Skip to content

elinks Linux command

The elinks command in Linux is a text-based web browser that allows users to browse the internet directly from the terminal. It provides a fast and efficient way to access websites, navigate links, submit forms, and interact with web content without the need for a graphical interface. With elinks, users can enjoy a lightweight browsing experience while still having access to essential web functionalities.

Terminal window
elinks [options] [URL]

Options:

OptionDescription
-dumpDisplay the content of the specified URL
-no-connectStart without connecting to the network
-no-referencesDo not show references on the screen
-no-numberingDo not show line numbering on the screen
-no-referencesDo not highlight the references on the screen
-no-backupDo not make backups of files being edited
-no-mouseDisable mouse functionality in the terminal

Parameters:

ParameterDescription
URLThe URL of the website to be viewed or interacted

Open a Website in Text Mode

Terminal window
elinks example.com

Opens the website example.com in text mode using elinks.

Terminal window
elinks -force-html -dump 1 https://example.com

Uses elinks to navigate forward and backward through links on a web page.

Save Website Content to a File

Terminal window
elinks -dump https://example.com > website_content.txt

Saves the content of the website example.com to a text file using elinks.

Display Images from a Web Page

Terminal window
elinks -dump 1 https://example.com

Uses elinks to display images from a web page in text mode.

Access a Specific URL

Terminal window
elinks -source https://example.com

Accesses the specific URL https://example.com using elinks.

Search for Text on a Web Page

Terminal window
elinks -dump https://example.com | grep "search_term"

Uses elinks to search for a specific text (“search_term”) on the web page example.com.

To use the elinks command in Linux, execute the following command:

Terminal window
elinks --dump https://example.com

To open a specific URL using elinks in Linux, use the following command:

Terminal window
elinks https://example.com

To navigate through links on a web page in elinks, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard. Press the right arrow key to follow a link and the left arrow key to go back.

To save a web page using elinks in Linux, use the following command:

Terminal window
elinks -dump https://example.com > saved_page.txt

Yes, elinks is a text-based web browser that allows you to browse the web in the terminal without the need for a graphical interface.

To search for text on a web page in elinks, press the ”/” key on your keyboard, enter the text you want to search for, and press Enter. Elinks will highlight the text on the page.

To exit elinks in Linux, press the “Q” key on your keyboard. This will quit the elinks browser and return you to the command line.

To view the complete list of keyboard shortcuts in elinks, you can press the ”?” key while in the elinks browser to access the help menu, which includes a list of available shortcuts.

  • Browse the web
  • Access websites in text mode
  • Read documentation and articles in a terminal-friendly format
  • Navigate websites through links and forms
  • Download files from the internet
  • View and interact with web pages without a graphical browser