RSS Feed Reader Plugin

Stay updated with your favorite websites and blogs directly from Noctalia Shell. Monitor multiple RSS/Atom feeds, track unread items, and never miss important content.

Features

• Multiple Feeds: Subscribe to unlimited RSS/Atom feeds
• Unread Badge: Visual indicator showing number of unread items
• Smart Updates: Automatic periodic refresh with configurable interval
• Mark as Read: Click items to open in browser and mark as read automatically
• Feed Management: Easy add/remove/edit feeds through settings
• Customizable Limits: Control how many items to fetch per feed
• Universal Format: Supports both RSS and Atom feed formats
• Clean Interface: Responsive panel with scrollable feed list
• Multilingual: Full internationalization support

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Add RSS Feeds

1. Right-click the RSS icon in your Noctalia bar
2. Select "Settings"
3. Click "Add Feed"
4. Enter:
   • Feed Name: Display name for the feed
   • Feed URL: RSS/Atom feed URL
5. Click "Add"

Step 2: Configure Options

• Update Interval: How often to check for new items (seconds)
• Max Items Per Feed: Limit items fetched from each feed
• Show Only Unread: Toggle to filter viewed items
• Mark as Read on Click: Auto-mark when opening items

Finding RSS Feeds

Most websites offer RSS feeds. Look for:

• RSS/Feed icons on websites
• /feed, /rss, or /atom.xml URL patterns
• Browser extensions that discover feeds
• Popular feeds:
  • News sites (usually /rss or /feed)
  • Blogs (commonly available)
  • YouTube channels (/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=...)
  • Reddit (/.rss suffix on any page)

Usage

• View Items: Click the RSS icon to open the feed panel
• Open Item: Click any item to open in browser
• Mark as Read: Items are marked automatically when clicked
• Mark All as Read: Button in panel header
• Refresh: Manual refresh button available in panel

Configuration

Setting	Description	Default
feeds	Array of feed objects {name, url}	[]
updateInterval	Check frequency in seconds	600 (10 min)
maxItemsPerFeed	Max items to fetch per feed	10
showOnlyUnread	Show only unread items	false
markAsReadOnClick	Auto-mark when opening	true

Feed Object Structure

{
  "name": "Example Blog",
  "url": "https://example.com/feed.xml"
}

Troubleshooting

Feeds not loading

• Check URL: Ensure the feed URL is correct and accessible
• Network: Verify internet connection
• Feed Format: Confirm it's a valid RSS/Atom feed
• HTTPS: Some feeds may require secure connection

No unread count

• First Load: May take a few moments on initial fetch
• Read Items: Items you've already clicked are marked as read
• Update Interval: Wait for next refresh or click refresh button

Items not showing

• Feed Limit: Check maxItemsPerFeed setting
• Feed Empty: Source may have no recent items
• Parse Error: Check console for XML parsing issues

Privacy

• All feed data is fetched directly from sources
• No data is sent to third parties
• Read status is stored locally
• Feed URLs are stored in plugin settings

Performance Tips

• Start with 3-5 feeds and expand gradually
• Use reasonable update intervals (10-30 minutes)
• Limit items per feed (5-15 recommended)
• Remove inactive feeds to reduce load

Popular Feed Sources

News

• Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/rss
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/.rss
• BBC News: https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/rss.xml

Tech

• GitHub: https://github.com/{user}.atom
• Dev.to: https://dev.to/feed
• Ars Technica: http://feeds.arstechnica.com/arstechnica/index

Design

• Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/shots/popular.rss
• Behance: Available for projects/users

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue on the Noctalia Plugins repository.

Changelog

Version 1.0.0 (2026-01-05)

Initial Release

Features:

• Multi-feed RSS/Atom support
• Unread count badge with visual indicator
• Automatic periodic updates (configurable interval)
• Mark as read on click (optional)
• Mark all as read functionality
• Feed management in settings (add/remove/edit)
• Maximum items per feed limit
• Show only unread filter option
• Universal RSS and Atom feed parsing
• Clean scrollable feed list interface
• Per-item timestamps and descriptions
• External link opening in browser
• Comprehensive error handling
• Full i18n support for 12 languages
• Compatible with Noctalia Shell 3.6.0+

Technical:

• Built with Quickshell framework
• Curl-based feed fetching
• Regex-based XML parsing
• Noctalia UI components integration
• Persistent read state management
• Automatic feed refresh timer
• Efficient item sorting and limiting

License

MIT License - See repository for details

Credits

• Author: Lokize
• Repository: https://github.com/noctalia-dev/noctalia-plugins
• Noctalia Shell: https://noctalia.dev
• RSS Icon: Nerd Fonts