[BRLTTY] Is there a feature-compatible text-based browser

[kperry at blinksoft.com]

Who knows if it can be funded.  Note this has been done in the past like I
said we had one of these for years on the mobile manager.  The mobile
manager just ran Linux Open embedded.  Recently I even made two test
versions using different automation sweets and chromium back end for chrom.
It would use Python as a front end, and it would be configurable.   The test
version I made worked on the BTSpeak, my Linux box and my windows 10 at the
powershell prompt.  So, I am sure this is something that can be done.   It
sounds like Nickolas already has a start on a firefox one, but I am not a
fan of the Lynx interface.  I would do it more ncurses based which would
make it portable and easy to configure.  I would love to help with
Nickolas's work though, so I am not knocking that either.  I think we need
choices. I also think we need a design document.  There has to be a better
interface than lynx.

Ken

-----Original Message-----
From: BRLTTY <brltty-bounces at brltty.app> On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 3:46 PM
To: Informal discussion between users and developers of BRLTTY.
<brltty at brltty.app>; smassy at wolfdream.ca
Subject: Re: [BRLTTY] Is there a feature-compatible text-based browser

	Hello Ken.  I have been thinking about this very idea for a long
time.  In fact, it occurred to me that it might be possible to bolt lynx
onto the front of a graphical back end browser.  Basically, a proxy that
lynx talks to over a local network link which is actually a straight html
rendering engine for the backend graphical browser.  I think T.V. Ramen of
Google does this for himself inside Google.  I started this work some years
ago, but was discouraged from continuing before I got very far with the
observation that it would be too hard to maintain a separate browser from
the mainstream.  Having said that, I think the idea is still very relevant
since, as it's turned out, screen readers have pretty much had to implement
a separate user interface for the browsers they support.  When I say
separate, I'm talking relative to the visual interface most sighted users
use when operating a browser.  the way I use a browser versus the way my
sighted partner uses a browser is so different we might as well be using
different programs even though we're both using Chrome.

	Is this a project you think could get funded?  I'd love to work on
it and make it a reality.
-thanks
-Brian

_______________________________________________
This message was sent via the BRLTTY mailing list.
To post a message, send an e-mail to: BRLTTY at brltty.app For general
information, go to: http://brltty.app/mailman/listinfo/brltty