If you still using an old computer and searching for lightweight web browser for Linux Ubuntu. Don’t worry. Here is the list of the best free web browsers for low end PCs and old computers.
1. Lynx
Lynx is a text-based web browser designed for low-end systems or devices with limited hardware resources. Surprisingly, Lynx is the oldest web browser still being maintained, since 1992. Lynx browser is perfect for older computer hardware which may find it difficult to render image-heavy web content. Because Lynx is a text-based web browser, it does not display images or any other multimedia content.
You can install Lynx on Ubuntu using the following command:
$ sudo apt install lynx
Once installed, open the Lynx web browser from Terminal. Simply type lynx and press enter. To enter the URL of the page and visit a web page, press g and enter the URL at the “URL to open” prompt and press Enter. Then you will have to browse the page by highlighting the chosen link using cursor keys.
2. Nyxt
Nyxt is known as the hacker’s browser. It is a Keyboard-oriented web browser which is fully hackable and is inspired by Emacs and Vim. When I say fully hackable, I mean the browser is infinitely extensible (via Lisp) and all of its source code can be modified as per your specification. Nyxt is bundled with deeply integrated AI and semantic document tools which can quickly analyze, navigate, and extract information from the Internet.
Some of the most amazing features of the Nyxt web browser are jump headings, map selection, powerful link hinting, built-in programmability, smart bookmark search, customizable autofills, clipboard history and lossless tree history. Needless to say, the Nyxt browser comes with a built-in ad blocker.
The lossless tree history is one of the most widely acclaimed features of the next web browser. Users get a tree based on history with all pages you’ve visited stored in a tree (structure) which can be traversed and searched within.
Next 3.9.0 is the latest stable release of the Nyxt web browser which can be downloaded from https://nyxt.atlas.engineer/.
3. Dillo
Dillo web browser is known for its speed. It is an excellent choice for users with old hardware systems. It is one of the few browsers which has an extreme minimum GUI framework with a single toolbar with only typical options like back, forward, home, save, stop, reload, bookmark and tools.
You can use the following command to install Dillo on Ubuntu Linux system:
$ sudo apt install dillo
When you open the Dillo browser, you will see its welcome screen that displays information such as, current release, a link to help manual, change-log highlights and a bug meter at the lower-right corner of the window that displays any bugs that may occur when visiting non-compliant websites.
The Dillo web browser is written in C/C++ and is based on the Fast Light Toolkit (FLTK) GUI library.
4. GNOME Web (Epiphany)
GNOME Web (code name Epiphany) is part of the GNOME project and is one of the best lightweight web browsers for Linux systems. It is the default web browser for the GNOME desktop and for elementary OS.
The GNOME Web is based on the popular WebKit engine and comes with a built-in adblocker which is enabled by default. It also provides other browsing functionalities such as the incognito window option, extension support, bookmarks, and pop-up blocker. Because it uses WebKitGTK to render HTML widgets, the GNOME Web delivers superior desktop integration for low-end systems.
To install GNOME Web (Epiphany) on your Linux system, use the command given below:
$ sudo apt install epiphany-browser
5. Netsurf
” Small as a mouse, fast as a cheetah and available for free. ” These are the exact words used to describe Netsurf. It is a lightweight web browser which is popular among users with machines with few hardware resources.
It is best for embedded Linux systems or old operating systems that work on very low resources, such as 30MHz ARM 6 computer with 16 MB of RAM. Netsurf was originally written for computer hardware normally found in PDAs, cable TV boxes, mobile phones and other hand-held gadgets.
To install Netsurf, use the command given below:
$ sudo apt-get install netsurf-gtk
Whether you want a simple and fast browser or a lightweight browser for older PCs, you’ll find something useful in the list above. Just because you don’t have the hardware doesn’t mean you can’t surf the Internet.