Can I browse web using bash script with command line browsers like lynx?

Yes, you can browse the web using a Bash script with command-line browsers like Lynx. Here's how you can do it:

Using Lynx

Lynx is a popular text-based web browser that can be controlled from a Bash script. You can use Lynx to browse websites and perform actions like navigating and downloading files.

Basic Usage

To open a website with Lynx, you can simply run:

bash

lynx https://www.example.com

Scripting with Lynx

For more complex actions, Lynx offers features like recording and playing back commands. You can use the -cmd_log and -cmd_script options to automate tasks.

Record Actions: Start Lynx and perform actions like navigating to a page. Use the -cmd_log option to log these actions to a file:

bash

lynx -cmd_log=/tmp/lynx.log https://www.example.com
Play Back Actions: Once you have recorded actions, you can play them back using the -cmd_script option:

bash

lynx -cmd_script=/tmp/lynx.log https://www.example.com

Here's a simple Bash script that uses Lynx to open a website and perform some actions:

bash

#!/bin/bash

# Open a website with Lynx
lynx https://www.example.com

# To automate actions, you can record them first and then play them back
# lynx -cmd_log=/tmp/lynx.log https://www.example.com
# lynx -cmd_script=/tmp/lynx.log https://www.example.com

Other Command-Line Browsers

Besides Lynx, there are other command-line browsers like Links, Links2, ELinks, and w3m. Each has its own features and capabilities:

Links: Similar to Lynx but with some additional features.
Links2: Offers a graphical mode in addition to text mode.
ELinks: Known for its menu system and ability to view images.
w3m: Supports rendering tables and cookies, with some basic macro automation.

These browsers can also be used in Bash scripts to automate web browsing tasks.

Example Script with w3m

Here's a simple script using w3m:

bash

#!/bin/bash

# Open a website with w3m
w3m https://www.example.com

For more complex automation, you might need to explore the specific features and scripting capabilities of each browser.

Conclusion

Bash scripts can be used to automate web browsing tasks with command-line browsers like Lynx, Links, and w3m. While these browsers offer text-based interfaces, they are powerful tools for navigating and interacting with web pages in environments where graphical browsers are not available or practical.