Shortcut key to simple textbox to perform Google search

Question

Question

• What would be a good tool to enable me to press a shortcut key that brings up a simple textbox where I can type some search terms and then press enter to perform a Google search?

Additional points

• I know that I can press a shortcut key to start a browser and have Google as my default search engine. This is too slow.
• I have read a little bit about lenses, but they sound like more than what I want.
• Before switching to Ubuntu, on Windows I have used AutoHotKey to trigger a search box. I also really liked Dave's Quick Search Bar many years ago when I was on XP.
• Google desktop also sounds like more than what I want.

Answer 1

Since Google Desktop stopped working, I've been forced to look for another solution. Here's what I've done:

Setup

• I installed Guake, a drop down terminal that can be triggered by F12.
• I installed surfraw, a command-line search program.
• I wrote a simple script called g.

The script looks like this; it's not perfect but it seems to get the job done.

#!/bin/bash
# Usage g search-terms
#
# short command designed to perform a google search from the command-line

surfraw -browser=chromium-browser google  $* 2>/dev/null &

Using this approach

To do a quick google search I do the following

• F12 to bring up terminal
• g search term to perform search
• F12 to hide the terminal

Answer 2

which version of Ubuntu are you using? If you're using 10.10 or earlier (or 11.04 on Ubuntu Classic), then you can install Deskbar into your panel.

Just open a terminal and type sudo apt-get-install deskbar-applet

If you're using 11.04 with Unity, then This link may help.

Answer 3

You can do this using Google Desktop using Quick Search Box feature. The search box appears when you press Ctrl key twice. For more info go to http://desktop.google.com/features.html#search