Web browser from console CentOS

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Allen526
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Joined: 2021/06/07 08:31:59

Web browser from console CentOS

Post by Allen526 » 2021/06/07 08:38:15

Is it possible to run any graphical browser (not lynx) from the console on CentOS 1708 without any installed GUI on it? I need to access the web interface of the device, but won't install a GUI on itMyBalanceNow.
Last edited by Allen526 on 2021/06/08 11:46:56, edited 1 time in total.

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jlehtone
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Joined: 2007/12/11 08:17:33
Location: Finland

Re: Web browser from console CentOS

Post by jlehtone » 2021/06/07 13:53:54

Allen526 wrote:
2021/06/07 08:38:15
Is it possible to run any graphical browser (not lynx) from the console on CentOS 1708 without any installed GUI on it? I need to access the web interface of the device, but won't install a GUI on it.
GUI applications draw "GUI windows". That requires something that draws windows. X11 or Wayland.

The lynx writes text to console. TUI. Text-based UI. The result can be relatively "window-like". Alas, TUI does not cope with bitmap pictures that most "web interfaces" have.

Note though that a browser, like Firefox, is a X11 client (or does it already have native Wayland?). The machine that draws the windows has X11 server. Client and server processes do not have to run in same machine. Traditionally one would run a client in remote machine and see result on local machine, where the X11 server runs.

More recent trend is to run X11 server/Wayland on remote machine and transfer the display to local machine with RDP, NoMachine, X2Go, etc. The X11 client could still run on third machine.

There is also third option: route/redirect/proxy the http(s) via server. Your local machine has GUI. You run GUI browser on it. You direct browser connections via remote server that has no GUI. For example, with SSH tunneling.


WAIT!! 1708? CentOS Linux 1708 (aka "7.4")? That content has not received any updates since release of CentOS Linux 7 version 1804 (aka "7.5), which was 2018-05-10. Over three years ago.

The only proper actions are (A) run yum update to get up to date "2009 content", or (B) disconnect the machine from network.

tunk
Posts: 1205
Joined: 2017/02/22 15:08:17

Re: Web browser from console CentOS

Post by tunk » 2021/06/07 14:51:59

Do you have another linux box with GUI? If so, try to install
firefox on "1708" and then run this from an xterm on your GUI box:
ssh -X username@dns.name.or.ip.address.of.1708
And then start firefox.
This basically is doing what jlehtone is saying about "client and
server processes".

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TrevorH
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Re: Web browser from console CentOS

Post by TrevorH » 2021/06/07 15:08:58

Or better still, tunnel a port via ssh so that you connect from the machine you want to connect from to the port you want and then use that tunnel from your local workstation browser. e.g ssh -L:1080:127.0.0.1:80 user@server-1708 then fire up your browser on the machine you ssh'ed from and connect to 127.0.0.1:1080.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

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