Changing Mint Google Search engine back to Google's default search engine page


This is a simple 3 step process to get rid of the unfortunate Mint Google Search that comes with the Opera web browser in the Linux Mint distro.  With all due respect to Clem Lefebvre and the team at Linux Mint, this particular search engine is pretty bad.  Most users that I know are unhappy with it so hopefully it gets changed to be better (knowing Clem, it will).  In the meantime, here is a 3 step fix.

  • Go to Google.com--In the search box, right click.  In the resulting menu, select "Create Search."
  • In the resulting pop up box called Search Engine, copy everything in the 'address' field (you may have to click on 'Details' in order to see it).  It will be a URL with a very long string of characters in it. 
  • For the 10.5 Opera and up, click on Menu, Settings, Preferences, Search Tab--Highlight Google and click Edit.  Again the search engine box pops up..Click details to get to the address field and paste the URL from step 2 into the address field.  Then click okay.  (For older versions, click on Tools, Preference, Search Tab, Edit.
Now things searched in Google's search engine will show up with the results from Google's own page, with all the choices and benefits therein.  Enjoy!