Lynx is a text-only World Wide Web browser. Although Lynx does not have the graphics and built-in multimedia capabilities of workstation-based Web browsers (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer), it can access all the same non-graphical information available via the Web. You can use your ICE shell account to access the Web via Lynx, even if your personal computer is not capable of graphic displays, and even if you have a slow modem connection (under 9600 bps) and can't use PPP. However, if your personal computer can run them, you might prefer to use the graphics-capable Web browsers such as Netscape or Internet Explorer.
To start Lynx simply type at the Unix prompt: lynx
For example
och@ice:/usr/home/och > lynx
When you start Lynx, you'll be presented with your first "page" of information. A page on the Web can be more than one screenful of text, so press the SPACEBAR to scroll down the page until you've read the whole thing. From any page, you can do a number of things, such as following a hotlink to another page, going to another page directly, or making a bookmark for the current page. Many commands are available to you no matter what page you're on, so you don't need to find a menu or go back to any particular page before using Lynx commands. Once you finish reading the current page, you'll probably "navigate" to another page on the Web.
One way to navigate the Web is through "hotlinks." These special words or phrases on a Web page appear highlighted. Each of these hotlinks takes you to another Web page. Use the up/down arrow keys (or TAB key) to choose which hotlink you will follow, and use the right arrow (or ENTER key) to leave the page you're on and open the next page. If you get lost, you can retrace your steps backward by using the left arrow key, or you can press "m" at any time to jump right back to the main screen where you started. When you navigate with hotlinks, you follow the paths that Web authors have laid out for you.
Another way to navigate is to jump directly to any page you want, even if it doesn't have a hotlink on the current page. All you need to know is the new page's address. Addresses on the Web are called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). To go to a URL, press "g" from any screen, then carefully type the URL of the page you wish to visit.
For example, to get straight to the Dairynet help pages, you would type the URL: http://info.cream.org/
You can use Lynx to access information on Gopher servers, too. Gopher is an older, less-used information service that was a precursor to the Web. You can access a Gopher site using Lynx by pressing "g" from any screen, then typing the URL. For example, the URL for the Dairynet's gopher server is gopher://gopher.cream.org/
To keep track of places you visit often, you can set a bookmark there. To do so, go to the page you want to bookmark, then press "a." Later, whenever you want to return to that page, you can find it on your bookmarks list. View your bookmarks list by pressing "v," then use your arrow keys to select the bookmark you'd like to follow.
Lynx allows you to submit searches and use forms, just as a graphical browser does. When using Lynx, read the screen carefully (especially the status bar near the bottom of the screen) for instructions on navigating forms.
An asterisk (*) indicates that the item is currently selected. To select or deselect an item, use the right arrow or ENTER key.
To see the rest of the options in the list, press ENTER, then use your arrow keys to scroll through the list. When you've highlighted the list item you want, press ENTER again to select it.
Most images used on the Web are not essential for accessing the content of a Web presentation. In fact, some people prefer Lynx over Netscape because it's faster to use (especially on a modem connection), because it skips past the slow-transferring images and leaves out the extras like animation and sounds. However, if you use Lynx to visit a site that has images or other multimedia files that you wish to see or otherwise access, you can use Lynx to download them to your shell account. From there your can FTP it to your PC and use an appropriate piece of software to view the image or play the sound. When you choose a link to a multimedia file, you'll see the message "This file cannot be displayed on this terminal: D)ownload, or C)ancel." Press "d" to download the file, then choose "Save to disk" to save the file in your ICE account. Use FTP or your modem software to transfer the file to your workstation's hard drive, then open it with the appropriate software.
Some sites are designed to be navigated with a "clickable" image, called an imagemap. Since Lynx cannot display images, look for an option like "text-only version" or "version for Lynx users" in sites that use imagemaps.
To quit your Lynx session, press "q" at any time.
| up/down arrows or TAB | Highlight the hotlinks on the current page |
| right arrow or ENTER | Select the highlighted hotlink and move to that new page |
| left arrow | Back up to the previous page |
| h | Lynx's online help screens |
| SPACEBAR | Scroll down (forward) |
| b | Scroll up (backward) |
| q | Quit Lynx |
| o | Options (configuration) Screen |
| g | Go to URL (Web address) |
| m | Main Screen. Return to where you started |
| BACKSPACE | History of your Lynx session |
| p | Print, save, or e-mail the current page |
| a | Add the current page to your bookmarks list |
| v | View your bookmarks |
| = | Show the URL (and other info) for the current page |
| \ | View the HTML source code for the current page |
You can get help from within Lynx. Press "h" to get to general Lynx documentation
Last updated: December 2000
URL:
http://info.cream.org/
Comments: support@cream.org
Copyright
2000, The Diarynet Collective
The Dairy net Collective