Lynx is one of the best text browsers that can be used within the terminal to see any web site in plain ASCII text on the terminal itself. It do not deliver any images/multimedia/flash content and is used mainly by those who are mostly interested in reading texts and are distracted by the flash/graphical content.
Lynx text browser is also useful when you do not have a GUI installed on your Linux system. With only-text browsing, Lynx is much faster since it do not display any other bandwidth-consuming data. Navigation is done by using the arrow keys in Lynx and installing and using Lynx text browser is much easy.
It is a highly configurable text-based web browser in terminals. There is support for HTML and SSL in the latest version of Lynx web browser. Though it do not handles or renders images/videos from any web page, it can launch external programs to handle it, like an image viewer and or a video player.
It is a highly configurable text-based web browser in terminals. There is support for HTML and SSL in the latest version of Lynx web browser. Though it do not handles or renders images/videos from any web page, it can launch external programs to handle it, like an image viewer and or a video player.
How to install Lynx browser in Linux
Debian / Ubuntu / Mint :
sudo apt-get install lynx
Fedora
Lynx is available through yum for fedora user. To install it, use the below commands:
su -
dnf install lynx
Arch Linux / Manjaro
sudo pacman -S lynx
Lynx is available through yum for fedora user. To install it, use the below commands:
su -
dnf install lynx
Arch Linux / Manjaro
sudo pacman -S lynx
Now to open any website within your terminal, type the following command:
lynx <web-address>
e.g. if you want to open beopensource.com use the following command:
lynx beopensource.com
You can use the UP, DOWN arrow keys and tab to navigate to different links in a webpage.
Lynx text browser is particularly useful for low-specification system since it do not need any GUI support.
Here's some important shortcuts while using Lynx browser :
Q : To close the Lynx browser
P : To print a page
/search : to search a string
M : To navigate to main screen of homepage
H : Help
Here's what Shaun Marolf has to say about the Lynx browser. Thanks a lot Shaun.
Lynx has a good speed advantage in rendering websites. However, its only useful with information related websites where the HTML code is mostly text. Using it on a graphically intense site is self defeating. That being said, as a research tool for gathering information it shines brightly as popups, ads, unnecessary video tags and graphics are ignored and the meat of what you are trying to get is seen. It has one major weakness though as click throughs (web sites where you have to click through a pop up before you can get to the actual information) can be a severe problem with Lynx. Lynx itself is a pure HTML, XML rendering browser and where sites use Ruby and AJAX and other script based apps that Graphical Browsers can work with Lynx will not and if the functionality is needed then Lynx is useless.
Lynx is not for, nor intended for, the average Internet User. Its geared for researchers and tech savvy users and that needs to be considered. Truthfully its made for nothing but the basics.
I have installed Lynx web browser in my Linux Mint. Here's how it renders my website www.beopensource.com in terminals:
Here's some important shortcuts while using Lynx browser :
Q : To close the Lynx browser
P : To print a page
/search : to search a string
M : To navigate to main screen of homepage
H : Help
Here's what Shaun Marolf has to say about the Lynx browser. Thanks a lot Shaun.
Lynx has a good speed advantage in rendering websites. However, its only useful with information related websites where the HTML code is mostly text. Using it on a graphically intense site is self defeating. That being said, as a research tool for gathering information it shines brightly as popups, ads, unnecessary video tags and graphics are ignored and the meat of what you are trying to get is seen. It has one major weakness though as click throughs (web sites where you have to click through a pop up before you can get to the actual information) can be a severe problem with Lynx. Lynx itself is a pure HTML, XML rendering browser and where sites use Ruby and AJAX and other script based apps that Graphical Browsers can work with Lynx will not and if the functionality is needed then Lynx is useless.
Lynx is not for, nor intended for, the average Internet User. Its geared for researchers and tech savvy users and that needs to be considered. Truthfully its made for nothing but the basics.
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