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Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained

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Re: Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained

#4

How usable is Lynx for modern Internet? I would love a browser I can operate within tmux, but how does it stack against the modern javascript-laden ecosystem?

The Wiki has the answer:

  Unlike most web browsers, Lynx does not support JavaScript, which many websites require to work correctly.

Re: Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained

#6
post #4

How usable is Lynx for modern Internet? I would love a browser I can operate within tmux, but how does it stack against the modern javascript-laden ecosystem?

The Wiki has the answer: Unlike most web browsers, Lynx does not support JavaScript, which many websites require to work correctly.

Well, yes. But what's the browsing experience like then?

I appreciate I can just install it and try, but tips for any long time users would be more insightful I think.

Re: Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained

#7

How usable is Lynx for modern Internet? I would love a browser I can operate within tmux, but how does it stack against the modern javascript-laden ecosystem?

Well-written websites look great it it; poorly-written ones look terrible or are blank pages. That’s the same as with any other text-mode browser.

A lot of sites require Javascript to function, even when their actual functionality does not (pro tip: if you use Javascript to display text, show images or create links, you are doing it wrong). That’s a real shame.

As a general rule, the best sites work great, and the worst ones don’t work at all. This is not entirely a bad thing! It cna make web browsing less distracting. I often use a text-mode browser as a primary, and fall back to Firefox when using some Javascript-laden monstrosity.

Re: Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained

#9
Very early in my Linux days in the early 2000s I was bound and determined to learn how to use Lynx as I thought the skill would be a necessity for maintaining servers. Being able to look up issues online and what not.

Little did I realize that 99% of the time I would be SSHed in from a full desktop with a standard browser, and Lynx has just been kind of a fun novelty for me.

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