links

Visit a website

$ links [https://example.com]

$ links -anonymous [https://example.com]

$ links -enable-cookies [0|1] [https://example.com]

$ [<ArrowUp>|<ArrowDown>]

$ [<ArrowLeft>|<ArrowRight>]

$ <q><y>

links [options] [URL]

-g, --g-mode
    Enables graphical mode if Links2 is installed and an X server is running.

-text, --text-mode
    Forces the browser into text-only mode, overriding any graphical capabilities.

-dump
    Dumps the rendered content of the specified URL to standard output and exits. Useful for scripting.

-anonymous
    Disables features that might reveal identity, such as sending referer headers or using cookies.

-config-dir <dir>
    Specifies an alternative directory for configuration files instead of the default.

-async-dns
    Enables asynchronous DNS resolution, which can improve responsiveness by not blocking the UI during DNS lookups.

-force-html
    Forces the interpretation of content as HTML, even if the server suggests a different content type.

-version
    Displays the version information of the links browser.

-help
    Shows a summary of available command-line options.

links is a powerful and versatile text-mode web browser for Unix-like operating systems. Unlike simpler text browsers like lynx or w3m, links offers advanced features including partial support for frames, tables, and even a graphical mode (Links2) when an X server is available.

It is known for its speed and efficient rendering, making it suitable for browsing on slow connections, older hardware, or remote SSH sessions. While it excels at displaying static HTML content, it has limited or no support for JavaScript, CSS, or modern multimedia elements, making it less suitable for complex, dynamic websites. It's often used for quick information retrieval, server administration, or for users who prefer a minimalist browsing experience.

links has significant limitations compared to modern graphical browsers.
It provides minimal to no support for JavaScript, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and complex multimedia (video, audio).
Many modern, interactive websites will not render correctly or be fully functional.
Its graphical mode (Links2) is still relatively basic and may struggle with complex layouts or modern web standards.

While links is primarily a text-mode browser, a variant called Links2 provides a graphical mode that can display images and render pages in a more visual manner, given an X server. This makes links unique among text-based browsers.

Navigation in links is primarily keyboard-driven. Users can navigate links using arrow keys, spacebar for paging, and Esc for menus. G or g often prompts for a URL.

links was originally developed by Mikuláš Pátka and others in the Czech Republic, first released around 1999. It gained popularity for being a fast and feature-rich text-mode browser, particularly its ability to render frames and tables more effectively than some contemporaries.

A significant fork, Links2, was developed to add rudimentary graphical capabilities, including image rendering, in environments with an X server, pushing the boundaries of what a "text-mode" browser could do. Its development continues, maintaining its niche as a lightweight and efficient browsing tool.

lynx(1), w3m(1), curl(1), wget(1)