Are there any good command line web browsers for Linux without a window manager?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the availability and functionality of command line web browsers for Linux systems that operate without a window manager. Participants explore the capabilities of various browsers, particularly in relation to handling graphics, Java, and Flash content, and how these features compare to traditional graphical browsers like Firefox and Chrome.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about command line browsers that can display websites similarly to graphical browsers, emphasizing the need for support for graphics, Java, and Flash.
  • Another participant suggests Lynx, but others note its limitations in displaying images and rendering websites like graphical browsers.
  • Links and w3m are mentioned as alternatives that support tables, frames, and some JavaScript functionality, with a claim that they present web pages in a more visually appealing manner than Lynx.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the feasibility of command line browsers supporting Java or Flash, comparing it to expecting them to display images.
  • There is a discussion about the possibility of using a minimalist window manager to run graphical browsers without the full desktop environment.
  • A suggestion is made about the potential for a browser that could render graphics and JavaScript in ASCII art, though this is presented humorously.
  • VirtualBox is mentioned as a virtualization solution, but its relevance to the discussion about command line browsers is questioned.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the capabilities of command line browsers, particularly regarding their ability to handle Java and Flash content. There is no consensus on a single browser that meets all the discussed requirements, and the conversation remains unresolved regarding the best approach for users wanting to forego a window manager.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the inherent constraints of command line browsers in rendering complex web content and the varying levels of support for features like JavaScript across different browsers. The discussion also reflects a dependency on the definitions of "good" in the context of web browsing capabilities.

NeoDevin
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I was wondering if there are any good web browsers available from the command line on a linux system without any window manager? By "good" I mean one that handles graphics, java, flash, etc. well, and basically displays the website the way it was intended to be seen, the way you would see it in Firefox, IE, or Chrome.
 
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Lynx doesn't appear to show any images, and certainly doesn't display websites in a similar manner to firefox/IE/etc.
 
Normally command line means runs in a terminal window so wouldn't do graphics (unless it drew them in ascii art - like vlc's ascii video mode!)
You can use a x-windows browser from the keyboard (the keys for mozilla are at http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/keyboard+shortcuts)

Finally 'links' is the new replacement for lynx
 
So that's a 'no'? I was thinking about getting rid of my window manager completely, but not if I can't play flash games and see lolcats!
 
Flash and Java both need X. I personally love links -g and use it for 80% of my browsing, but I still dig out Firefox for fancy stuff.
 
"links" and "w3m" are good command line web browsers. They support things like tables and frames and Links at least supports Javascript. Unlike the long linear splat lynx gives you, web pages in w3m and links "look like" they do in a graphical web browser, just without the images.

Expecting any command line to support Java or Flash is ridiculous, that is literally the same as expecting a command line browser to support images.
 
Coin said:
Expecting any command line to support Java or Flash is ridiculous, that is literally the same as expecting a command line browser to support images.

Didn't think so, but figured I would ask. Guess I won't be giving up my window manager any time soon.
 
  • #10
This said a web browser that attempted to draw images, java, flash using only ASCII art approximations would be pretty hilarious.

Maybe someone could work something out with firefox+aalib.
 
  • #11
Coin said:
This said a web browser that attempted to draw images, java, flash using only ASCII art approximations would be pretty hilarious.

Maybe someone could work something out with firefox+aalib.

Maybe one could get the developers behind http://ascii.dyne.org/ to work on it. :smile:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #13
I think links -g (links + images) can run in a framebuffer...
 
  • #14
I'm not sure why links couldn't be written to do JavaScript. I'm sure that it would be possible to take something like WebKit or Gecko and just make a links-style front-end for it. JavaScript just means it can manipulate the DOM, not that it has graphics. It would make the browser a lot slower though, as you'd have to rewrite the screen more often than you would with links.

Flash is quite a bit more difficult though. Of course, if all you need is some games, you could always not play Flash games, but play games that run on the command line. There's nethack, there's a lot of fun MUDs and MOOs you can connect to. There's Pacman4Console, ttyquake and so on...
 
  • #15
Flash games was just the example I gave off the top of my head, I would prefer to still be able to use flash, since functionality depends on it for some websites. Is it possible to install enough of X to run firefox, but not have to deal with a window manager?
 
  • #16
Well, just use the most minimalist window manager you can find. Here's a list.
 
  • #17
Tom Morris said:
I'm not sure why links couldn't be written to do JavaScript.

I don't think the issue is that
it can't be done
... it probably can.
The issue is more likely
WHY should it be done? and WHO would want to undertake it?
 
  • #18
Is something like this what you are looking for?

This is taken directly from the VirtualBox web site-

VirtualBox -- professional, flexible, open ¶

VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software.

Some of the features of VirtualBox are:

* Modularity. VirtualBox has an extremely modular design with well-defined internal programming interfaces and a client/server design. This makes it easy to control it from several interfaces at once: for example, you can start a virtual machine in a typical virtual machine GUI and then control that machine from the command line, or possibly remotely. VirtualBox also comes with a full Software Development Kit: even though it is Open Source Software, you don't have to hack the source to write a new interface for VirtualBox.

* Virtual machine descriptions in XML. The configuration settings of virtual machines are stored entirely in XML and are independent of the local machines. Virtual machine definitions can therefore easily be ported to other computers.

* Guest Additions for Windows and Linux. VirtualBox has special software that can be installed inside Windows and Linux virtual machines to improve performance and make integration much more seamless. Among the features provided by these Guest Additions are mouse pointer integration and arbitrary screen solutions (e.g. by resizing the guest window).

* Shared folders. Like many other virtualization solutions, for easy data exchange between hosts and guests, VirtualBox allows for declaring certain host directories as "shared folders", which can then be accessed from within virtual machines.

A number of extra features are available with the full VirtualBox release only (see the "Editions" page for details):

* Virtual USB Controllers. VirtualBox implements a virtual USB controller and allows you to connect arbitrary USB devices to your virtual machines without having to install device specific drivers on the host.

* Remote Desktop Protocol. Unlike any other virtualization software, VirtualBox fully supports the standard Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). A virtual machine can act as an RDP server, allowing you to "run" the virtual machine remotely on some thin client that merely displays the RDP data.

* USB over RDP. With this unique feature, a virtual machine that acts as an RDP server can still access arbitrary USB devices that are connected on the RDP client. This way, a powerful server machine can virtualize a lot of thin clients that merely need to display RDP data and have USB devices plugged in.

COPYRIGHT Virualbox.com
 
  • #19
Zenparticle, thanks, I'll check it out more when I have more time.
 
  • #20
Virtualbox is a virtual machine, like xen,vmware or virtualpc.
It let's you run another OS in a sandbox inside a host OS - it's nothing to do with a browser
 

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