marvel at the google.com start screen, and auto-suggestions, the latter of which may be a pain point.

The above behavior was enough for me for the past years, so if you need more than that, I'm out of ideas.

[whentheclouds]

Somehow I have failed to communicate what is bothering me. You just described adding 14 keystrokes between Ctrl-T and the beginning of my search.

I want that number to be zero, not even 1. And not even thinking about reaching for, or touching, the mouse in the process.

But ddot's New Tab Override may be the best solution.

i have also failed at communication. since a picture (or in this case gif) is worth a thousand words:

[jdcarpe]

I like things even simpler. I set up my New Tab page to be blank (open a new tab, click the gear icon on the upper right, select "Show blank page"), and set my default search engine as Google. Then, when I open a new tab, my cursor is in the Location Bar at the top. I start typing my Google search query, hit Enter, and it gives me Google search results. FWIW, I also have Firefox start with a blank page, uncheck "Provide search suggestions" (Options>Search), and uncheck all options under Options>Pricacy>Location Bar.

[SpAmRaY]

I like things even simpler. I set up my New Tab page to be blank (open a new tab, click the gear icon on the upper right, select "Show blank page"), and set my default search engine as Google. Then, when I open a new tab, my cursor is in the Location Bar at the top. I start typing my Google search query, hit Enter, and it gives me Google search results. FWIW, I also have Firefox start with a blank page, uncheck "Provide search suggestions" (Options>Search), and uncheck all options under Options>Pricacy>Location Bar.

+1 this is how mine is setup also

[whentheclouds]

I like things even simpler. I set up my New Tab page to be blank (open a new tab, click the gear icon on the upper right, select "Show blank page"), and set my default search engine as Google. Then, when I open a new tab, my cursor is in the Location Bar at the top. I start typing my Google search query, hit Enter, and it gives me Google search results. FWIW, I also have Firefox start with a blank page, uncheck "Provide search suggestions" (Options>Search), and uncheck all options under Options>Pricacy>Location Bar.

aka the standard setup. i make the default search google i'm feeling lucky. imagine typing 'got wiki' and be immediately directed to the game of thrones wiki. or 'sansa wiki' and be directed to the character's wiki page. you can't be more efficient than that

also you guys should try assigning keywords to other sites that allow search queries. for example, i have g for standard google search, y for youtube, a for amazon and e for ebay. once you're used to browsing like this you wouldn't want to do it any other way

[fohat.digs]

I like things even simpler. I set up my New Tab page to be blank (open a new tab, click the gear icon on the upper right, select "Show blank page"), and set my default search engine as Google. Then, when I open a new tab, my cursor is in the Location Bar at the top. I start typing my Google search query, hit Enter, and it gives me Google search results. FWIW, I also have Firefox start with a blank page, uncheck "Provide search suggestions" (Options>Search), and uncheck all options under Options>Pricacy>Location Bar.

OK, thanks, I think this does it. I had to dig around and remove all the references to Google except for making it my default search engine.

And also, until I cleared it out and set Firefox to a blank page, the gear icon did not appear at all, and the 3 horizontal lines > settings did not allow me to go there.

No matter what I did, I kept getting the address bar automatically populated with:   https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl

[jdcarpe]

also you guys should try assigning keywords to other sites that allow search queries. for example, i have g for standard google search, y for youtube, a for amazon and e for ebay. once you're used to browsing like this you wouldn't want to do it any other way

Oh my, you just blew my mind with this one. I had no idea you could setup keywords for search. Typing "w [wikipedia search query]" instead of using Google to get there, or going to en.wikipedia.org first, is awesome!

[whentheclouds]

yep it's pretty sweet. also if you just type in the keyword it directs you to the page you linked the keyword to. for example if i type only 'yt' i go directly to youtube front page, 'a' leads me to amazon front page and so on. not as useful for those sites, but if you type 'gh' and it leads you to geekhack spy page..

[xtrafrood]

Whoops, blank page is key.

[fohat.digs]

yep it's pretty sweet. also if you just type in the keyword it directs you to the page you linked the keyword to.

Great idea. But when I follow the instructions, go to the site, and right-click in the address bar, I do not get the choice, it only highlights the address in blue.

[jdcarpe]

yep it's pretty sweet. also if you just type in the keyword it directs you to the page you linked the keyword to.

Great idea. But when I follow the instructions, go to the site, and right-click in the address bar, I do not get the choice, it only highlights the address in blue.

I figured out what you have to do. You have to bookmark the site, then press Ctrl-Shift-B to show all bookmarks. Click on the one you are trying to keyword, then click the More arrow at the bottom. There you can enter a keyword.

[fohat.digs]

I figured out what you have to do. You have to bookmark the site, then press Ctrl-Shift-B to show all bookmarks. Click on the one you are trying to keyword, then click the More arrow at the bottom. There you can enter a keyword.

Thanks, I had just found it via a slightly different route.

Many thanks to all of you!

Besides solving my original problem, I was also shown additional helpful hints.