Lynx Web Browser and Google.

[gazza11]

Hi,

Using OS GNU/Linux, version ('uname -a' output):
Linux [hostname] 2.6.31-14-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 16 14:04:26 UTC 2009 i586 GNU/Linux.

Problem with application Lynx command-line text-only web browser, version ('lynx --version' output):
Lynx Version 2.8.7pre.6 (23 Jun 2009)
libwww-FM 2.14, SSL-MM 1.4.1, ncurses 5.7.20090803(wide)
Built on linux-gnu Jun 25 2009 07:16:26.

I can't get Google's web page to display (neither Google's main site or their UK one). Instead, Lynx says 'application/x-gzip' D)ownload, or C)ancel'. Out of curiosity, I downloaded to a file and found the file contains gobbledegook characters (binary data?). Here's the output from a Gnome terminal under X:

Looking up 'google.com' first

Looking up google.com first
Looking up google.com
Making HTTP connection to google.com
Sending HTTP request.
HTTP request sent; waiting for response.
HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Data transfer complete
HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Using [Google's main site URL]
Looking up [Google's main site URL]
Making HTTP connection to [Google's main site URL]
Sending HTTP request.
HTTP request sent; waiting for response.
HTTP/1.0 302 Moved Temporarily
Allowing this cookie.
Allowing this cookie.
Data transfer complete
HTTP/1.0 302 Moved Temporarily
Using [Google's UK site URL]
Looking up [Google's UK site URL]
Making HTTP connection to [Google's UK site URL]
Sending HTTP request.
HTTP request sent; waiting for response.
HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Allowing this cookie.
Allowing this cookie.
Allowing this cookie.
Data transfer complete
/usr/bin/file-roller '/tmp/lynxXXXXnNDUYj/L4165-4181TMP.bin'

lynx: Start file could not be found or is not text/html or text/plain
Exiting....

The 'file-roller' command invokes a graphical 'Archive Manager' which I exited and then got the rest of the Lynx output. I also use Links and ELinks without any problem. I suspect it is a MIME-type issue but I don't know a simple way to fix it. I had a problem before with Google returning an error because Lynx was sending a ton of MIME information to the site and I think I had to do something with the MAILCAP MIME-type list. I really like Lynx as well.

Can anyone help, please?

[Rubberman]

If the page is trying to load/run a client-side java script (jsp), then you may be out of luck here. Anyway, I just looked at the standard Google search page, and it seems to contain embedded java script code. Since it isn't standard HTML, Lynx may not play nice with it.

[elija]

Yeah - the new "improved"* Google uses a lot of Javascript


* They are sarcastic quote marks

[reed9]

Hmm, lynx works fine with google for me.

[gazza11]

Funnily enough, now it works after going through a reboot or two.

FWIW, I'd had no problems with my two 'remote' machines (ie: on my LAN) running Mandrake/Mandriva 10.0 and their Lynxes/Linkses:

(OS:) Linux [hostname] 2.6.3-7mdk #1 Wed Mar 17 15:56:42 CET 2004 i586 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

(Lynx:) Lynx Version 2.8.5rel.1 (04 Feb 2004)
libwww-FM 2.14, SSL-MM 1.4.1, OpenSSL 0.9.7c
Built on linux-gnu Feb 6 2004 03:09:17

(Links:) Links 2.1pre13.

Dunno what was up.