This file contains various compile-time configuration settings, which you can adjust below. You can fine-tune the ELinks binary to include really only what you want it to. It acts as a front-end to the configure script in the sense that it is possible to control any features in this file by passing arguments to the configure script. In fact any arguments given to the script will overrule the values set in this file.
There are still some things which are to be adjusted only directly through the configure script arguments though, so check ./configure --help out as well!
All dependency checking is done by the configure script so even though a feature is enabled here it is possible that it will be disabled at compile time if the dependencies are not met. Check the features.log file generated by the configure script to make sure.
All features that can be controlled using this file are already set to their default values. The syntax used is hopefully familiar to most people.
# chars start a comment that runs until the end of the line.
The features are controlled by setting the various CONFIG_<FEATURE> variables to either yes or no depending on whether it should be enabled or disabled. So in order to disable bookmark support a line in this file should say:
CONFIG_BOOKMARKS=no
It is also possible to simply comment out the line in order to disable it. Therefore, if the default doesn't suit you, you can either comment it out or set it to the value you desire.
ELinks has built-in hierarchic bookmarks support. Open the bookmarks manager by pressing s. When bookmarks are enabled, also support for the internal ELinks bookmarks format is always compiled in.
This is a favourite target for disabling in various embedded applications. It all depends on your requirements.
Also read the “The Ultimate Bookmarks Guide” in doc/bookmarks.txt
Default: enabled
ELinks also supports universal XML bookmarks format called XBEL, also supported by e.g. Galeon, various "always-have-my-bookmarks" websites and number of universal bookmark converters.
Frequently, you know you will not need it, then you can of course happily forcibly remove support for it and save few bytes.
Default: enabled if libexpat is found and bookmarks are enabled
Support for HTTP cookies --- a data token which the server sends the client once and then the client sends it back along each request to the server. This mechanism is crucial e.g. for keeping HTTP sessions (you "log in" to a site, and from then on the site recognizes you usually because of the cookie), but also for various banner systems, remembering values filled to various forms, and so on. You can further tune the ELinks behaviour at runtime (whether to accept/send cookies, ask for confirmation when accepting a cookie etc).
This functionality is usually quite important and you should not disable it unless you really know what are you doing.
Default: enabled
The famous Competing Browser has that annoying thing which pops up when you submit a form, offering to remember it and pre-fill it the next time. And yes, ELinks can do that too! You will still need to also enable this manually at document.browse.forms.show_formhist.
Many people find it extremely annoying (including pasky), however some others consider it extremely handy and will sacrifice almost anything to get it. It will not do any harm to have this compiled-in as long as you will leave it turned off (which is also the default configuration).
Default: enabled