Links, the table-friendly alternative to lynx

Lynx is nice, but it cannot read tables. Links can, and it does some other things better than lynx as well. It is a bit more like a normal browser, since it has menus, and you may click on the url links by the mouse. Whether you like links or lynx is a matter of taste, here comes an intro to links.

Starting links, basic settings

Start links by writing links filename, e.g. links gt/doc/index.html. Press ESC, and you see a menu bar on the top of the screen. Press ESC again, and the menu bar disappers. You may choose options on the menu bar with the mouse (just click on it), just like you do in any other browser. If you want the links numbered, do the following: Go to View - Html options and click on Links are numbered, and then OK. Thereafter, choose View - Save Html options. Now, since you may use the mouse to click on the links, it may be that you don't want your links numbered, but there you are.

Moving around, getting help

The best way of learning link is of course to open it. In links, the rightmost menu is the help menu. There you find the option "Keys". Read that. The most important commands are not there, for some reason (ctrl-f or space = down one page, ctrl-b = up one page). Also, on the help menu, you find the users manual. Have a look at it :-).


Trond Trosterud
Last modified: Fri Dec 20 08:42:05 GMT 2002