Ubuntu developer, Canonical, has signed a deal with Yahoo! to make it the default search provider in its Lucid Lynx operating system, ousting Google in the process.
The Ubuntu Firefox browser used Google as its default search engine prior to the deal. The details of the deal are undisclosed but Yahoo! will offer the open source developer a portion of its advertisement revenue for Ubuntu-Yahoo! Searches, according to reports.
Canonical desktop team leader, Rick Spencer, told users on its development forum that changes will be made to Ubuntu version 10.04.
"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 wrote.
“This change will help provide these resources as well as continuing to respect our user's default search across Firefox.”
"This change will help provide these resources…Users are totally free to choose their search provider, and it is very easy to change."
Users will still be able to choose their own search provider and the changes will not affect users who have switched their default search providers in the top right toolbox.
Firefox accounted for 46.4 per cent internet browsers worldwide in December 2009 according to W3schools statistics. Google’s Chrome internet browser accounts for 9.8 per cent but its share increased in the last quarter of 2009 by 1.8 per cent. In contrast, Firefox’s share decreased 1.8 per cent.