Freshrss is a lightweight, self-hosted RSS aggregator designed to give users full control over their feed management. It’s ideal for developers and tech-savvy users who value privacy, customization, and a streamlined user interface. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to deploy, configure, and manage Freshrss, including installation methods, reverse proxy setup, logging, backups, updates, and leveraging advanced features.
Installing Freshrss
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker is one of the easiest ways to deploy Freshrss because it simplifies dependency management. Below is a docker-compose.yml file tailored for Freshrss.
version: "3"
services:
freshrss:
image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
container_name: freshrss
environment:
- TZ=UTC
ports:
- "8080:80"
volumes:
- freshrss_data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
freshrss_data:
Run the following commands to deploy Freshrss:
nano docker-compose.yml
## Save the file and start the container
docker-compose up -d
## Verify the container is running
docker ps
Visit http://<server-ip>:8080 in your browser to complete the web-based configuration.
🚀 Manual Installation
To install Freshrss directly on a Linux server:
## Update package lists and install dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-cli php-json php-mbstring php-xml php-curl unzip
## Download and extract Freshrss
cd /var/www
sudo wget https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/archive/refs/heads/main.zip -O freshrss.zip
sudo unzip freshrss.zip
sudo mv FreshRSS-main freshrss
## Set correct permissions
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data freshrss
sudo chmod -R 755 freshrss
## Enable required Apache modules and restart
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
Once installed, visit http://<server-ip> to finish the configuration.
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
Set up an Nginx server block to route traffic to Freshrss.
server {
listen 80;
server_name rss.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8080/;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}
}
Save this file to /etc/nginx/sites-available/freshrss and enable it:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/freshrss /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure your Freshrss instance with Let's Encrypt:
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d rss.example.com
## Test certificate renewal
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
🛠️ Testing and Reloading Nginx
After making any changes, validate and reload Nginx:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Logging and Debugging Freshrss
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
Enable advanced logging in Freshrss by editing its configuration file:
sudo nano /var/www/freshrss/data/config.php
## Add or update the following line
'API_DEBUG' => true,
📄 Viewing Logs
For Docker installations:
docker logs freshrss
For manual installations, locate logs in /var/www/freshrss/data/log/.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Inspect logs for errors related to permissions or missing dependencies. For example:
cat /var/www/freshrss/data/log/php.log
📤 Exporting Logs
To send logs to an ELK Stack (ElasticSearch, Logstash, Kibana), use filebeat for log shipping. Install Filebeat and configure it to monitor Freshrss logs.
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Backup critical Freshrss files and directories:
tar -czvf freshrss_backup.tar.gz /var/www/freshrss
Restore with:
tar -xzvf freshrss_backup.tar.gz -C /var/www
🔄 Database Backups
If using a database, export it with:
mysqldump -u root -p freshrss_db > freshrss_db_backup.sql
Restore with:
mysql -u root -p freshrss_db < freshrss_db_backup.sql
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Set up a cron job for periodic backups:
crontab -e
## Add this line to run daily
0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backup/freshrss_$(date +\%F).tar.gz /var/www/freshrss
Updating and Upgrading Freshrss
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
Pull the latest Freshrss image and redeploy:
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual installations:
cd /var/www/freshrss
sudo git pull origin main
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data .
🔍 Checking for Updates
Visit Freshrss’s GitHub page or check for updates within the app’s settings.
Leveraging Freshrss’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Enable the API in the configuration file:
sudo nano /var/www/freshrss/data/config.php
## Add or update this line
'ENABLE_API' => true,
Test the API with curl:
curl -X GET "http://rss.example.com/api/greader.php/reader/api/0/user-info?output=json" -u username:password
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Customize Freshrss settings like feed caching or user quotas by editing config.php. For example, increase feed cache size:
'FEED_CACHE_DURATION' => 86400,
Wrapping Up
Freshrss is a powerful, lightweight, and customizable RSS aggregator that puts you in full control of your feed management. By following this guide, you’ve learned how to deploy Freshrss, configure it with Nginx, debug issues, manage backups, and leverage its advanced features. Start implementing these steps today to enjoy a secure, privacy-focused feed reader tailored to your needs!
