Can't use Searx as Search Engine with Multi Account Extension enabled

[Booteille]

trafficstars

This is a copy of the issue I opened on Searx repository.

Hi.

As said in the title, with Firefox Multi-Account Containers extension enabled, searx does not work properly.

What's happening If I am not focusing my Searx instance tab and if I try to make a search through Firefox address bar or Firefox search bar, the Searx instance opens but the search is not made. I just arrive on the Searx instance homepage. However, once I am focusing the Searx instance tab, and if I try to make a search through the address bar or search bar of Firefox, the search is being made correctly. If the tab is open but I am not focusing it, it does not work neither.

How to reproduce

1. Create a fresh Firefox instances (about:profiles) and launch Firefox with this profile
2. Go on a searx instance (I tried different instances but my reference instance will be searx.fmac.xyz/)
3. Add it as search engine (click on the three-dot menu, in address bar, then click on "add search engine")
4. (Optional) Enable it as default search engine in Firefox menus
5. Type about:addons in address bar and search for "multi".
6. Download Firefox Multi-Account Container extension
7. Manage containers to add a new one : Searx
8. Set up the searx instance (searx.fmac.xyz/) to always open through this container.
9. Make a search through Firefox search bar or address bar.

Versions I used last Firefox Nightly build and Firefox 81.0. Both on Pop_OS 20.04. As I said, I tried with fresh profiles with only multi-account containers open.

More informations It's maybe not bound to Searx but Multi-Account containers seems to work properly with every other websites I am using since months. So that's why I opened this issue here. I'll open another one on Multi-Account Containers.

[xpufx]

I have this same issue. I think what's going on is the following. You'll be on a container tab that is not the one assigned to searx so when you enter a search term into the boxes it has to replace that tab with the one for searx. However it's going to the base url of searx instead of using the search logic that adds search?q=searchquery. (Or the POST equivalent)

It is necessary for searx to have its own container because its settings are kept in a cookie. This is in addition to the security benefits. Without this cookie (or the url saved with parameters) your searches will use the default settings on the server.

This might be a security thing because otherwise it should have been a pretty common use case and be handled properly. Any comments?