Three web browsers to use with the Linux command line

Let’s take a look back at the beginning days of the internet. Many people used low-powered computers or dumb minds, often over slow, rhythmic connections. We used command-line, text-only browsers like the Lynx to visit webpages.

You can skip to the days of internet browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari. This tag could have been used to surf the internet from the control line, which you would think. It would not be true. The web browsers that operate in a terminal window are still alive and well. They’re marketable, but they still do the job.

Why browse the internet from the command line?

There are many reasons to surf the internet from the control line. You might be a command-line junkie and want to use your terminal for all things command-line, or you might have slow internet connections. You might want to check a site’s accessibility and stop monitoring scripts from annoying ads. You might just want to read a report, blog post, or other information without distractions.

Let’s now look at three plugins that can be used to control your line.

Links2

Links2 bills themselves because of the graphic form used by the venerable Link. This version is very similar to its predecessor, as it allows you either to work in a text-only or graphical manner.

This is what you get if you study links2 in the control lines and then visit some Sites.

But, if you run links2-g, then you will see a Website.

This is just one example of the many functions Links2 can provide. Links2 can display frames and tables, and support fundamental JavaScript. You can also use the mouse to trace links in text and graphic mode.

links

ELinks, just like Links2, is part of the Links browser. ELinks, like Links2, could display frames and tables. ELinks supports Javascript once it has been set up to track links.

ELinks stand out from other control-line browsers because of its menu program. You will see a few menus on your computer screen that allow you to insert bookmarks, save URLs and prepare the browser.

ELinks does not have a graphic style. It will however have a handy feature that lets you see images on a webpage. Click on the image placeholder or highlight it, and then click on your computer. ELinks will open the view using a program like ImageMagick and GraphicsMagick.

w3m

w3m informed me that it was a hybrid of the traditional text-based browser Lynx as well as the UNIX/Linux text view longer. Although it doesn’t have the same attributes as other browsers, w3m does the job.

The browser can automatically accept cookies and leave tables so you can navigate web pages using a mouse. ELinks2 is similar to w3m. Using an external application, w3m allows you to view pictures on a website. However, JavaScript is not supported by the browser.

W3m can create web pages much more efficiently than Links2 and ELinks, even though they have more complicated pages. The rendering is more vibrant and clean.

W3m doesn’t use the same keyboard shortcuts as other control line browsers. Be prepared to learn some new ones. This can be done by pressing H while you are using w3m.