> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.debian.com.mx/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Lynx Browser > Text-based web browser with keyboard navigation Lynx is a legendary text-based web browser that predates the graphical web. Time Capsule's Lynx implementation provides an authentic terminal-style browsing experience, complete with keyboard navigation, numbered links, and the ability to browse both internal pages and external websites as plain text. ## Features * **Text-Only Display**: No images, no CSS, pure content * **Keyboard Navigation**: Full keyboard control * **Numbered Links**: Jump directly to links by number * **Internal Pages**: Curated Lynx-formatted content * **External Browsing**: Fetch and render modern websites as text * **History**: Browse previous pages * **Bookmarks**: Save frequently visited pages * **Search**: Find text on current page ## Opening Lynx Launch from: * CDE panel application menu * Terminal Lab: Type `lynx` or `lynx [url]` * Man Viewer integration Lynx opens to the About page (`about:lynx`). ## The Lynx Interface ### Screen Layout ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ [URL] │ │ │ │ [1]Link One [2]Link Two │ │ │ │ Page content appears here as plain │ │ text. Links are numbered and can be │ │ selected with keyboard. │ │ │ │ Selected link highlighted: [3]Click │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ Status: Document: Done │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ URL to open: │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` * **Top**: Current URL in white * **Content Area**: Page text with numbered links * **Selected Link**: Highlighted in color * **Status Bar**: Loading status and messages * **Input Line**: Appears for prompts (hidden otherwise) ## Keyboard Navigation ### Link Navigation | Key | Action | | -------------- | ------------------------------ | | `↓` or `j` | Select next link | | `↑` or `k` | Select previous link | | `Enter` or `→` | Follow selected link | | `0-9` | Jump directly to numbered link | ### Page Navigation | Key | Action | | ------------------ | ------------------------ | | `←` or `Backspace` | Go back to previous page | | `g` | Open location prompt | | `m` | Go to main/home page | ### Special Commands | Key | Action | | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | `q` | Quit Lynx (prompts for confirmation) | | `h` or `?` | Show help page | | `/` | Search in current page | | `v` | View bookmarks | | `o` | Options (opens lynx://options) | | `p` | Print page (opens print dialog) | ### History & Bookmarks | Key | Action | | ----------- | ----------------- | | `Delete` | View history page | | `v` | View bookmarks | | `Backspace` | Go back one page | ## Navigating to Pages ### Open Location (g) Press `g` to open a URL: 1. Type URL or search term 2. Press `Enter` to load 3. Press `Escape` to cancel Examples: ``` about:lynx → Internal Lynx page gnu.org → GNU website (text version) debian.org → Debian site linux tutorials → (Opens as URL if formatted) ``` ### Default Protocol Lynx adds `https://` automatically: ``` gnu.org → https://gnu.org ``` ## Internal Pages Lynx includes curated text-only pages: ### about:lynx Welcome page with Lynx introduction and basic instructions. ### lynx://help Keyboard shortcuts and navigation guide. ### lynx://options Configuration page displaying Lynx preferences and settings. ### lynx://bookmarks List of saved bookmarks with numbered links. ### lynx://history Recent browsing history in authentic Lynx format. ## External Websites Lynx can fetch and render modern websites as text. ### How It Works 1. Enter URL: `gnu.org` 2. Lynx fetches HTML 3. Converts to plain text: * Strips images, CSS, JavaScript * Extracts text content * Numbers all links * Shows images as `[IMAGE: alt text]` 4. Displays as navigable text page ### Link Numbering External pages get automatic link numbers: ``` [1]Home [2]About [3]Software [4]Documentation The GNU Operating System [5]What is GNU? [6]Free Software [7]Licenses GNU is a Unix-like operating system... ``` Press `1` to jump to "Home", `5` for "What is GNU?", etc. ## Link Selection ### Visual Highlighting The selected link appears in a different color: ``` Options: [1]Home [2]About [3]Contact ^^^^^^^^ (selected) ``` ### Selecting Links **Sequential**: * `↓` or `j`: Next link * `↑` or `k`: Previous link **Direct**: * Press link number: `3` jumps to link 3 * Press `Enter` to follow ### Following Links Once selected: * Press `Enter` * Or press `→` (right arrow) * Page loads immediately ## History Press `Delete` to view browsing history. **History Page Format**: ``` History Page (Lynx Version 2.8.9rel.1) You selected: 10. [1]GNU Operating System https://gnu.org 9. [2]Debian - The Universal Operating System https://debian.org 8. [3]About Lynx about:lynx ``` * Newest pages at top * Current page in **yellow** * Click numbers to revisit ## Bookmarks Press `v` to view bookmarks. **Bookmark Format**: ``` BOOKMARKS ========= [1]about:lynx [2]gnu.org [3]debian.org Enter number to visit, or press any other key to return ``` ### Default Bookmarks * `about:lynx` - Lynx welcome * `gnu.org` - GNU Project * `debian.org` - Debian OS Bookmarks persist across sessions. ## Search Press `/` to search in current page: 1. Enter search term 2. Press `Enter` 3. Matches are highlighted 4. Status shows: `Found: "term"` 5. Or: `Not found: "term"` Search is case-insensitive. ## Status Bar Messages **Loading**: ``` Connecting to gnu.org... ``` **Complete**: ``` Document: Done ``` **Error**: ``` Error: Could not load URL — https://invalid-site.com ``` **Actions**: ``` Opening manual page for ls... Lynx browser opened with URL: gnu.org Cancelled ``` ## Help Page Press `h` or `?` to view help. **Help Content**: ``` MAN VIEWER HELP KEYBOARD COMMANDS q Quit Lynx h, ? Show this help / Search in current page v View bookmarks Delete View history ← Go back to previous page ↑↓ Navigate links g Open location MOUSE COMMANDS Click on [number] to follow link Press any key to return ``` ## Quitting Lynx ### Normal Quit Press `q`: ``` Are you sure you want to quit? (y/n) ``` Type `y` or `yes` to confirm, `n` to cancel. ### Force Quit Close the window using the window manager close button. ## Terminal Lab Integration From Terminal Lab (free mode): **Open Lynx**: ```bash theme={null} lynx ``` **Open with URL**: ```bash theme={null} lynx gnu.org lynx https://debian.org ``` Lynx opens in separate window. **Status message**: ``` Lynx browser opened Lynx browser opened with URL: gnu.org ``` ## Tips and Tricks Jump to links quickly: * Press the link number directly (1-9) * Use `j`/`k` for vi-style navigation * Use arrow keys for familiar controls No need to press Enter before the number. Navigate text-heavy pages: * Page Down: Scroll content area * `j` repeatedly: Move through links * Selected link auto-scrolls into view * Search (`/`) to jump to specific content When pressing `g` to open location: * Type URL without protocol (added automatically) * Use Tab key to auto-complete (if history) * Press Escape to cancel * Press Enter to load External sites are simplified: * No images (shows `[IMAGE: description]`) * No CSS styling * No JavaScript * Pure content extraction This makes reading faster and more focused. Use bookmarks for frequent sites: * Press `v` to view * Links are numbered * Easy to add common sites * Persist across sessions ## Source Code Lynx is implemented in: * `/src/scripts/features/lynx.ts`: Core browser engine (633 lines) * `/src/data/lynx-pages.json`: Internal page content * HTML to text converter with link extraction * Keyboard event handler for all navigation * History manager with back navigation * Bookmark system with persistence * External content fetching with fetch API