For the longest time, the default search provider in Ubuntu Linux has been Google, but this is going to change in the next release, Lucid Lynx, scheduled to release April 29. The change comes after Canonical has signed a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo!, so you can imagine who the new default search provider will be.

 

The change was announced on the ubuntu-desktop mailing list by Rick Spencer. The gist of it all is that the default search provider in the little Firefox search box will be changed from Google to Yahoo!. In addition, Firefox' default home page (the search page thing) will respect the user's choice of default search provider.

 

Spencer was adamant to emphasise that users cans till change the default search provider to Google with just two clicks. "It's literally 2 easily discoverable clicks to change this setting, a simple matter of switching to that search provider in the [search box] by clicking on the icon and choosing the desired provider," he explains, "Note also that Yahoo! does not share any personally identifiable or usage information."

 

The reason for this change is obvious and understandable: Yahoo! has signed a revenue sharing agreement with Ubuntu, which is good for the Linux distribution. "I am pursuing this change because Canonical has negotiated a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo! and this revenue will help Canonical to provide developers and resources to continue the open development of Ubuntu and the Ubuntu Platform," Spencer explains, "This change will help provide these resources as well as continuing to respect our user's default search across Firefox."

 

sudo apt-get remove firefox-3.5 is my favourite command anyway, preferably executed right after installing Chrome, so it bears no relevance on me. I know I'm a minority though, so how about all of you? How do you feel about this change?

 

via > http://www.osnews.com/story/22798/Ubuntu..._to_Yahoo_

I think that the number of voices in the crowd who have a negative view of Google is growing. Google is big, powerful and increasing its size and influence very rapidly across all sorts of aspects of technology. I can very much sympathise with those who don't want to put all their eggs in one Google basket and perhaps want to search elsewhere.

 

In this case, obviously, the revenue sharing is what is likely to be the biggest motivator on both sides. I don't see an issue with it provided users are given an easy choice to switch to whichever search provider they choose -- and it seems that is being done perfectly here. Other than the fact that who the revenue is being shared with has changed from Google to Yahoo, this is basically the same arrangement as before, as far as I can see.