Browse the web using Gemini on your Apple device

Lately, I've been checking out pages on the nascent Gemini protocol, a new application-level protocol for hypertext documents. It falls somewhere between the minimalism of Gopher and the complexity and weight of the World Wide Web.

The Gemini protocol requires using a Gemini client, and there are multiple command-line and GUI applications available. I've wanted to read Gemini from the comfort and convenience of my iPad, but there isn't an app for iOS.

I found AV-98, a Python-based command-line client created by Gemini's originator, Solderpunk. I decided this would work for me, as in a previous article, I demonstrated how to set up and use iSH to run Linux or develop applications on iOS.

Install AV-98 on iOS

AV-98 only requires Python 3 and is a quick, easy install:

git clone https://tildegit.org/solderpunk/AV-98

Running AV-98 is easy enough:

python3 av98.py

I decided to make an alias to make this easy to run anytime, anywhere. I'm using fish shell. So I made a function:

function av98

Then entered:

python3 ~/AV-98/av98.py

And saved it permanently:

funcsave av98

Now I can run it anywhere by just typing av98.

AV-98 basics

• List commands: help
• Go somewhere directly: go gemini.circumlunar.space
• Follow a link: Type its number (e.g., 3) and hit Enter
• If a page is too long to read: less.
• Exit a page by pressing q on your keyboard
• Go back one page: b (or back)
• Exit: q (or exit)

I recommend making gemini://gemini.circumlunar.space/capcom, an aggregator for Atom feeds containing Gemini content, your homepage. It's an easy and convenient way to discover great new Gemini activity.