Can't set custom search engine as default

A Former User @Guest

@Tcll Most other browsers allow it and i would like to have it but i can see the point from a security standpoint but if all the other browsers are not doing it and opera is not a big target for malware writers???

A Former User @Guest

@omendata actually it rather is, especially for the fact it's based on chromium
so just hit chromium and you'll hit Opera
(since Electron is the new ActiveX, this shouldn't be surprising)

however, this point of target (the thread topic) I highly doubt is any sort of concern, especially on Linux
compared to something like RATting a user with Opera on any OS

A Former User @Guest

@Tcll No idea what you are saying can you maybe use English?

It is not off topic its exactly what the topic is about.
All other browsers allow using custom search default as does Chrome so no opera is not chrome!

A Former User @Guest

@omendata the first section was in response to your:

opera is not a big target for malware writers???

that's where I had to redirect myself

All other browsers allow using custom search default as does Chrome so no opera is not chrome!

just because 1 small feature of Chromium is not allowed in Opera doesn't mean Opera is not Chromium

Opera is the ONLY secure version of Chromium, because as you can tell, the devs put in the extra effort to disable things that would otherwise be insecure in other browsers

on the topic of this thread however
Opera could simply encrypt the settings file with a non-exposed key and allow users to set custom search engines as default.
(Opera could simply decrypt the settings and re-encrypt them when updated)
doesn't take a genius to figure that out

... what, suggesting a basic security feature doesn't make me a genius.

what does make me a genius however is knowing not to use a backdoored encryption standard.
thanks to my stupid government backdooring secure encryption standards, we have to be aware of this now and find new actually secure standards
(it's a binary outcome, knowledgeable hackers can either enter that backdoor, or there's no backdoor for them to enter)

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

His argument is that malware targeting Chromium (which is the most common browser today) will mostly target Opera as well. If Opera didn't prevent external software from changing the search engine then any adware that would change your search in Chromium would also change it in Opera

A Former User

What the.. I'm using DuckDuckGo as default and Opera is passing my search queries as GET requests in the address bar. This is not privacy! So I install my usual DuckDuckGo POST chrome extension but turns out it doesn't work in Opera (Though it will install). So I investigate why.

I go to my search settings and wow! Awesome! Opera has added custom search engine feature with POST request! Except you can't set custom search engine as default so guess what? I will never get to actually use it! What to do? Well, DuckDuckGo POST sets keyword as duckduckgo.com_. I could set that but no use if I can't set as default.

This is epic fail Opera. You pass my search queries by GET request straight to my ISP. No search privacy in this browser.

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @Guest

@xendi

Stay on topic. Don't hijack other people's threads.

https://forums.opera.com/rules

A Former User @leocg

@leocg Opera really should reconsider this. At least let people enable it in opera://flags/ if security is the issue. This is really annoying because there are multiple problems with locking the default engines.

I can't even edit/remove the keyword. For example I can't use "y something" to make a youtube search because y is locked to yahoo.
I can't disable default search engines. So if I search for example "y u no meme", again, it will take me to yahoo.
I can't set the URL. Even though I use duckduckgo as default, it's still a problem because I can't set URL parameters like ?kae=d to use dark theme in incognito mode (making the feature useless).
And, like others said, they can't use startpage or other engines. What if I want to use Google, but the japanese version or whatever? Where's my freedom? I though I had the right to make my own choices...?

All of this would be solved if they would just let users freely choose their defaults, like every other browser does. Sure, if Opera has a deal with those companies to list them as default, that's fine, but don't make it IMPOSSIBLE to change it.

It doesn't matter if it's cumbersome and non-intuitive, and if I have to use admin/root, edit some obscure file, change the registry, konami cheat code or whatever, at least let people have SOME WAY to do it.

Enabling a flag would be a good solution, since the page already warns you that changes might compromise your security anyways.

A Former User @Guest

@Tcll Get this fixed Opera!! Gosh I remember switching from chrome to opera nearly a year ago and have been enjoying it ever since, and the black sidebar and all that, especially love version 58, but they have got to work on customization. sometimes I want to type a single letter first, like the name of someone for example, or a tutorial/etc, for example B jones or Y news (causing Bing and Yahoo to be the search engine) and other search engines with pre-letters that when you type them in, like previously mentioned typing in individual letters and then something else results in going to those search engines because of the keywords. I know some skillful person will find a way to circumvent this annoyance soon, as according to online search results other people have struggled with this. Apparently I heard somewhere else this is a "low priority" and has been for a while. WTF, Opera! I'm starting to rethink my switch to this browser..

//rant over

A Former User @Guest

@idontknowaname476 I think its for security as has been said before and its probably a good idea dude - sometimes we have to sacrifice useability for those users who are not as expert in IT as we are - ie 90% of the numpty popuiation.
But look on the bright side maybe after the coronavirus takes out all the potato stupid people all the intelligent folks will be left and we can get what we need lol

A Former User

I would really like to see a custom search engine as default, as I am running my own searx instance. This is a major drawback for me and I guess I have to switch browser eventually if this isn't changed anytime soon.