Yes Dennis It is possible to remove all those things.
They all require that you edit (or add) layoutpos=top/bottom to be layoutpos=none
The search bar with the information bar you refer to is called the 'word wheel' it searches your contact list only. It is possible to remove that information bar also. To do so edit 1001 definition here's the example from 8.5
code:
<Element LayoutPos=Client Layout=BorderLayout() Padding=rect(0,0,0,0) ID=Atom(ai558)>
<Element LayoutPos=Top Layout=BorderLayout()>
<*PlusSkin Conditions(HideInfoA = true) *><element layoutpos=none></*PlusSkin*>
<InfoBar id=atom(maininfobar) LayoutPos=None Layout=FillLayout() accessible=false padding=rect(0,0,0,0)>
<Element id=atom(maininfobarholder) Layout=BorderLayout()>
<Element LayoutPos=Left Layout=FlowLayout(0,0,0,0) Padding=Rect(1,1,3,0)>
<ImageList id=atom(infobaricon) ImageListId=0 Width=16 Height=16/>
</Element>
<HtmlView LayoutPos=Client id=atom(infobartext) label=atom(infobaricon) maxvisiblelines=2 active=mouseandkeyboard|nosyncfocus/>
</Element>
</InfoBar>
<*PlusSkin Conditions(HideInfoA = true) *></element></*PlusSkin*>
</Element>
This as you can see from the PlusSkin references, adds an element around the infobar that is then told to not have any position
(new conditional element)
(infobar)
(/new conditional element)
this is a way to hide some more stubborn buttons/elements, and also replace some.
The search bar I have a tutorial for removing it found
http://www.msgpluslive.net/skins/resources/tut-Hi...ptions-definitions
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