Gopherus

Gopherus is a free, multiplatform, console-mode Gopher client that provides a classic text interface to Gopherspace. It is published under the 2-clause BSD license and is maintained by Mateusz Viste.

★★★★★

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• Navigation through Gopher menus. Gopherus allows browsing the hierarchical menu structure of Gopher servers. Menus are presented as text lists with selection numbers, and by choosing a number, the program accesses the corresponding resource (file, submenu, search, etc.).
• Display of text files. Displays the content of plain text files obtained from the server directly in the console. The display adapts to the terminal width and allows basic pagination for reading long files.
• Downloading binary files. Allows downloading any type of file (images, executables, archives) to the local disk. During the download, the progress is shown in bytes transferred.
• Handling links to other servers. Transparently supports links pointing to documents on other Gopher servers. When an external link is selected, Gopherus automatically connects to the new specified host and port.
• Support for search selectors (type 7). Implements the functionality of Gopher search selectors. When accessing a type 7 item, the program prompts the user for a text string and sends it to the server to perform the query.
• Browsing history. Maintains a history of menus and documents visited during the session. It allows returning to the previous level or to previously browsed points using simple keyboard commands.
• Bookmarks. Users can save the current location (host, port, and selector) as a bookmark. Bookmarks are stored in a configuration file and can be loaded later to directly access a resource.
• Use of a configuration file. The client's behavior can be customized through a text file. This file allows defining options such as the default Gopher server (by default, Gopher.floodgap.com), the port, and the location of the bookmark file.
• Support for servers on different ports. Can connect to Gopher servers using ports other than the standard 70. Port information is obtained from menu lines or can be specified in bookmarks.
• Clean program exit. Gopherus terminates its execution in a controlled manner, restoring the console state upon exit. This prevents the client text from interfering with the subsequent shell or command line.

The development history of Gopherus begins in the year 2013. The program is created and maintained by developer Mateusz Viste. The project remained active at least until the year 2022, as indicated by the last copyright date. Gopherus is written in the C programming language, which facilitates its compilation and operation on multiple operating systems, including DOS, Windows, and Unix-based systems. Its source code has been available through SourceForge, allowing access to its history and previous versions.

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