diff --git a/content-org/blog.org b/content-org/blog.org index 3d27a15..68378e8 100644 --- a/content-org/blog.org +++ b/content-org/blog.org @@ -2,6 +2,77 @@ #+hugo_section: blog #+options: author:nil +* Creating ebooks from your RSS feeds +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds +:EXPORT_DATE: 2024-08-01 +:END: + +Starting last year, I've been trying to move back to the Open Web, +relying less and less on closed gardens and opaque technologies, and +focusing my efforts and my online presence in open standards and small +communities. This blog is a byproduct of that move, and me consuming +news and information in general through RSS is another one. + +I've always enjoyed RSS. It's simple, easy to use, and back in the day +it was *everywhere*. Every blog would have one if not multiple RSS +feeds, every service worth their salt would generate RSS feeds for its +content (think youtube, reddit, github...), innovation happened on top +of the format (say podcasting) and one would end up with both a RSS +reader full of articles to go through every day, and multiple +automations processing updates through the format. + +Things have changed a bit, services now don't pay that much attention +to RSS, most of them want you to use their apps to track and sell your +information, and the fact that a huge chunk of internet revenue is +driven by ads has forced a subset of the most obvious users of the +format (like newspapers or even some blogs) to close their feeds, +either by making them private or by giving you the headline of the +article and a link to see the full content (plus ads, loads of them, +maybe even a paywall) on their site. + +RSS is still extremely popular amongst blogs and Open Web sites tho, +so when I started this move one of the first things I installed was +[[https://miniflux.app/][Miniflux]], a fast, simple and robust RSS reader. It works great and +allows me to read both from my computer and my mobile devices, but +having an ebook I wanted to try and centralise my reading directly on +that device. + +Turns out that there is a quick and easy way of creating ebooks from +your RSS feeds using [[https://calibre-ebook.com/][Calibre]]. You just need to export your feeds from +your reader as an OPML file, and import them into the tool as new +sources. + +[[../static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/fetch-news.png]] + +If you have already imported your feeds, you can skip this next step, +but the first time you follow this process or when your feeds change +because you added or removed some, you need ot import the OPML file +into Calibre. + +[[../static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/import-OPML.png]] + +You can then configure how many articles and how far back the tool +will go when fetching the data from your feeds. By default, the +generated ebooks will contain up to 100 articles per feed, and the +last seven days of content from those feeds. For me the default values +are fine, but you can tweak them if you prefer to have a customized +"daily newspaper" out of your feeds, for example, instead of a weekly +one. + +[[../static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/configure-import.png]] + +After the OPML import finishes, you'll find several new recipes inside +the custom category, one per group on your feed export. To generate an +ebook for one of them, simply select it and click the "Download now" +button. + +[[../static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/schedule-import.png]] + +When the job is completed, you should see a new book in the tool that +you can then convert to the format you want to use, transfer to your +device, and enjoy in gorgeous and crispy e-ink, 100% distraction free. + * Embracing imperfection :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_FILE_NAME: embracing-imperfection diff --git a/content/blog/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds.md b/content/blog/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b013213 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds.md @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ +--- +title: "Creating ebooks from your RSS feeds" +date: 2024-08-01 +draft: false +--- + +Starting last year, I've been trying to move back to the Open Web, +relying less and less on closed gardens and opaque technologies, and +focusing my efforts and my online presence in open standards and small +communities. This blog is a byproduct of that move, and me consuming +news and information in general through RSS is another one. + +I've always enjoyed RSS. It's simple, easy to use, and back in the day +it was **everywhere**. Every blog would have one if not multiple RSS +feeds, every service worth their salt would generate RSS feeds for its +content (think youtube, reddit, github...), innovation happened on top +of the format (say podcasting) and one would end up with both a RSS +reader full of articles to go through every day, and multiple +automations processing updates through the format. + +Things have changed a bit, services now don't pay that much attention +to RSS, most of them want you to use their apps to track and sell your +information, and the fact that a huge chunk of internet revenue is +driven by ads has forced a subset of the most obvious users of the +format (like newspapers or even some blogs) to close their feeds, +either by making them private or by giving you the headline of the +article and a link to see the full content (plus ads, loads of them, +maybe even a paywall) on their site. + +RSS is still extremely popular amongst blogs and Open Web sites tho, +so when I started this move one of the first things I installed was +[Miniflux](https://miniflux.app/), a fast, simple and robust RSS reader. It works great and +allows me to read both from my computer and my mobile devices, but +having an ebook I wanted to try and centralise my reading directly on +that device. + +Turns out that there is a quick and easy way of creating ebooks from +your RSS feeds using [Calibre](https://calibre-ebook.com/). You just need to export your feeds from +your reader as an OPML file, and import them into the tool as new +sources. + +{{< figure src="/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/fetch-news.png" >}} + +If you have already imported your feeds, you can skip this next step, +but the first time you follow this process or when your feeds change +because you added or removed some, you need ot import the OPML file +into Calibre. + +{{< figure src="/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/import-OPML.png" >}} + +You can then configure how many articles and how far back the tool +will go when fetching the data from your feeds. By default, the +generated ebooks will contain up to 100 articles per feed, and the +last seven days of content from those feeds. For me the default values +are fine, but you can tweak them if you prefer to have a customized +"daily newspaper" out of your feeds, for example, instead of a weekly +one. + +{{< figure src="/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/configure-import.png" >}} + +After the OPML import finishes, you'll find several new recipes inside +the custom category, one per group on your feed export. To generate an +ebook for one of them, simply select it and click the "Download now" +button. + +{{< figure src="/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/schedule-import.png" >}} + +When the job is completed, you should see a new book in the tool that +you can then convert to the format you want to use, transfer to your +device, and enjoy in gorgeous and crispy e-ink, 100% distraction free. + diff --git a/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/configure-import.png b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/configure-import.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..261511d Binary files /dev/null and b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/configure-import.png differ diff --git a/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/fetch-news.png b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/fetch-news.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c8b00b Binary files /dev/null and b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/fetch-news.png differ diff --git a/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/import-OPML.png b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/import-OPML.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb44429 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/import-OPML.png differ diff --git a/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/schedule-import.png b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/schedule-import.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e26e34e Binary files /dev/null and b/static/imgs/creating-ebooks-from-your-rss-feeds/schedule-import.png differ