"Search Forums" problem

I have just tried to search forums with this input :

Adding XP to the lilo boot menu

and this is the output :

The search term you specified (xp) is under the minimum word length (3) and therefore will not be found. Please make this term longer. If this term contains a wildcard, please make this term more specific.

I've tried this few times with the same result.

Try replacing "XP" with "windows"

I know this is a suggestion section

Originally Posted by anupamsr Try replacing "XP" with "windows"

Well,this is the output :

The search term you specified (to) is under the minimum word length (3) and therefore will not be found. Please make this term longer. If this term contains a wildcard, please make this term more specific.

The word "to" is giving the error, try "adding Windows lilo boot menu" as your search.

Originally Posted by XavierP The word "to" is giving the error, try "adding Windows lilo boot menu" as your search.

Ok,that is working,but I'm wondering why "to" or "XP" were characthers that were causing the problem,since I had the entire sentence in the search filed,and that isn't under minimum word lenght (3).

No, it means each word needs to be 3 characters, not 3 words (you can just search for Fedora for example). Can be a bit of a pain on occasion

I guess the server does this to avoid a heavy burden. For example, if we search the word "to", we will get numerous results, and this will keep the server very busy.

just "I guess".

Originally Posted by sunnior I guess the server does this to avoid a heavy burden. For example, if we search the word "to", we will get numerous results, and this will keep the server very busy.

This is pretty much it - using less than 3 characters will give loads of rubbish results, (looking for IT will give both "IT" and "it" as results) and you'll end up with a massively unusable search engine.

If you want to look for whole sentences, I'd suggest using Google: "site:linuxquestions.org Adding XP to the lilo boot menu" as Google cuts out "to the" when producing results.

If you ask me,this issue is solved.Thanks.
Hmm...I got one more question.Will all new members know about this when they try to search for something?Maybe somewhere,some kind of a message should be posted about this,that there is a limit with the 3 characters in the search field?Or did I missed that message somewhere?

No, I think it's just a message that makes sense if you know what it means, and may not if you don't. Do you know what I mean?

I know what you mean,but as you know there are all kind of people out there.I remember a thread when the LQ newbie have spend more then a hour to post his first post.Many of those people don't understand english very well and so on and on.I must say that yesterday,when I submited a new thread(this one),I was pretty tierd(it happens sometimes to all of us,doesn't it?),and I needed a solution quick for the original problem I was trying to solve,so when this (searching)problem occurred,I was thinking,oh...what the hell?and I just didn't think it through because I was focused on my original problem.So,I'm still saying that there should be some kind of notice about this,so that people don't waste their time figuring out how to search for something,instead of solving their problem.

I just tried the same line inside quotes and it worked, although it found no matches.

Cheers

Originally Posted by dragonslayer48dx I just tried the same line inside quotes and it worked, although it found no matches.

Then this is becoming interesting.

That's because it looked for the whole sentence as posted rather than the individual words. For example:
"Can't install Linksys network card" will look for posts where that whole sentence is posted as is.
Can't install Linksys network card - will look for posts where the words can't AND install AND Linksys AND network AND card are posted.

It's why the word Linux is also excluded from searches and why searching for a distro will often bring up posts that have nothing to do with the search - this is because the search also picks up the profile bar. You may search for "Debian" and find a thread about guitars because one of the posters has Debian in either his sig or in his distro list.

Now, that is interesting. I just learned something new.

Cheers