Links (web browser)
| Company type | Free software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Web browser |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Mikuláš Patočka |
| Headquarters | Czech Republic |
| Products | Web browser |
Links is a free software web browser that supports both textual and graphical browsing, featuring a pull-down menu interface. It is capable of rendering complex pages with partial support for HTML 4.0 standards, including elements such as tables, frames, and UTF-8 encoding. The browser functions on both color and monochrome terminal displays and allows horizontal scrolling.
Initially created by Mikuláš Patočka in the Czech Republic, Links was designed to provide graphical interface components like pop-up windows and menus within a text-only environment. The subsequent version 2, developed by his team Twibright Labs, introduced graphical rendering and font display with spatial anti-aliasing techniques but discontinued JavaScript support after release 2.1pre28. This iteration delivers fast performance but exhibits limited compatibility with certain websites. Its graphical mode operates on Unix platforms without requiring the X Window System, utilizing either SVGALib or direct framebuffer access through the system's graphics card.
ELinks
Experimental/Enhanced Links (ELinks) is a derivative project of Links initiated by Petr Baudis and based on version 0.9 of Links. It adopts a more open development model, merges patches from multiple Links versions, and incorporates scripting capabilities through the Lua language.
Hacked Links
The Hacked Links variant integrates features from ELinks into the original Links browser. Andrey Mirtchovski ported this version to Plan 9 from Bell Labs, where it is recognized as an effective browsing tool despite some users noting limitations related to cut-and-paste functionality with Plan 9's snarf buffer.
The most recent official release occurred on July 9, 2003, with additional modifications made afterward that have not been formally published as of April 2016.
Other
Links was also adapted for the Sony PSP platform under the name PSPRadio by Rafael Cabezas, with its final release (2.1pre23_PSP_r1261) issued on February 6, 2007.
An enhanced port for the BeOS operating system, developed by François Revol to support graphical user interface features, remains operational on the Haiku system.
External links
- User documentation for Links
- Links-Hacked project
- Links for OS X supporting both PowerPC and Intel
- PSPRadio forum
- Linkx fork
- Original source code repository