Are you saying this is applicable when you have downloaded them, or when trying them online?

AFAIK the search facility does work on all the skins that are on the site. This sounds very much like you haven't defined your stub names correctly.

There is a note what version they're compatible with: both on the site (see the little links for older versions?) and in the skininfo.html that is included with the skins that other people made (the wpc ones I got lazy with, but they all work with 0.9.0.5 and up).

Thanks for you interest an reply. I have downloaded them and then tried them out on my sysetm and they failed. I didn't create skins or modify any php or skins before finding the problem. Here is what I found:
These lines from "helsinki/_main.php" and others fail:
<form name="SearchForm" method="get" class="search" action="<?php $Blog->disp( 'blogurl', 'raw' ) ?>">
.
.
.
<input type="submit" class="button"name="submit" value="<?php echo T_('Search') ?>" />

While these lines taken from the default "custom/_main.php" will work:
<?php form_formstart( $Blog->dget( 'blogurl', 'raw' ), 'search', 'SearchForm' ) ?>
.
.
.
<input type="submit" name="submit" class="submit" value="<?php echo T_('Search') ?>" />.

I don't know anything about PHP so this difference is lost on me. But I was able to make the modification and it worked. So far I really like all the work that has gone into b2.

That line should work with 0.9.0.10. What version are you using? If you installed using Fantasico, chances are that you're running a version that's horribly out of date.

I am using b2evo v 0.9.0.10,I don't think I am using Fantasico. The sysetm I am working on is Redhat 9 with everything installed. I don't know what Fantasico is but I guess it could have been installed with Redhat 9.

Fantastico is a little program that installs other programs. Mostly it installs GPL stuff but there are a few payfer things in it's list. It is a program that your web host would have available to you - not something you would have installed locally.

I also noticed a bit back that Fantastico is now installing NinetyTen. AND still the long-dead original b2. Go figure...