Could somone help me (explain) to me how to start and use the browser in the console/terminal window when you do not have X running but you ARE logged in. I'm using linux mint 13 cinnamon and the gui is disabled somehow and i'm having a great deal of trouble with the transition between hooking my monitor up to that computer and this one that is working so i can get my mint back.

thanks,
Nate

Are you asking how to start a web-browser, a file-browser, or a desktop?

Okay, a text-only web browser I use sometimes is lynx. It doesn't require X.

For a file-browser, mc (midnight commander) has been around a while. It also doesn't require X.

To start your desktop from a terminal, you can issue the command startx.

I don't quite understand what you're asking, but maybe that answers your question?

casualfred:

Yes you answered how to start it which is what i asked but i also found it out on my own ...... but when i invoke lynx I really have no idea where to put the url to go to a web page ... I did get to one web page but i couldn't navigate it. and I don't understand the help files . your format of the startx command is different than the format i have been using which answered another question. I was typing start X thanks, for that.

It's the txt based webbrowser I was and still am having trouble with. I now have it installed but I dont' know how to use it .... shouldn't there be a url line somewhere ?.... when i invoke it it seems to come up with a help page and I can't seem to get to the url line or a search line that i can type into

Thanks,
Nate

Try elinks. It's a little more user-friendly (IMO, anyway) and has plenty of documentation.

Alright, so this is a quick run down of how to use lynx:
(you'll see some of the shortcuts you can use at the bottom of the screen after lynx is already running)

You can tell lynx the address to go to when you start it by saying
Or, here are some of the key commands once lynx is already running:
g (it will then ask you what website to go to and hit enter)
h (opens the help)
q (quits)
o (pulls up the options)
/ (searches for a word on the page)
d (download a file)
up/down (scrolls up and down automatically landing on links)
left (go back a page)
right (follow a link or choose an option)

I find it useful in the options under "Security and Privacy" to set "Cookies" to "[accept all]" so it doesn't ask you every single time whether to accept cookies. It's usually a good idea to keep your eye on the blue status bar - it tells you the different things you can do or whether its waiting for you to do something.

Hope that helps!

I have not been able to find the url line or where i type the url. there is a lot of txt lines which is expected but I can't seem type into the blue line. Is that where it is ???/

do i have to restart it every time i want to go to a web page???



thanks,
Nate

If you start lynx with something like: lynx www.google.com you should go to the google home page. Then as instructed above, when you are there, type the lowercase letter "g" without quotes and the new address: http://www.yahoo.com. The blue line at the bottom should show: url to open. Type it there.