links Command in Linux
links is a command used in Linux to browse websites from the command line. It is a text-based web browser that you can use to view images or fancy layouts as plain text.
The links command is useful in case you are working on a server without a graphical interface or you need a quick, lightweight way to access the Internet. You can easily navigate using the keyboard shortcuts and it is a perfect fit for accessing documentation or online resources without leaving your terminal.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the links command −
- How to Install links Command in Linux?
- Syntax of links Command
- links Command Options
- Examples of links Command in Linux
How to Install links Command in Linuxâ?
To install links on a Linux system, you usually need to use your package manager. For example, on a Debian-based system like Ubuntu, you can use −
sudo apt install links
For Red Hat-based systems like CentOS or Fedora, simply use −
sudo yum install links
For Arch Linux, use the following command to install links −
sudo pacman -S links
On OpenSUSE, you can run the below-given command to install links on Linux −
sudo zypper install links
Syntax of links Command
The basic syntax to use the links command on Linux is provided below −
links [options] URL
Where,
- links is the command used to open the text-based web browser.
- [options] are optional flags that modify the behavior of the command.
- URL is the web address you want to visit.
links Command Options
The following are few options that can be used with the Linux link command −
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| -g | Starts links in graphics mode, if supported. |
| -dump | Dumps the formatted output of the given URL to the terminal. |
| -width | Sets the width of the formatted output. |
| -source | Shows the source of the given URL in the terminal. |
| -html-t-text | Outputs the given URL as HTML text. |
| -force-html | Forces the document to be treated as HTML. |
| -lookup | Performs a lookup for the given URL. |
| -no-openmp | Disables the use of OpenMP for parallel processing. |
| -no-connect | Runs the browser without trying to connect to the URL. |
| -no-color | Disables color output. |
| -anonymous | Restricts access to local files and shell commands. |
| -memory-cache-size | Specifies the size of the memory cache. |
| -name | Sets the window name (if running in a windowed environment). |
| -language | Sets the preferred language for the content. |
| -codepage | Specifies the codepage to be used for character encoding. |
| -retries | Defines the number of retries if the connection fails. |
| -accept-cookies | Automatically accepts cookies. |
| -http-proxy | Sets the HTTP proxy server to use. |
| -http-proxy | Sets the HTTPS proxy server to use. |
| -fttp-proxy | Sets the FTP proxy server to use. |
| -telenet-proxy | Sets the Telnet proxy server to use. |
To explore more options and keyboard shortcuts to surf the internet, simply open links help section using the following command −
links --help
Examples of links Command in Linux
Let's explore a few examples of links command on Linux system −
- Open a Website
- Open a Website in Graphics Mode
- Dump the Content of a URL
- Restrict Access (Anonymous Mode)
- Show the Source of a URL
Open a Website
To open a website using the links, simply specify the URL after the command. This opens the site in a text-based browser on the terminal.
links http://www.google.com
Open a Website in Graphics Mode
If you want to view the website with basic graphical support, then use the -g option. Note that this mode is only available if supported by your system.
links -g http://www.google.com
Dump the Content of a URL
To print the plain text content of a website directly to the terminal, you can use the -dump option. This is useful for quickly viewing the content without interactive browsing.
links -dump http://www.google.com
Restrict Access (Anonymous Mode)
To increase security by restricting access to local files and shell commands, you can use the -anonymous option.
links -anonymous http://www.google.com
Show the Source of a URL
If you want to see the source code of a webpage, use the -source option.
links -source http://www.google.com
Conclusion
The links command in Linux is an essential command for browsing websites directly from the command line. When used, it allows you to access the internet in a text-based format, making it highly useful for servers without a graphical interface.
In this tutorial, we covered the syntax, provided different options and practical examples to help you understand how to use the links command effectively. With this knowledge, you can browse the web efficiently and ensure your Linux system is equipped for text-based web access.