In today’s digital age, where information overload is a common problem, having a personal RSS reader can be a real boon. FreshRSS is an open-source RSS aggregator that you can self-host to take control of your feed consumption. Here’s how to get started with self-hosting a FreshRSS RSS Reader.

 Requirements

– A domain name (optional but recommended for remote access)

– A server (can be a VPS, home server, or even a Raspberry Pi)

– Root or sudo privileges on the server

– Basic knowledge of command-line interface in Linux

 Step 1: Server Setup

First, set up your server with a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack or an equivalent like LEMP (replace Apache with Nginx). You can install these using package managers such as `apt` on Ubuntu or `yum` on CentOS:

“`sh

sudo apt update

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php

“`

Make sure your PHP version is compatible with FreshRSS.

 Step 2: Downloading FreshRSS

Download the latest version of FreshRSS from GitHub:

“`sh

cd /var/www/html

sudo git clone https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS.git freshrss

“`

Adjust permissions so that the web server can access the files:

“`sh

sudochown -R www-data:www-datafreshrss/

“`

 Step 3: Creating a Database

Create a MySQL/MariaDB database and user for FreshRSS:

“`sql

CREATE DATABASE freshrss;

CREATE USER ‘freshrssuser’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘your_password’;

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON freshrss. TO ‘freshrssuser’@’localhost’;

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

exit;

“`

Replace `’your_password’` with a strong password.

 Step 4: Configuring FreshRSS

Point your web browser to your FreshRSS directory to start the installation process. It’s usually at `http://yourserverip/freshrss`.

Follow the installation wizard:

1. Choose language.
2. Check for correct file permissions.
3. Input your database details set earlier.
4. Create an admin user for FreshRSS.
5. Finalize the installation.

 Step 5: Final Adjustments and Scheduling Cron Jobs

Edit your Apache configuration file to allow `.htaccess` overrides if needed:

“`apachectlconfigtest

<Directory /var/www/html/freshrss>

AllowOverride All

</Directory>

“`

Restart Apache afterward:

“`sh

sudosystemctl restart apache2

“`

Set up cron jobs to update feeds automatically by editing your crontab file:

“`sh

sudo crontab -u www-data -e

“`

And add the following line to update every hour:

“`cron

0     cd /var/www/html/freshrss/app/ && ./actualize_script.php> /var/tmp/FreshRSS.log 2>&1

“`

 Step 6: Accessing and Using Your RSS Reader

Now you can access FreshRSS through your web browser and start subscribing to various RSS feeds based on your interests. With FreshRSS self-hosted, you enjoy better privacy control and customization over your feeds.

Remember that keeping your server up-to-date with security patches is critical when self-hosting any application, including an RSS reader like FreshRSS.

With these steps followed carefully, you have successfully self-hosted your very own FreshRSS reader! Enjoy personalized news aggregation without depending on third-party services.