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ilembitov

Member

Registered: 2008-10-07

Posts: 124

Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

Just got curios: what's the difference between links, lynx, elinks, w3m? Why do people choose one of them over the other?

Wintervenom

Member

Registered: 2008-08-20

Posts: 1,011

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

Elinks can execute JavaScript, can use page stylesheets, can display in 256 colors, is very customizable, has tabbed browsing, has session saving (a la Firefox), supports a shitton of protocols including BitTorrent, is extensible via scripts, and the list continues.

Last edited by Wintervenom (2009-01-05 21:50:49)

leo2501

Member

From: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Registered: 2007-07-07

Posts: 658

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

I've always think that the best browser will be elinks with framebuffer graphics, like "links -g" has

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ilembitov

Member

Registered: 2008-10-07

Posts: 124

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

@leo2501
That's true. Always wondered whether it's possible to make browser just automatically pass YouTube (& other popular videohosting, both links and embeded videos) to any videoplayer that supports flv. That way there is no need for Flash for me.

finferflu

Forum Fellow

From: Manchester, UK

Registered: 2007-06-21

Posts: 1,899

Website

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

@leo2501
That's true. Always wondered whether it's possible to make browser just automatically pass YouTube (& other popular videohosting, both links and embeded videos) to any videoplayer that supports flv. That way there is no need for Flash for me.

Not sure you can understand Italian, but I blogged about that (look down at the Youtube section) a while ago. It might be worth using Google translator...

The only drawback to that method is that it actually downloads the videos to your hard disk (they get deleted at reboot), so you have to wait a bit longer before you can watch anything as compared to streaming video.

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leo2501

Member

From: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Registered: 2007-07-07

Posts: 658

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

@leo2501
That's true. Always wondered whether it's possible to make browser just automatically pass YouTube (& other popular videohosting, both links and embeded videos) to any videoplayer that supports flv. That way there is no need for Flash for me.

yes, that will be amazing, and i can say goodbye to swiftweasel (firefox)

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Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

dolby

Member

From: 1992

Registered: 2006-08-08

Posts: 1,581

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

links & lynx dont exactly cope well wih languages other than english, at least from what ive seen. elinks & w3m do.
also links has some kind of javascript implemention too, its just not complete. elinks achieves full javascript support by using mozilla js.
w3m can do graphics in console somehow. theres a thread around here that guides you to it. IIRC finferflu was involved. he can tell you more.
Conclusion: i dont like lynx. if i only wanted supported for the english language i would use links. but solely cause i have the need to visit webpages that use other than english fonts, i use elinks. Its also much more featureful than the others, but thats an extra, i dont have much need for those anyway.
Try them test and find out which one fits your own needs.

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jcolinzheng

Member

From: Cambridge, MA

Registered: 2008-08-06

Posts: 50

Website

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

Elinks' support for Javascript is quite limited, and doesn't support Chinese well, last time I checked.
w3m perhaps renders tables best among all.

scrawler

Member

Registered: 2005-06-07

Posts: 318

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

I like w3m because it is also a pager.  I use it instead of less.  I also format html to text with it.  w3m this.html > this.txt.  I like that.

timetrap

Member

From: Here and There

Registered: 2008-06-05

Posts: 342

Website

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

I am using elinks right now!!!111>>>>>

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Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

This thread looks like a prime candidate for http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=62216

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fumbles

Member

Registered: 2006-12-22

Posts: 246

Re: Text web-browsers: what's the diffrence between them?

Lynx does NOT support tables let alone css, javascript, xhtml, rss and a whole lot more!