Re: LYNX-DEV Local Lynx for DOS or Win3.1?

[DR. JUAN-CARLOS LERMAN]

>> I hope you can help me.
> 
>> I am a Netscape user who does not believe that "Netscape enhanced"
>> should not automatically mean "Lynx crippled."  Very little annoys
>> me more than a site which is clearly designed with the starry-eyed
>> assumptions of high-speed modem, screamingly fast processor, and
>> cutting-edge graphical browser.  (I spent too long trying to use Lynx
>> to maneuver my way through poorly designed sites - can you tell?)
>
....................................................................

>> It would be easier if I could get a copy of Lynx that I could run on
>> my PC - a 486DX2, 66MHz, DOS 6.2, Win3.1.

You sure can. I use such a similar set up.

>> I seem to have found a reference to Lynx 2.7 for DOS 386+, which would
>> probably work, but I am not certain what else I need.  The blurb (
>> http://www.fdisk.com/doslynx/lynxport.htm ) mentions that I should have
>> a packet driver.  Would this be necessary for me?  I am not planning

You don't need any packet driver to read local files.

>> on using this as my primary browser (yet ;-), I simply want something
>> so I can test the pages locally when they are in development.  So all
>> the URLs would look like file:///c:/html/index.htm.

I have most of that in a bobcat.bat file. 
I just type   bobcat [c:]filename[.htm]                      

>       This is true.  The DOS port requires some sort of networking
>       code -- even if you just want to access local files.  I know
>       that sounds like a silly requirement and like it should be 
>       simple to program around.  However, that doesn't seem to be the
>       case.  It would apparently take alot of work to make a 
>       "non-network" enabled Lynx browser.

I'm glad I've never read this before. Beginning with the alpha DOSLYNX
from Kansas U, up to the current Bobcat, the binary codes I installed 
were just 'plug and play,' for local files.

>       However I've heard that there are "dummy" or "loopback"
>       packet drivers.  I'll use the search string "crynwr" to find 

I've never needed such a thing to render and edit local files.

......................................................................

Here is some more info on the STAND-ALONE LYNX WITHOUT ANY PACKET 
DRIVERS OR REMOTE CONNECTION: 

I've used DOSLYNX in an old 286 to draft, edit and view local HTML 
files resident in my PC, running MS-DOS Compaq 3.31. Now I am using 
BOBCAT 0.4 (also developed by Wayne Buttles) on a 386 clone under 
the same DOS 3.31. 

This version is based on Lynx 2-4-2, and can be downloaded from
from Wayne's 'fdisk site'. 

Here are some extracts from his README.DOC file, with my underlining: 

###################################################################
Bobcat is a text-based WWW browser, very similar to Unix Lynx.  It 
is freeware converted from Unix to Dos by Wayne Buttles as a hobby.  
...................................................................
Bobcat requires a class 1 packet driver for internet connections,
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and dos 3.3 or later to run. Some of the batch files may need to be 
modified with versions of dos before dos.5.0 
Bobcat comes as a self-extracting archive, which creates several 
subdirectories.  (Be sure to answer "y" during extraction when you 
are asked whether to create new directories.) 
...................................................................
3. SETUP BOBCAT (LYNX) 
The setup information for BOBCAT is in the bobc_hlp.htm file.
It is suggested you first read the BOBCAT help file by running "lynx" 
without dialing and going to "Read This First". (bobc_hlp.htm). 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...................................................................
Also look in the docs directory for more detailed Help 
Documentation If you want to have an ascii version of any of the 
html documentation from this or any other html program it may be 
produced by running bobcat with the -dump command option. 
Command form  is: lynx -dump file:///bobc_hlp.htm > help.txt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much of the documentation is in HTML format, so the most convenient 
way to read it is to run Bobcat (without connecting to the 
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Internet).  If you accidently try to reach a remote  link without a 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
packet driver loaded, Bobcat will just drop to dos, but  the 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
documentation files are all local . Before running Bobcat, you should
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
print out the file BOBCAT\DOC\KEYS.DOC, which lists the default 
key map commands; you can also view them on line by hitting "k". 
...................................................................
###################################################################


Let me know if you need more info or help for your LL (Local Lynx)
project.

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