I hope that my query here has a browser-agnostic as well as OS-agnostic solution that maybe someone here will know how to do...

Using this URL as my example:
https://www.google.com/search?q=whatever

I would like it instead somehow to automagically redirect like so:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatever

Using google search is something I avoid pretty much all the time - maybe 1 out of 100 searches I do -might- use that, but otherwise it is avoided.

Of course I could do some trickery in the hosts file to prevent the google.com domain altogether (I know that much), but since I still use other google sub-sites that would be a hindrance for me.

Searching on terms like:
prevent "google searches"
redirect "google search"
divert google search

All had an unexpected result IMO=> they all gave results mentioning a "Google redirect virus" - which had me giggling because as I see it google searching itself IS like a virus now that 'googling' & 'google it' are too commonly used.
Sadly they also brought back nothing like what I am seeking.

Also worthy of mention here is that this came to mind after visiting a link on Panzer's superb freewares listing that brought up a site that gives result links as direct google searches, like some other sites do (i.e.: https://lmgtfy.app/).

So...any pointers, clues or education for me on this strange request ??

Thanks for any helpful replies !!

On any browser, I don't know, but this could be made on Gecko browsers still using XPI add-ons (K-meleon among them) that was done via observers with the XPI add-on programming language, which, to me, it always looked like a mess or overcomplicated. If you manage to learn it, you could create one for yourself. Personally I find ultra-difficult.

Or maybe there is some somewhere.

The other way, that may work for all browsers, is install in your system a proxy server an manipulate requests at your wish.

As you are on *nix now, I bet you found a few programs capable of manipulate requests.

Quote
smallhagrid
I hope that my query here has a browser-agnostic as well as OS-agnostic solution that maybe someone here will know how to do...

Using this URL as my example:
https://www.google.com/search?q=whatever

I would like it instead somehow to automagically redirect like so:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatever

So...any pointers, clues or education for me on this strange request ??

Well, can only repeat myself again, but still believe the old Redirector addon is the best chance by far. It's been confirmed to work fine with KM:
http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,149073
IIRC the only minor issue was that the Options-window opens rather small, but no prob when just opening it from a bookmark... or such...

Thanks for replying Siria !!

This link still works for the version you pointed out, though it is no longer at the old versions list:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/file/1049034/type:attachment/redirector-3.2.1-an+fx.xpi

The legacycollector.org site is gone, and the extensions dev has a site for the current version:
https://einaregilsson.com/redirector/
But no longer mentions the older versions either there or anywhere else at his site.

I'll see if I can make that work with my current browsers now...

Quote
siria
Well, can only repeat myself again, but still believe the old Redirector addon is the best chance by far. It's been confirmed to work fine with KM:
http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,149073
IIRC the only minor issue was that the Options-window opens rather small, but no prob when just opening it from a bookmark... or such...

Thanks Again Siria !!

Quote
smallhagrid
This link still works for the version you pointed out, though it is no longer at the old versions list:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/file/1049034/type:attachment/redirector-3.2.1-an+fx.xpi

The legacycollector.org site is gone, and the extensions dev has a site for the current version:
https://einaregilsson.com/redirector/
But no longer mentions the older versions either there or anywhere else at his site.

I'll see if I can make that work with my current browsers now...

Yuck, waste of time, for KM you only have a tiny chance with traditional xul-addons (called "legacy" by Mozilla), not webextensions. Then again, you're using another browser now anyway, with a much younger engines, so perhaps this one can run current addons.

Anyway, older Addon versions are at the moment still available in waybackmachine!
https://web.archive.org/web/20181002162221/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/redirector/versions/

And legacycollector is also still archived (yet)
https://web.archive.org/web/20191102092548/http://legacycollector.org/firefox-addons/index.html

By the way you can bookmark those links, and when looking for other addons just replace addon-name.

Hi Siria & All.
Some of my time has been 'wasted' to good effect & this problem troubles me no more.

Most browsers can run userscripts via some version of Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey, etc. .

I now have these, which eliminate the obnoxiousnesses of YT & can be used on a case-by-case basis:
- Invidious Redirect
- Youtube to Hooktube
- YT redirect to Invidious on login request
- Watchkin Auto-Redirect (normally disabled here)

All are available here:
https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts

Added the Greasemonkey button with its handy drop-down to my toolbar, and this (IMO) is the best of all worlds.

Many, many other good things can be done via userscripts & it is well worth a good look if browser things need some tweaking.