Link is a text-based browser, not a graphical one
Link is a real web browser, but it works completely differently from Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Instead of showing you images, videos, and colorful layouts, Link displays web pages as plain text only. It was built in the 1990s and is still maintained today, mostly used by people on very old computers, over slow internet connections, or who prefer working entirely in text.
If you open a website in Link, you see the words and links, but no pictures, no styling, and no animations. You navigate using your keyboard — arrow keys to move between links, Enter to follow them. It sounds primitive, but it loads instantly and works on machines that would struggle with modern browsers.
You might encounter Link if you're working on a server, using a very old machine, or reading about internet history. It is not broken or incomplete — it is simply designed for a different purpose than everyday web browsing.
Key Takeaways
- Link is a text-only web browser that shows no images, videos, or visual formatting, only words and clickable links.
- You control Link entirely with your keyboard, using arrow keys to navigate and Enter to follow links.
- Link runs on extremely old computers and over very slow connections where graphical browsers would not work.
- Link is still maintained and used today, mainly by people working on servers or preferring text-based interfaces.
- Most people will never need Link — it exists for specific technical situations, not everyday web use.
How Link actually works on your screen
When you load a webpage in Link, the browser strips away everything visual and leaves only the text content and hyperlinks. A news article becomes a plain list of paragraphs. A shopping site becomes text descriptions and link names. A social media feed becomes usernames and post text, one after another.
You move through the page using your keyboard. The up and down arrow keys scroll. The right arrow or Enter key follows a highlighted link. The left arrow goes back. There is no mouse support in the original Link — everything is keyboard-driven. This makes it fast and predictable, but it requires you to think about navigation differently than you do in Chrome or Firefox.
Because Link sends and receives only text, pages load almost instantly even on dial-up internet or on a Raspberry Pi from 2012. The browser itself is tiny — it takes up almost no disk space and uses almost no memory. On a machine with 64 megabytes of RAM, Link runs smoothly. On the same machine, Firefox would not start.
Why Link still exists and who uses it
Link was created by Chris Nandor in 1992 as a way to browse the early web on Unix systems without a graphical interface. The web was mostly text back then anyway — images were rare and slow. Link fit perfectly. As the web became visual and graphical browsers took over, Link did not disappear. It was maintained, updated, and kept working.
Today, Link has a small but real audience. System administrators use it to check websites from a server command line without opening a graphical environment. People on very old computers use it because it is the only browser that will run. Some people prefer text-based interfaces on principle — they find them clearer and less distracting. Accessibility advocates sometimes use Link to test whether a website's content makes sense without visual design.
Link is also used in educational settings to teach how the web actually works underneath the visual layer. When you strip away images and styling, you see the raw HTML structure and the actual information architecture of a site.
Link versus other text-based browsers
Link is not the only text-based browser. Lynx is older and more widely known. w3m is another option. ELinks is a fork of Links (a different project) that adds more features. They all do roughly the same thing — show you web pages as text, navigate with the keyboard, and run on minimal hardware.
Link itself is simpler than some of these alternatives. It does not support tables, frames, or complex layouts — it just shows text and links in order. Lynx is more feature-rich. w3m can display images in the terminal if your terminal supports it. ELinks tries to be a middle ground. Which one you use depends on what hardware you have and what features you need.
For most people, this distinction does not matter because you will never use any of them. But if you are working on a server or a very old machine, knowing these options exist means you are not stuck without a browser.
When you might actually encounter Link
You will probably not run into Link in normal life. But there are real situations where it shows up. If you log into a remote server via SSH and need to check a website, you might use Link because no graphical display is available. If you are setting up an old computer from the 1990s or 2000s and want to browse the web, Link works when modern browsers do not. If you are testing a website to make sure it works for people with accessibility needs, Link shows you what the page looks like stripped of all visual design.
Some people also use Link out of preference. They find the text-only interface clearer and less overwhelming than the visual chaos of modern websites. They like that pages load instantly. They like that they control navigation entirely with the keyboard. This is a small group, but it is a real one.
If you have found this article because you saw "Link" mentioned somewhere and wondered what it was, you now know: it is a real browser, it works in text only, and it exists for specific technical reasons. You do not need to install it or learn it unless you have one of those specific reasons.
How Link compares to what you probably use
If you are reading this in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, you are using a graphical browser. It renders images, applies styling, runs JavaScript, and displays everything the web designer intended. It is powerful and flexible, but it is also heavy — it uses gigabytes of disk space and hundreds of megabytes of RAM.
Link does none of that. It cannot run JavaScript, so interactive features do not work. It cannot display images, so you see only the alt text (if the designer wrote it). It cannot apply CSS styling, so every page looks the same — plain text on a plain background. But it loads in milliseconds, runs on ancient hardware, and shows you the actual content without distraction.
Think of it this way: a graphical browser is a car with air conditioning, a stereo, and leather seats. Link is a bicycle. The bicycle is slower and less comfortable, but it works when the car will not start, and sometimes people prefer it anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Link safe to use?
Yes. Link is open-source software maintained by volunteers. It has been around for decades and is used by system administrators and security professionals. Like any software, it can have bugs, but it is not malicious or dangerous. It is actually safer than modern browsers in some ways because it cannot run JavaScript or execute complex code.
Can I use Link to browse normal websites like Google or Facebook?
Technically yes, but it will not work well. You will see the text content and links, but interactive features will not function. Facebook and Google rely heavily on JavaScript and visual design. Link will show you the raw text, which is usually not useful. Link works best on simple, text-heavy websites like news sites or documentation pages.
Where do I download Link?
Link is available on SourceForge and through package managers on Linux systems. If you are using Ubuntu or Debian, you can install it from the command line. However, most people should not bother — unless you have a specific technical reason to use it, a modern browser is the right choice for you.
Does Link work on Windows or Mac?
Link was originally built for Unix and Linux systems. It can be compiled for Windows and Mac, but it is not common. If you want to try it, you would need to build it from source code or find a pre-compiled version, which is more technical work than most people want to do.
Why would anyone choose to use Link instead of a normal browser?
Some people prefer text-based interfaces because they are clearer and less distracting. Others use it on old hardware where modern browsers do not run. System administrators use it to test websites from the command line. People with certain accessibility needs find it easier to use. It is a niche choice, but for those people, it is the right tool.