Terminal Web Browsing Tools Guide | Generated by AI

Home 2026.03 English 中文

---

I’ll search for information about tools that allow browsing web pages through a terminal interface.Question: Are there any tools that allow people to treat the terminal as a browser, enabling them to browse web pages and follow redirects?

Answer:

Yes, there are several excellent tools that allow you to browse the web directly from your terminal. These are text-based web browsers that can render HTML, follow links, and navigate redirects just like a traditional graphical browser.

Popular Terminal-Based Web Browsers

1. Lynx

Lynx is a text-based web browser that allows users to browse the web in a terminal environment, developed in 1992, and supports HTML, HTTPS, and FTP protocols. It’s one of the oldest and most established command-line browsers. To use it:

• Install: sudo apt install lynx
• Usage: lynx [URL]
• Navigation: Arrow keys to move, Enter to follow links, left arrow to go back

2. w3m

w3m is a popular open-source text-based web browser for the terminal that supports SSL connections, colors, and inline images. It’s actively maintained and very capable:

• Install: sudo apt install w3m
• Usage: w3m [URL]
• Navigation: Arrow keys to navigate, Shift+B to go back, Shift+T for new tab, Shift+U to open new URL

3. Links/ELinks

ELinks stands out with its menu system accessible by pressing ESC, letting you enter and save URLs, add bookmarks, and set up the browser. This browser offers a more interactive experience:

• Install: sudo apt install links or sudo apt install elinks
• Usage: links [URL] or elinks [URL]
• Navigation: Right arrow to follow links, left arrow to go back, ESC for menus

4. Browsh

Browsh is a modern text-based browser that shows HTML5, CSS3, JS, video, and even WebGL, designed to be run on a remote server via SSH or Mosh and browse web pages as text from the terminal by significantly reducing bandwidth and increasing browsing speed.

• Usage: ssh brow.sh (use SSH connection)
• Press Ctrl+L to focus on URL bar

Key Features

These tools support:

• Following hyperlinks and redirects
• Multiple tabs (in some browsers)
• Cookie handling
• Mouse support (in some implementations)
• Image viewing through external programs
• Search functionality
• Keyboard navigation

Use Cases

Terminal browsers are useful in remote server scenarios without a graphical interface, for checking status pages, reading documentation, or troubleshooting by browsing relevant web resources directly from the command line. They’re also beneficial for low-bandwidth environments and distraction-free browsing.

References:

• https://itsfoss.com/terminal-web-browsers/
• https://opensource.com/article/16/12/web-browsers-linux-command-line
• https://www.tecmint.com/command-line-web-browser-download-file-in-linux/
• https://www.tutorialspoint.com/a-command-line-web-browsing-with-lynx-and-links-tools
• https://www.fosslinux.com/18554/how-to-access-website-using-command-line-from-the-terminal.htm

---

Back Donate