$ Linux Command

Network

lynx

Text-based web browser for the terminal.

webbrowsertexthtmlterminal

Additional Notes

lynx is a fully functional text-based web browser that renders HTML pages in the terminal. It displays web pages as formatted text, showing links as highlighted items that can be navigated with arrow keys or tab.

It is invaluable for browsing the web over slow connections, on systems without a graphical environment, for accessibility (screen readers), and for testing how web pages render without JavaScript or CSS. It also functions as a command-line HTML-to-text converter.

Syntax

lynx [options] [url]

Parameters

  • url: The URL to open. If omitted, lynx may load a default start page or a blank page.

Common Options

  • -dump: Render the page as formatted text to stdout and exit. Useful for piping.
  • -stdin: Read HTML from stdin and render it.
  • -source: Print the raw HTML source of the page.
  • -accept_all_cookies: Accept all cookies without prompting.
  • -anonymous: Disable all user-specific files and settings.
  • -cache=N: Set the cache size in kilobytes.
  • -cfg=file: Use an alternative configuration file.
  • -nocolor: Disable color output.
  • -nopause: Do not pause after each page.
  • -scrollbar: Show a scrollbar on the right side.
  • -vikeys: Use vi-style key bindings.
  • -width=N: Set the display width in characters (for -dump).

Examples

lynx https://example.com

Open a URL in the interactive browser.

lynx -dump https://example.com

Render the page as plain text and print to stdout.

lynx -source https://example.com > page.html

Download the raw HTML source.

curl https://example.com | lynx -stdin -dump

Pipe HTML into lynx and render as text.

lynx -dump -nolist https://example.com

Render as text without showing link references.

  • Arrow keys or Tab/Shift+Tab: Move between links.
  • Enter: Follow the selected link.
  • g: Go to a URL.
  • b: Go back to the previous page.
  • p: Print or save the current page.
  • d: Download the current link.
  • o: Open options menu.
  • q: Quit (with confirmation).
  • Q: Quit immediately.
  • h: Show help.
  • /: Search within the page.

Practical Notes

  • Use -dump to extract readable text from HTML in scripts or pipelines.
  • Lynx respects the NO_COLOR environment variable if set.
  • Configuration is stored in ~/.lynxrc or system-wide in /etc/lynx/lynx.cfg.
  • Lynx does not support JavaScript, CSS, or modern web features; many sites will not work properly.