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			{{Short description\|Web browser}}
	<!-- Release version update? Don't edit this page, just click on the version number! -->{{Infobox_Software2\|
			{{Distinguish\|Lynx (web browser)}}
	name = Links
			{{Infobox software
	\|screenshot = ]<br /><br />]
	\|~~caption~~ =		\| name = Links
			\| logo = Links web browser logo.png
	\|logo =
			\| screenshot = {{Switcher \| ] \|Graphical \| ] \|Text}}
	\|developer =
			\| caption = Screenshot of the Links Browser.
	\|operating_system = ], ], ]
			\| author =
	\|genre = ]
			\| developer = Mikuláš Patočka
	\|license = ]
			\| released = {{Start date and age\|1999}}
	\|website =
			\| latest release version = {{wikidata\|property\|preferred\|references\|edit\|Q608910\|P348\|P548=Q2804309}}
			\| latest release date = {{wikidata\|qualifier\|preferred\|single\|Q608910\|P348\|P548=Q2804309\|P577}}
			\| latest preview version = {{wikidata\|property\|preferred\|references\|edit\|Q608910\|P348\|P548=Q51930650}}
			\| latest preview date = {{wikidata\|qualifier\|preferred\|single\|Q608910\|P348\|P548=Q51930650\|P577}}
			\| programming language = ]
			\| operating system = ], ], ], ], ], ]
			\| language =
			\| genre = ]
			\| license = ]
			\| website = {{URL\|links.twibright.com}}
	}}		}}
	'''Links''' is an ] ] and ] ] with a pull-down menu system. It renders complex pages (partial ] 4.0 support including tables and frames, support for multiple character sets), supports color and monochrome terminals and allows horizontal scrolling.

			'''Links''' is a ] ] and ] ] with a pull-down menu system.<ref></ref> It renders complex pages, has partial ] 4.0 support (including tables, ],<ref name="scoug">{{citation\|first=Dallas\|last=Legan\|title=Text-Mode Web Browsers for OS/2\|url=http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2001/scoug009.textbrowsers.html\|publisher=The Southern California OS/2 User Group\|access-date=August 16, 2010\|date=September 2001}}</ref> and support for ]), supports color and monochrome terminals, and allows horizontal scrolling.
	Unlike ] and ], it is oriented toward visual users who want to retain many typical elements of graphical user interfaces (pop up windows, menus etc.) in a text-only environment. The focus on intuitive usability makes it suitable as a web browser for low-end terminals in libraries, Internet cafes etc.

			It is intended for users who want to retain many typical elements of graphical user interfaces (pop-up windows, menus, etc.) in a text-only environment.
	The original version of Links was developed by ] in the ]. His group, Twibright Labs, later developed version 2 of the Links browser, that displays graphics , renders fonts in different sizes (with ]) and supports ]. The resulting browser is very fast, but it does not display many pages as they were intended. The graphical mode works even on ] systems without ] or any other window environment, using either ] or the ] of the system's ].

			The original version of Links was developed by Mikuláš Patočka in the ]. His group, ''"Twibright Labs",'' later developed version 2 of the Links browser, which displays graphics, and renders fonts in different sizes (with ]), but no longer supports ] (it used to, up to version 2.1pre28). The resulting browser is very fast, but does not display many pages as intended. The graphical mode works even on ] systems without the ] or any other window environment, using either ] or the ] of the system's ].

			==Graphics stack==
			{{Multiple issues\|section=yes\|
			{{Tone\|section\|date=November 2021}}
			{{Original research\|section\|date=November 2021}}
			{{More citations\|section\|date=October 2023}}}}
			The graphics stack varies from a stack typically used by a web browser. The fonts displayed by Links are not derived from the system,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|title=Links user documentation\|url=http://links.twibright.com/user_en.html\|access-date=2023-09-07\|website=links.twibright.com}}</ref> but compiled into binary as grayscale bitmaps using the ] (PNG) format. This allows the browser to be distributed as a single executable file, independent of the system's installed libraries. However, this raises the size of the executable to approximately 5 MB. The fonts are anti-aliased without hinting, and for small line pitches, artificial sharpening is used to increase legibility. Sub-pixel sampling is used to further improve legibility on LCD displays. These techniques allow Links to use anti-aliased fonts when libraries for rendering them are not available.

			All graphic elements (images and text) are first converted from a given gamma space (according to known or assumed gamma information in PNG, JPEG, etc.) through known user gamma setting into a 48 bits pixel photometrically linear space where they are re-sampled with bilinear re-sampling to the target size, possibly taking aspect ratio correction into account. Then the image data are passed through a high-performance dithering engine, which is used regardless of monitor bit depth, i.e., it is still used with 24 bits per pixel color. This implementation of a ] engine<ref name=":0" /> avoids time expensive calculations by considering the gamma characteristics of the monitor, using 768 KiB of dithering tables. A technique similar to ], called ]s, is used to maximise the speed of the dithering engine without using ] optimization.
	==Elinks==
	''']''' ("Experimental/Enhanced Links") is a ] led by ]. It is based on Links 0.9. It has a more open development and incorporates patches from other Links versions (such as additional extension scripting in ]) and from Internet users.

			Scaled down images also use sub-pixel sampling on LCD to increase the level of detail.
	==Links Hacked==
	'''Links Hacked''' is another version of the Links browser which has merged Elinks features into Links 2.

			This processing is used to provide realistic up and downsampling of images, and photorealistic display regardless of the monitor's gamma, without color fringing caused by 8-bit gamma correction built into the X server.
	Andrey Mirtchovski has ported it to ]. It is considered a good browser on that operating system, though some users have griped about its inability to cut and paste with the Plan 9 snarf buffer.

			==Forks==
	Evolt has hosted an unsupported version on its archive for 32 bit Windows.
			===ELinks===
			{{Main\|ELinks}}
			''Experimental/Enhanced Links'' (ELinks) is a ] of Links led by Petr Baudis. It is based on Links 0.9.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.elinks.cz/history.html\|title=ELinks history page\|access-date=14 December 2010}}</ref> It has a more open development and incorporates patches from other Links versions (such as additional extension scripting in ]) and from Internet users.<ref name="linuxjournal">{{cite web\|url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8148?page=0,1\|title=2005 Text Mode Browser Roundup\|last=Bolso\|first=Erik Inge\|date=8 March 2005\|publisher=]\|access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref>

	==~~Programming~~ ~~style~~==		===Hacked Links===
			''Hacked Links'' is another version of the Links browser which has merged some of Elinks' features into Links 2.
	As opposed to criticism of the ] programming element, the Links code contains 965 instances of goto. A difficult to read macro construct is used in dither.c to generate a set of dithering functions, each for a different graphics memory layout. This allows the browser to be one of the fastest in the world despite the fact that all the graphics is processed internally in 48-bit linear photometric resolution and the browser always performs gamma correction and dithering on the output (even in 24 bits per pixel mode) to get maximum display quality available.

			Andrey Mirtchovski has ported it to ]. It is considered a good browser on that operating system, though some users have complained about its inability to cut and paste with the Plan 9 snarf buffer.{{citation needed\|date=December 2011}}
	==See also==

	{{portalpar\|free software}}
			{{As of\|2016\|04}}, the last release of Hacked Links is that of July 9, 2003, with some further changes unreleased.<ref>{{citation\|url=http://xray.sai.msu.ru/~karpov/links-hacked/downloads/ChangeLog\|title=ChangeLog\|work=Hacked Links Project\|date=October 28, 2003\|access-date=2016-04-24\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424091401/http://xray.sai.msu.ru/~karpov/links-hacked/downloads/ChangeLog\|archive-date=2016-04-24}}</ref>
	*]

	*]
			===Other===
			Links was also ported to run on the Sony ] platform as PSPRadio by Rafael Cabezas with the last version (2.1pre23_PSP_r1261) released on February 6, 2007.<ref name="PSP Port">{{citation\|url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/pspradio/files/links2/\|title=Home / links2\|work=PSPRadio\|publisher=]\|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref>

			The ] port was updated by François Revol who also added GUI support.<ref name="BeOS port">{{citation\|url=http://revolf.free.fr/beos/patches/links-2.1pre33.beos.002.diff.txt\|title=BeOS port patch\|first=Francois\|last=Revol\|date=May 3, 2008\|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref> It also runs on ].

			==References==
			{{Reflist\|30em}}

	==External links==		==External links==
			{{commons category\|Links web browsers}}
	*
			* {{Official website}}
	*
	*		* for Links
			*
	*
			* on ] and ]
	*
			* {{sourceforge\|pspradio\|pspradio : Links for PSP 1.18.1377 (2007-04-02)}}
	*
	*		*
			*

	{{web browsers}}		{{Lightweight web browsers}}
			{{Web browsers\|desktop}}

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Links (Web Browser)}}
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]

	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
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	]

Latest revision as of 21:56, 19 August 2024

Web browser Not to be confused with Lynx (web browser).

Links

Graphical TextScreenshot of the Links Browser.
Developer(s)	Mikuláš Patočka
Initial release	1999; 25 years ago (1999)

Stable release	2.30 / 27 July 2024
Preview release	None (N/A) [±]

Written in	C
Operating system	Windows, macOS, OS/2, Unix-like, OpenVMS, DOS
Type	Web browser
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Website	links.twibright.com

Links is a free software text and graphical web browser with a pull-down menu system. It renders complex pages, has partial HTML 4.0 support (including tables, frames, and support for UTF-8), supports color and monochrome terminals, and allows horizontal scrolling.

It is intended for users who want to retain many typical elements of graphical user interfaces (pop-up windows, menus, etc.) in a text-only environment.

The original version of Links was developed by Mikuláš Patočka in the Czech Republic. His group, "Twibright Labs", later developed version 2 of the Links browser, which displays graphics, and renders fonts in different sizes (with spatial anti-aliasing), but no longer supports JavaScript (it used to, up to version 2.1pre28). The resulting browser is very fast, but does not display many pages as intended. The graphical mode works even on Unix systems without the X Window System or any other window environment, using either SVGAlib or the framebuffer of the system's graphics card.

Graphics stack

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The graphics stack varies from a stack typically used by a web browser. The fonts displayed by Links are not derived from the system, but compiled into binary as grayscale bitmaps using the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format. This allows the browser to be distributed as a single executable file, independent of the system's installed libraries. However, this raises the size of the executable to approximately 5 MB. The fonts are anti-aliased without hinting, and for small line pitches, artificial sharpening is used to increase legibility. Sub-pixel sampling is used to further improve legibility on LCD displays. These techniques allow Links to use anti-aliased fonts when libraries for rendering them are not available.

All graphic elements (images and text) are first converted from a given gamma space (according to known or assumed gamma information in PNG, JPEG, etc.) through known user gamma setting into a 48 bits pixel photometrically linear space where they are re-sampled with bilinear re-sampling to the target size, possibly taking aspect ratio correction into account. Then the image data are passed through a high-performance dithering engine, which is used regardless of monitor bit depth, i.e., it is still used with 24 bits per pixel color. This implementation of a Floyd-Steinberg dithering engine avoids time expensive calculations by considering the gamma characteristics of the monitor, using 768 KiB of dithering tables. A technique similar to self-modifying code, called function templates, is used to maximise the speed of the dithering engine without using assembly language optimization.

Scaled down images also use sub-pixel sampling on LCD to increase the level of detail.

This processing is used to provide realistic up and downsampling of images, and photorealistic display regardless of the monitor's gamma, without color fringing caused by 8-bit gamma correction built into the X server.

Forks

ELinks

Main article: ELinks

Experimental/Enhanced Links (ELinks) is a fork of Links led by Petr Baudis. It is based on Links 0.9. It has a more open development and incorporates patches from other Links versions (such as additional extension scripting in Lua) and from Internet users.

Hacked Links

Hacked Links is another version of the Links browser which has merged some of Elinks' features into Links 2.

Andrey Mirtchovski has ported it to Plan 9 from Bell Labs. It is considered a good browser on that operating system, though some users have complained about its inability to cut and paste with the Plan 9 snarf buffer.

As of April 2016, the last release of Hacked Links is that of July 9, 2003, with some further changes unreleased.

Other

Links was also ported to run on the Sony PSP platform as PSPRadio by Rafael Cabezas with the last version (2.1pre23_PSP_r1261) released on February 6, 2007.

The BeOS port was updated by François Revol who also added GUI support. It also runs on Haiku.

References

"RELEASE 2.30". 27 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
Links home page
Legan, Dallas (September 2001), Text-Mode Web Browsers for OS/2, The Southern California OS/2 User Group, retrieved August 16, 2010
^ "Links user documentation". links.twibright.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
"ELinks history page". Retrieved 14 December 2010.
Bolso, Erik Inge (8 March 2005). "2005 Text Mode Browser Roundup". Linux Journal. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
"ChangeLog", Hacked Links Project, October 28, 2003, archived from the original on 2016-04-24, retrieved 2016-04-24
"Home / links2", PSPRadio, SourceForge, retrieved July 9, 2012
Revol, Francois (May 3, 2008), BeOS port patch, retrieved July 9, 2012

External links

Official website
User documentation for Links
Links-Hacked project
Links for OS X on PowerPC and Intel
pspradio : Links for PSP 1.18.1377 (2007-04-02) on SourceForge (forum)
Linkx fork
Original Links Source Code

v t e Lightweight web browsers
Web browsers designed to consume fewer resources than mainstream browsers.
Arora Dillo ELinks Falkon K-Meleon Links Lynx Midori NetSurf QtWeb surf Uzbl w3m WebPositive xombrero
Comparison of lightweight web browsers

Web browsers

Features
standards
protocols

Features	Bookmarks Extensions Privacy mode
Web standards	HTML v5 CSS DOM JavaScript WebAssembly Web storage IndexedDB WebGL WebGPU
Protocols	HTTP Encryption Cookies third-party OCSP WebRTC WebSocket

Active

Blink-based

Proprietary	Google Chrome Arc Avast Coc Coc Comodo Epic Maxthon Microsoft Edge Opera (Mobile) Puffin QQ Samsung Silk Sleipnir SRWare UC Vivaldi Whale Yandex
FOSS	Chromium Brave Dooble Falkon Otter Supermium ungoogled

Gecko-based

Firefox
Floorp
GNU IceCat
LibreWolf
Midori
SlimBrowser
Tor
Zen
Gecko forks
- Basilisk
- K-Meleon
- Pale Moon
- SeaMonkey
- Waterfox

WebKit-based

Multi-engine

Other

Discontinued

Blink-based	Beaker Citrio Flock Redcore Rockmelt SalamWeb Sputnik Torch
Gecko-based	Beonex Camino Classilla Conkeror Firefox Lite Galeon Ghostzilla IceDragon Kazehakase Kylo Lotus MicroB Minimo Mozilla suite PirateBrowser Pogo Strata Swiftfox Swiftweasel TenFourFox Timberwolf xB
MSHTML-based	Internet Explorer AOL Deepnet GreenBrowser MediaBrowser NeoPlanet NetCaptor SpaceTime ZAC
WebKit-based	Arora BOLT Dolphin Fluid Google TV Iris Mercury Nokia Symbian OmniWeb Opera Coast Origyn QtWeb Shiira Steel surf Uzbl WebPositive xombrero
Other	abaco Amaya Arachne Arena Blazer Cake Charon CM Deepfish Dillo Edge Legacy ELinks Gazelle HotJava IBM Home Page Reader IBM WebExplorer IBrowse Internet Explorer for Mac KidZui Line Mode Mosaic MSN TV NetPositive Netscape Skweezer Skyfire ThunderHawk Vision WinWAP WorldWideWeb

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