How to View Page Source on w3m Browser

If you're looking for a text-based web browser, w3m Browser is an excellent option. It has a wide range of features that make browsing the internet a breeze. In this article, we'll show you how to view page source on w3m Browser.

Introduction to w3m Browser

Before we dive into how to view page source, it's worth taking a moment to introduce w3m Browser in more depth. w3m is a free and open-source text-based web browser. It's available for a range of platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. It has a minimalist design, making it an excellent choice for users who want a fast and straightforward browsing experience.

What is w3m Browser?

w3m Browser is a command-line based web browser that allows users to browse the internet without the need for GUI interfaces. It's a lightweight browser that renders HTML pages in terminal windows, making it a great option for users who want to conserve system resources. w3m Browser supports a range of features, including mouse support, keyboard shortcuts, and tabbed browsing.

Key Features of w3m Browser

Some of the most important features of w3m Browser include:

• Mouse support

• Keyboard shortcuts

• Tabbed browsing

• Rendering of HTML pages in terminal windows

• Support for bookmarks

One of the most significant advantages of using a text-based browser like w3m is that it uses very few system resources. This means that it's an excellent choice for users who have older or slower machines. Additionally, because it's a command-line based browser, it's highly customizable, and users can tailor it to meet their specific needs.

Another advantage of using w3m is that it's incredibly fast. Because it doesn't have to load any GUI interfaces, it can quickly render web pages, making it an excellent choice for users who want to browse the internet quickly and efficiently.

One of the most unique features of w3m is its support for rendering HTML pages in terminal windows. This means that users can browse the internet without ever leaving the command-line interface, which can be a significant advantage for users who prefer to work in the terminal.

Overall, w3m Browser is an excellent choice for users who want a fast, lightweight, and customizable web browser. Its support for keyboard shortcuts, mouse support, and tabbed browsing make it a highly efficient browser, while its rendering of HTML pages in terminal windows makes it a unique and powerful tool for users who prefer to work in the command-line interface.

Installing w3m Browser

If you don't already have w3m Browser installed, you'll need to install it on your system. Thankfully, it's a relatively straightforward process. Here's how to do it:

Installing w3m on Linux

If you're using a Linux-based operating system, you can install w3m Browser using your system's package manager. For instance, if you're using Ubuntu or Debian, you can install it by running the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt-get install w3m

If you're using Red Hat-based systems like Fedora or CentOS, you can install it with the following command:

sudo dnf install w3m

Installing w3m on macOS

If you're using a macOS-based system, you can install w3m Browser using Homebrew, which is a package manager for macOS. Here's how to do it:

brew install w3m

Installing w3m on Windows

If you're using Windows, you can install w3m Browser on your system using the Cygwin package manager. Cygwin allows you to run many Linux tools natively on Windows systems. Here's how to install w3m using Cygwin:

1. Download and run the Cygwin installer from the project's website.

2. Select the packages that you want to install from the list of available packages.

3. Search for w3m, select it, and then click on the "Next" button to start the installation process.

4. Once the installation is complete, open Cygwin and type in the following command:

cygstart w3m

Navigating w3m Browser

Now that we've installed w3m Browser let's learn how to navigate it. w3m Browser is a versatile browser that can be navigated using both the mouse and the keyboard. Here are some basic navigation commands:

Basic Navigation Commands

• Up and Down arrow keys: Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through webpages.

• Left and Right arrow keys: Use the left and right arrow keys to move backward and forwards through webpages.

• Enter key: Use the Enter key to follow links and open webpages.

• Esc key: Use the Esc key to return to the previous page.

Opening and Closing Tabs

In w3m Browser, you can have multiple tabs open at the same time. Here's how to open a new tab:

1. Press the "T" key to open a new tab.

2. Type in the URL that you want to open.

3. Press the Enter key to open the webpage in the new tab.

To close a tab, use the "Q" key.

Searching for Text within a Webpage

If you're looking for a specific piece of text on a webpage, you can use the "Esc" key followed by the "S" key to open up the search bar. Type in the text that you're looking for, and w3m will highlight all the occurrences of the text on the webpage.

Viewing Page Source in w3m Browser

Now that you know your way around w3m Browser, let's learn how to view the page source. Page source refers to the underlying HTML code of a webpage. To view page source in w3m Browser, follow these steps:

Accessing Page Source through Keyboard Shortcut

The quickest way to view page source in w3m Browser is by using the keyboard shortcut. Pressing the "Esc" key followed by the "V" key will display the page source in the terminal window.

Accessing Page Source through Menu Options

You can also access page source through the menu options. Here's how to do it:

1. Press the "Esc" key to open the w3m Browser menu.

2. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate to the "Options" menu.

3. Press the right arrow key to display the options submenu.

4. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate to "Document source" and press Enter.

5. w3m Browser will display the page source in the terminal window.

Saving Page Source to a File

If you want to save the page source to a file, you can do so by using the following command in the terminal:

w3m -dump_source https://www.example.com > example.html

This command will save the page source of "https://www.example.com" to a file called "example.html".

Conclusion

w3m Browser is a powerful text-based web browser that's simple to use and perfect for users who want a minimalist browsing experience. In this article, we've shown you how to view page source in w3m Browser. Whether you're using it to conserve system resources or to take advantage of its many features, w3m Browser is an excellent option for any user.