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| name = Links | name = Links
| logo = Links web browser logo.png | logo = Links web browser logo.png
| screenshot = Webbrowser Links.jpg | screenshot = {{Switcher | ] |Graphical | ] |Text}}
| caption = Screenshot of a graphical Links | caption = Screenshot of the Links Browser.
| author = | author =
| developer = Mikuláš Patočka | developer = Mikuláš Patočka
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}} }}


'''Links''' is a ] ] and ] ] with a pull-down menu system.<ref></ref> It renders complex pages, has partial ] 4.0 support (including tables and ]<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 multiple character sets such as ]), 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.


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. 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 ]. His group ''Twibright Labs'' later developed version 2 of the Links browser, which displays graphics, and renders fonts in different sizes (with ]), but does not support ] anymore (it used to, up to version 2.1pre28). 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 the ] 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== ==Graphics stack==
{{Multiple issues|section=yes| {{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2010}}
{{Tone|section|date=November 2021}} {{Tone|section|date=November 2021}}
{{Original research|section|date=November 2021}} {{Original research|section|date=November 2021}}
{{More citations|section|date=October 2023}}}}
}}
The graphics stack has several peculiarities unusual for a web browser. The fonts displayed by links are not derived from the system, but compiled into the binary as grayscale bitmaps in ] (PNG) format. This allows the browser to be one executable file independent of the system libraries. However, this increases the size of the executable to about 5&nbsp;MB. 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.
The fonts are anti-aliased without hinting and for small line pitches, they employ an artificial sharpening to increase legibility. Sub-pixel sampling further increases legibility on LCD displays. This allowed links to have anti-aliased fonts when anti-aliased font libraries were uncommon.


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 data are passed through a high-performance restartable dithering engine which is used regardless of monitor bit depth, i.e., also for 24 bits per pixel colour. This ] engine considers the gamma characteristics of the monitor and uses 768&nbsp;KiB of dithering tables to avoid time expensive calculations. A technique similar to ], ]s, is used to maximise the speed of the dithering engine without using ] optimization. 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.


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


The reason for this high-quality processing is: to provide proper realistic up and downsampling of images, and photorealistic display regardless of the monitor gamma, without colour fringing caused by 8-Bit gamma correction built into the X server. It also increases the perceived colour depth by over 24 bits per pixel. 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.

Links has graphics drivers for the X Server, Linux framebuffer, svgalib, OS/2 ] and AtheOS GUI.


==Forks== ==Forks==

===ELinks=== ===ELinks===
{{Main|ELinks}} {{Main|ELinks}}
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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}} 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}}


{{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> {{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=== ===Other===
Links were 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> 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 ]. 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== ==References==
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* on ] and ] * on ] and ]
* {{sourceforge|pspradio|pspradio : Links for PSP 1.18.1377 (2007-04-02)}} * {{sourceforge|pspradio|pspradio : Links for PSP 1.18.1377 (2007-04-02)}}
* *
* *


{{Lightweight web browsers}} {{Lightweight web browsers}}
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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 release1999; 26 years ago (1999)
Stable release2.30 Edit this on Wikidata / 27 July 2024
Preview releaseNone (N/A) [±]
Written inC
Operating systemWindows, macOS, OS/2, Unix-like, OpenVMS, DOS
TypeWeb browser
LicenseGPL-2.0-or-later
Websitelinks.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

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

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