about:blank change after Chimaera update

golinux · 2025-12-08 00:49:29

Yes, I am still on Chimaera. Decided I would update after it went to old,old stable. My habit is to always open a new browser page to about:blank but now DDG has inserted it's icon in the address bar. I never search from the address bar and really don't want to have to look at that icon. I visited about:config which used to be useful but like everything else in the digital world, has mushroomed into an impenetrable complexity.

Note that chromium and palemoon still respects about:blank.

Is there any way I can get FF to go back to opening a blank page without that stupid DDG icon when it is told to do so?

Everybody should have such catastrophic problems . . . LOL!

fsmithred · 2025-12-08 01:12:14

I don't know if this gets rid of the icon, but this will disable searching in the address bar. Or at least it will make it so that your mouse doesn't automatically bounce up to the address bar when you start typing. I haven't actually tried to see if searching in the address bar still works. And I don't have the ddg icon.

In case the search bar gets disabled by an update, here's how to get it back.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1356391

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

More info on about:config: Configuration Editor for Firefox. The moderators would like us to remind you that changes made through this back door aren't fully supported and aren't guaranteed to continue working in the future. Since I use this one myself, I feel comfortable mentioning it, even if it does turn out to be temporary relief only.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste handoff and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.handoffToAwesomebar preference to switch the value from true to false

Edit: I tried it. "about:blank" gives me a blank page. In the address bar, it says something like "Search with ddg or enter a url" but there's no icon and the page is blank. It is still possible to search in the address bar but it doesn't jump there from the search bar.

Edit2: Sorry, I forgot I was in Chimaera when I did the test. In excalibur there's a duck icon in the address bar. I assume that can be changed by changing the default search engine, in case you like the bing or wikipedia icon better. Do what I do and don't look at the duck.

HardSun · 2025-12-08 23:34:07

If you just want a blank page when you open firefox, try this. I got it from the arkenfox user.js i use in firefox.

1) go to about:config
2) copy paste this into the search browser.startup.homepage
3) double click that link and change whatever is there (usually its about:home) to chrome://browser/content/blanktab.html

I cant help with the duckduckgo icon thing sorry.
arkenfox user.js link if you are interested.
https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/

Last edited by HardSun (2025-12-08 23:37:14)

golinux · 2025-12-09 19:03:56

Thanks to both of you.

@fsmithred . . . There was a time when I experimented a lot with about:config customization. That was then . . .

An about-blank page has always had "about:blank" in the urlbar until the last update after Chimaera moved to old,old stable and DDG decided to appropriate that "empty" space. I don't understand why there even has to be a default search engine. I have removed all the other search engines I use from the list. I'm not that happy with any of them

@HardSun . . . Thanks for taking the time to respond. The tab is not the problem it is the ddg icon which precedes it that I find annoying. Why can't I just choose whichever search engine I want at that time! I think the point is to box us all into patterns that will move us further down the chute to the abattoir . . .

/me longs for the idylic pre-digital days . . .

tux_99 · 2025-12-09 19:48:29

to change the default search engine:
Hamburger Menu > Settings > Search > default Search Engine

below that you have the Address Bar settings: unselect Search Engines

If that doesn't solve your issue then maybe post a screenshot as it's not clear what exactly you are referring to.

Last edited by tux_99 (2025-12-09 19:48:47)

HardSun · Yesterday 00:17:19

golinux wrote:

@HardSun . . . Thanks for taking the time to respond. The tab is not the problem it is the ddg icon which precedes it that I find annoying. Why can't I just choose whichever search engine I want at that time! I think the point is to box us all into patterns that will move us further down the chute to the abattoir . . .

Are you talking about the search bar icon to the left that has a drop down menu of other search engines? Provided you have other search engine shortcuts?

I think you might be talking about the about:config setting as per below, try setting it to false and see if that is it?

browser.urlbar.scotchBonnet.enableOverride

Otherwise please upload an image as tux_99 mentions.

golinux · Yesterday 02:00:07

Thanks to everybody for the suggestions. I will ponder the possibilities for a while before jumping into action. Experimentation is not easy for me these days so I will wait until the stars are aligned before jumping into action. I really don't want to screw something up and make it worse . . . If you live long enough, you will understand some day . . .

Calamity · Yesterday 09:46:01

@golinux, if it's of any reassurance, I can confirm that the setting suggested by HardSun in post #6 works. Just tried it in Tor Browser which was also affected by the changes, and the duck's gone.

golinux · Yesterday 16:36:26

Oh, thanks Calamity . . . That gives me some confidence that I might not screw something up! Hopefully I can get to that soon . . .

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#1 2025-12-08 00:49:29

about:blank change after Chimaera update

#2 2025-12-08 01:12:14

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#3 2025-12-08 23:34:07

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#4 2025-12-09 19:03:56

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#5 2025-12-09 19:48:29

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#6 Yesterday 00:17:19

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#7 Yesterday 02:00:07

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#8 Yesterday 09:46:01

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

#9 Yesterday 16:36:26

Re: about:blank change after Chimaera update

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