---
name: "WWWBrowser"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libwwwbrowser-perl"
version: "2.23-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/WWWBrowser"
---

# WWWBrowser(3pm)

platform independent means to start a WWW browser

## NAME

WWWBrowser - platform independent means to start a WWW browser

## SYNOPSIS

```
    use WWWBrowser;
    WWWBrowser::start_browser($url, -oldwindow => 1);
```

## DESCRIPTION

### start\_browser($url \[, %args\])

Start a web browser with the specified URL. The process is started in background.

The following optional parameters are recognized:

- \-oldwindow =\> $bool

  Normally, the URL is loaded into a new window, if possible. With `"-oldwindow"` set to a false window, `"WWWBrowser"` will try to re-use a browser window.

- \-browser =\> $browser

  Use (preferebly) the named browser `$browser`. See "CONFIGURATION" for a some browser specialities. This option will only work for unix.

## CONFIGURATION

For unix, the global variable `@WWWBrowser::unix_browsers` can be set to a list of preferred web browsers. The following browsers are handled specially:

- lynx, w3m

  Text oriented browsers, which are opened in an `"xterm"`, `"kvt"` or `"gnome-terminal"` (if running under X11). If not running under X11, then no background process is started.

- kfmclient

  Use `"openURL"` method of kfm.

- netscape

  Use `"-remote"` option to re-use a running netscape process, if possible.

- \_default\_gnome

  Look into the `"~/.gnome/Gnome"` configuration file for the right browser.

- \_default\_kde

  NYI.

The following variables can be defined globally in the **main** package:

- $os

  Short name of operating system (`"win"`, `"mac"` or `"unix"`).

- &status\_messages

  Error handling function (instead of default `"warn"`).

## REQUIREMENTS

For Windows, the Win32Util module should be installed in the path.

## AUTHOR

Slaven Rezic \<slaven@rezic.de\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1999,2000,2001,2003 Slaven Rezic. All rights reserved. This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

## SEE ALSO

Win32Util.