Hasty Briefsbeta

Browsh: A fully-modern text-based browser, rendering to TTY and browsers

10 hours ago
  • #text-browser
  • #terminal
  • #low-bandwidth
  • Browsh is a fully interactive, real-time, modern text-based browser that works in TTYs and browsers.
  • It is useful for low-bandwidth connections (e.g., 3kbps) by offloading web page processing to a server via SSH.
  • Unlike traditional text-based browsers, Browsh supports JavaScript and modern HTML5 features by using headless Firefox.
  • It can be rendered in terminals or browsers, though terminal functionality is currently more feature-rich.
  • Browsh is more efficient than VNC for extremely poor internet, supports MoSH for better connection stability, and doesn't require a separate client.
  • It helps save battery on low-powered devices (e.g., Raspberry Pi) by running the browser remotely.
  • Available as a binary (~11MB) or Docker image (~230MB). Requires Firefox.
  • Supports most keyboard and mouse gestures like a desktop browser.
  • Development requires Node.js (for the webextension) and Go (for the CLI).
  • Testing includes webextension, CLI unit, E2E, and HTTP service tests.
  • Credits: @tobimensch (feedback/testing), @arasatasaygin (logo).
  • Licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1. Donations accepted.