Install the google scholar searchplugin for firefox using javascript

You may as well download the xml file for google scholar search and place it in the searchplugins folder of firefox (for Ubuntu, that is /usr/lib/firefox-addons/searchplugins).

Here is the sourcecode of the plugin, including the Base 64 encoded icon.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<OpenSearchDescription xmlns="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/">
  <ShortName>Google scholar</ShortName>
  <Description>Search for publications with google scholar</Description>
  <Tags>Academic Scholar Educational</Tags>
  <Url type="text/html"
        template="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q={searchTerms}&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8"/>
   <Image height="16" width="16" type="image/x-icon">data:image/x-icon;base64,AAABAAEAEBAQAAEABAAoAQAAFgAAACgAAAAQAAAAIAAAAAEABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAADmPj4A0FpWABaHFgBXgzsAxW5sAJh8cABLlEMAs39+AHyzfADloJwAw6imAL7DvAD3zc0A
2tvcAPP09QAAAAAA3d3d3d3d3e7e3aREW97d3t7UBKp0vd7e7rB+7udWiN7u0a7u4yIiLe7nGt6i
Pugr7u7JQQDYYi3u7u7QGCIm7u7u6kF2K+iO7u4QzkImYm7u7Afu0WIm3u7sHe7Aru7u7u4a7kDe
7u7u7sTJAd7u7u7u7szJzu7u7u7u7u7u7u4AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA</Image>
</OpenSearchDescription>

Happy paperfinding.

In fact, i believe that the improvements (performance, network support, display and gfx card support, encryption and many more) are just about the same huge step forward that 7.10 was compared to the release 6.
After the automatic update, i had firefox 3 (lovely from the start), improved SSH authentication support (better protection of private key etc.) and finally, my wxga display AND laptop monitor configured perfectly even with my not-so standards conform internal GFX card (Intel 950m, in fact).

What else is there at the first glimpse? Improved language support and a nice little search engine (Conceptual rip of from apple i must admit, but well done!) for all kinds of items on your hard disk, and a really sweet new background image. For the artist in the nerd.

Yes, i’m charmed. I recommend it! Especially since it’s a long term support release…

Read more on ubuntu 8.0.4 in this feature tour.