Generate Social Media RSS Feeds Using RSS-Bridge

Step 1: Understand the Functions of RSS-Bridge

RSS-Bridge enables users to access updates from websites that may not provide conventional RSS feeds. For example, receive notifications for new YouTube videos without navigating the platform.

Pro Tip: This is especially useful for managing subscriptions to multiple content creators effortlessly.

Step 2: Prepare Your Ubuntu Environment

Assumption: You should have a publicly accessible Ubuntu server and an active domain.

Begin by adding the Docker signing key:

Edit the repository file for Docker using your preferred text editor.

Add the repository line to the “docker.list” file and then update the package repositories:

Install Docker and Docker Compose along with requisite dependencies for RSS-Bridge.

Pro Tip: Always ensure your packages are kept up-to-date for better security and performance.

Step 3: Set Up RSS-Bridge Directory

Create a new folder in your home directory and navigate to it:

Use a text editor to create the “docker-compose.yml” file and enter the required configuration:

Build and run your Docker container. Verify its operation by listing active containers on your system.

Step 4: Configure your SSL Reverse Proxy

Now that the RSS-Bridge is functional on port 3000, configure SSL with Nginx as a reverse proxy:

You need to create an “A” DNS record pointing to your server’s IP address.

Return to your server, create an Nginx site configuration file, and paste in the code block provided:

Replace the “server_name” variable with your domain DNS record:

Save and activate the configuration by linking it to the “/etc/nginx/sites-enabled” directory and reloading Nginx.

Request an SSL certificate using Certbot:

Enter “y” when prompted, confirming your agreement to receive updates from EFF.

Proceed to request a new certificate for your chosen subdomain and test the proxy in your web browser to ensure it’s active.

Step 6: Accessing Advanced Feed Generators

RSS-Bridge includes 16 default feed generators, but you can also access over 400 additional community-maintained ones:

To do so, first disable your Docker container.

Create a new folder, clone the RSS-Bridge repository into it, and copy the “bridges” directory to your Docker folder:

Create a “whitelist.txt” file inside your Docker container folder, and write “*” inside to enable all generators.

To customize which feed generators are available, navigate through the directories and specify them in your whitelist file without the “.php” extension, then restart your Docker container to apply changes.

To prevent unauthorized access, turn off your Docker container:

Create a “config.ini.php” file and add your desired username and password for authentication:

Save your settings and restart the Docker container.

Step 9: Generate Your First RSS Feed

Browse through the list of available generators for a site you’d like to create a feed for:

Interact with the generator to input your desired parameters and click on “Generate Feed”.

Copy the RSS feed address generated and add it to your feed reader for subscription. Test this by checking if the feed operates correctly in your specified reader.

Can I run RSS-Bridge without Docker?

Is RSS-Bridge free to use?