SFSU DoIT | Help Desk | Accessing World Wide Web in UNIX

Using LYNX

Using LYNX June 1994

Lynx is a general purpose distributed information browser for the World Wide Web (WWW) and runs on Unix systems.

Accessing Lynx
You access the Lynx program by typing "lynx" at the unix command prompt.

Accessing Lynx Help
You can get information about Lynx by typing "man lynx" at the unix command prompt. In Lynx, you can type "h" to access the Lynx help files.

Running Lynx
When you enter Lynx, the contents of the initial file "HOME PAGE" of a World Wide Web server is displayed. The file is a standard ASCII text file in which hypertext links are embedded. The simplest hypertext link is just an item designating another resource which itself may contain both text and links.
When a hypertext document is displayed, links appear different from the standard text, and you press the up or down arrow keys to "select" a particular link. Selected links show up as highlighted text, and you press the Return or right arrow key when a link is highlighted to "follow" the selected link. Lynx finds the associated file and displays it on the screen.
You can access the resources of another World Wide Web server by connecting to its Universal Resource Locator (URL). For example, the URL for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) World Wide Web server is http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu. You can find information about a specific hypertext link by pressing the "=" key.

Lynx Commands
Scrolls down to the next page. Scrolls up to the previous page.

Movement

Down arrow Highlights the next topic.

Up arrow Highlights the previous topic.

Right arrow, Return, Enter Jumps to the highlighted topic.

Left arrow Returns to the previous topic.

g Goes to a user specified URL or file.

m Returns to the main screen (the first screen you see when you start Lynx).

Scrolling

+ (or space)

- (or b)

Help

? (or h) invokes the Help screen.

Printing and Saving Files

p Allows you to print to a local file, mail to an electronic mail address, print to the screen, or to a printer.

Quiting

q Quits Lynx (Uppercase 'Q' for quick quit).

Searching

/ or s Searches a selected file for all occurrences of the string "string", and displays the portion of the file containing that string.

n Finds and displays the next occurrence of a search string.

Other Commands

a Adds the current link to your bookmark file for future access.
o Sets your options.

v Views your bookmark file.

[backspace] Goes to the history page (All the WWW servers you connected to in a session).

= Displays an information screen, showing information about the document currently being displayed and the link that is currently selected.

! Escapes to your default shell (Type CTRL-d to return to Lynx).

CTRL-R Reloads the current file and refreshes the screen.

CTRL-W Refreshes the screen.

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Last Modified: 5 Feb 2004
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Movement
Down arrow	Highlights the next topic.
Up arrow	Highlights the previous topic.
Right arrow, Return, Enter	Jumps to the highlighted topic.
Left arrow	Returns to the previous topic.
g	Goes to a user specified URL or file.
m	Returns to the main screen (the first screen you see when you start Lynx).
Scrolling
+ (or space)
- (or b)
Help
? (or h)	invokes the Help screen.
Printing and Saving Files
p	Allows you to print to a local file, mail to an electronic mail address, print to the screen, or to a printer.
Quiting
q	Quits Lynx (Uppercase 'Q' for quick quit).
Searching
/ or s	Searches a selected file for all occurrences of the string "string", and displays the portion of the file containing that string.
n	Finds and displays the next occurrence of a search string.
Other Commands
a	Adds the current link to your bookmark file for future access.
o	Sets your options.
v	Views your bookmark file.
[backspace]	Goes to the history page (All the WWW servers you connected to in a session).
=	Displays an information screen, showing information about the document currently being displayed and the link that is currently selected.
!	Escapes to your default shell (Type CTRL-d to return to Lynx).
CTRL-R	Reloads the current file and refreshes the screen.
CTRL-W	Refreshes the screen.