lynx(1)

Synopsis

Description

Lynx can be used to access information on the WWW, or to build information systems intended primarily for local access. For example, Lynx has been used to build several Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS). In addition, Lynx can be used to build systems isolated within a single LAN.

Options

-

If the only argument is '-', Lynx expects to receive the arguments from standard in (stdin). This allow for the potentially very long command line that can be associated with the -get_data or -post_data arguments.

-anonymous

Specifies the anonymous account.

-assume_charset=ID:MIMEname

Specifies the charset for documents that do not specify one.

-assume_local_charset=ID:MIMEname

Specifies the charset used for local files.

-assume_unrec_charset=ID:MIMEname

Uses this charset instead of unrecognized charsets.

-auth=ID:PASSWD

Sets the authorization ID and password for protected documents at startup. Be sure to protect any script files that use this switch.

-base

Prepends a request URL comment and BASE tag to text and HTML outputs for -source or -mime_header dumps.

-book

Uses the bookmark page as the start page. The default or command-line start page is still set for the main screen command, and is used if the bookmark page is unavailable or blank. See also -homepage.

-buried_news

Toggles scanning news articles for buried references, and converts them to news links. Not recommended because email addresses enclosed in angle brackets will be converted to false news links, and uuencoded messages might be trashed.

-cache=NUMBER

Sets the NUMBER of documents cached in memory (default 10).

-case

Enables case-sensitive string searching.

-cfg=FILENAME

Specifies a Lynx configuration file other than the default lynx.cfg.

-child

Exits on left arrow in start page, and disable save-to-disk feature.

-cookies

Toggles handling of Set-Cookie headers.

-crawl

Used with -traversal, outputs each page to a file; used with -dump, formats output as with -traversal, but to standard out (stdout).

-display=DISPLAY

Sets the DISPLAY variable for X rexec-ed programs.

-dump

Dumps the formatted output of the default document or one specified on the command line to stdout. For example:

lynx -dump http://www.crl.com/~subir/lynx.html

See also -crawl.

-editor=EDITOR

Enables edit mode using the specified EDITOR (such as vi, ed, or emacs)

-emacskeys

Enables emacs-like key movement.

-enable_scrollback

Toggles compatibility with comm programs' scrollback keys (might be incompatible with some curses packages).

-error_file=FILE

Defines a file to which Lynx reports HTTP access codes.

-fileversions

Includes all versions of files in local VMS directory listings.

-force_html

Forces the first document to be interpreted as HTML.

-force_secure

Toggles forcing of the secure flag for SSL cookies.

-from

Toggles transmission of From headers.

-ftp

Disables ftp access.

-get_data

Sends form data from stdin using GET method and dumps results.

-head

Sends a HEAD request for the MIME headers.

-help

Prints the Lynx command-syntax usage message.

-historical

Toggles use of ``>'' or ``-->'' as a terminator for comments.

-homepage

Sets homepage separate from start page. See also -book.

-image_links

Toggles the inclusion of links for all images.

-index=URL

Sets the default index file to the specified URL.

-ismap

Toggles inclusion of ISMAP links when client-side MAPs are present.

-link=NUMBER

Specifies the starting count for lnk#.dat files produced by -crawl.

-localhost

Disables URLs that point to remote hosts.

-locexec

Enables local program execution from local files only (if Lynx was compiled with local execution enabled).

-mime_header

Prints the MIME header of a fetched document along with its source.

-minimal

Toggles minimal versus valid comment parsing.

-newschunksize=NUMBER

Specifies the number of articles in chunked news listings.

-newsmaxchunk=NUMBER

Specifies the maximum news articles in listings before chunking.

-nobrowse

Disables directory browsing.

-noexec

Disables local program execution (default).

-nofilereferer

Disables transmissions of Referer headers for file URLs.

-nolist

Disables the link list feature in dumps.

-nolog

Disables mailing error messages to document owners.

-nopause

Disables forced pauses for status-line messages.

-noprint

Disables print functions.

-noredir

Prevents automatic redirection and prints a message with a link to the new URL.

-noreferer

Disables transmissions of Referer headers.

-nosocks

Disables SOCKS proxy usage by a Lynx with SOCKS support.

-nostatus

Disables retrieval status messages.

-number_links

Forces numbering of links.

-pauth=ID:PASSWD

Sets authorization ID and password for a protected proxy server at startup. Be sure to protect any script files that use this switch.

-popup

Toggles handling of single-choice SELECT options using popup windows or as lists of radio buttons.

-post_data

Sends form data from stdin using POST method and dumps results.

-print

Enables print functions (default).

-pseudo_inlines

Toggles pseudo-<ALT> tags for inline images with no <ALT> string.

-raw

Toggles default setting of 8-bit character translations or CJK mode for the startup character set.

-realm

Restricts access to URLs in the starting realm.

-reload

Flushes the cache on a proxy server (only the first document affected).

-restrictions=option,option,option...

Allows a list of services to be disabled selectively. The following list is printed if no options are specified:

all

Restricts all options.

bookmark

Disallows changing the location of the bookmark file.

bookmark_exec

Disallows execution links using the bookmark file.

change_exec_perms

Disallows changing the eXecute permission on files (but still allow it for directories) when local file management is enabled.

default

Same as command-line option -anonymous. Disables default services for anonymous users. Currently set to all restricted except: inside_telnet, outside_telnet, inside_news, inside_ftp, outside_ftp, inside_rlogin, outside_rlogin, jump, mail, and goto. Set defaults in userdefs.h.

dired_support

Disallows local file management.

disk_save

Disallows saving binary files to disk in the Download and Print menus.

download

Disallow saving files to disk in the Download menu.

editor

Disallows editing.

exec

Disables execution scripts.

exec_frozen

Disallows the user from changing the local execution option.

file_url

Disallows using g (GOTO), served links, or bookmarks for file: URLs.

goto

Disables the g (GOTO) command.

inside_ftp

Disallows ftp functionality for users within your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

inside_news

Disallows USENET news posting for users within your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

inside_rlogin

Disallows rlogin functionality for users within your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

inside_telnet

Disallows telnet functionality for users within your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

jump

Disables the j (JUMP) command.

multibook

Disallows multiple bookmarks.

mail

Disallows mail.

news_post

Disallows USENET news posting.

options_save

Disallow saving options in .lynxrc.

outside_ftp

Disallows ftp functionality for users outside your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

outside_news

Disallows USENET news posting for users outside your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

outside_rlogin

Disallows rlogin functionality for users outside your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

outside_telnet

Disallows telnet functionality for users outside your domain (utmp required for selectivity).

print

Disallows most print options.

shell

Disallows shell escapes and lynxexec or lynxprog GOTO commands.

suspend

Disallows UNIX <Ctrl>Z suspends with escape to shell.

telnet_port

Disallows specifying a port in telnet: GOTO commands.

useragent

Disallows modifications of the User-Agent header.

-resubmit_posts

Toggles forced resubmissions (no-cache) of forms with method POST when the documents returned are sought with the PREV_DOC command or from the History List.

-rlogin

Disables recognition of rlogin commands.

-selective

Requires .www_browsable files to browse directories.

-show_cursor

If enabled, the cursor is not hidden in the right-hand corner, but instead is positioned at the start of the currently selected link. Show cursor is the default for systems without FANCY_CURSES capabilities. The default configuration can be changed in userdefs.h or lynx.cfg. The command-line switch toggles the default.

-source

Works the same as -dump, but outputs HTML source instead of formatted text.

-startfile_ok

Allows non-HTTP start page and homepage with -validate.

-telnet

Disables recognition of telnet commands.

-term=TERM

Specifies the terminal type. (This might be useful for remote execution when, for example, Lynx connects to a remote TCP/IP port that starts a script that in turn starts another Lynx process.)

-tlog

Toggles use of a Lynx Trace Log for the current session.

-trace

Turns on WWW trace mode.

-traversal

Traverses all HTTP links derived from the start page. When used with -crawl, each link that begins with the same string as the start page is output to a file, intended for indexing. See CRAWL.announce for more information.

-underscore

Toggles the use of _underline_ format in dumps.

-validate

Accepts only HTTP URLs (for validation). Complete security restrictions also are implemented.

-version

Prints version information.

-vikeys

Enables vi-like key movement.

Commands

<Up arrow>

<Down arrow>

scrolls through hypertext links

<Right arrow>

<Esc>

follows a highlighted hypertext link

<Left Arrow>

retreats from a link

<h>

<?>

displays online help and descriptions of keystroke commands

<k>

displays a complete list of the current keystroke command mappings

Notes

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Acknowledgments

Authors

Foteos Macrides
Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 01545