#+TITLE: Elfeed layer

#+TAGS: layer|reader

[[file:img/elfeed.png]]

* Table of Contents                     :TOC_5_gh:noexport:
- [[#description][Description]]
  - [[#features][Features:]]
- [[#install][Install]]
  - [[#layer][Layer]]
  - [[#setup-feeds][Setup feeds]]
    - [[#with-org][With Org]]
    - [[#manually][Manually]]
  - [[#server][Server]]
- [[#key-bindings][Key bindings]]
- [[#troubleshooting][Troubleshooting]]
  - [[#database-empty-at-first-start][Database empty at first start]]
  - [[#queue-timeout-exceeded][Queue timeout exceeded]]

* Description
This layer integrates a web feed reader into spacemacs.

** Features:
- Support for reading RSS and Atom feeds directly within emacs via [[https://github.com/skeeto/elfeed][Elfeed]].
- Support for managing feeds via org files supplied by [[https://github.com/remyhonig/elfeed-org][elfeed-org]].
- Support for displaying feed database content in the browser via [[https://github.com/skeeto/elfeed#web-interface][web interface]].

* Install
** Layer
To use this configuration layer, add it to your =~/.spacemacs=. You will need to
add =elfeed= to the existing =dotspacemacs-configuration-layers= list in this
file.

By default, =elfeed= stores its database under =~/.elfeed=.

** Setup feeds
*** With Org
It is recommended to manage your feeds list and tags via org files, this is
possible thanks to [[https://github.com/remyhonig/elfeed-org][elfeed-org]] package. To define a list of org files:

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (elfeed :variables rmh-elfeed-org-files (list "~/.emacs.d/private/elfeed1.org"
                                                "~/.emacs.d/private/elfeed2.org"))
#+END_SRC

Checkout [[https://github.com/remyhonig/elfeed-org][elfeed-org]] documentation to see the format of that file.

Here is an example of such a file (note the usage of org tags to tag your feeds)

#+BEGIN_SRC org
  * Blogs                                                              :elfeed:
  ** entry-title: \(linux\|linus\|ubuntu\|kde\|gnome\)                  :linux:
  ** http://git-annex.branchable.com/design/assistant/blog/index.rss :mustread:
  ** http://feeds.feedburner.com/InformationIsBeautiful
  ** [[http://orgmode.org][Org Mode Links supported as well]]
  ** Software Development                                                 :dev:
  *** Emacs                                                    :emacs:mustread:
  **** http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/feed/
  **** http://nullprogram.com/feed/
  **** entry-title: \(emacs\|org-mode\)
  **** https://planet.emacslife.com/atom.xml
  *** Web Development                                                     :web:
  **** http://feeds.feedburner.com/symfony/blog
  **** http://feeds.feedburner.com/qooxdoo/blog/content
  *** Eclipse                                                         :eclipse:
  **** http://blog.eclipse-tips.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
  **** http://ed-merks.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
  **** http://feeds.feedburner.com/eclipselive
#+END_SRC

*** Manually
To explicitly setup the list of feeds, set the value of =elfeed-feeds= variable
in your =.spacemacs= file.

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (elfeed :variables
     elfeed-feeds '(("http://nullprogram.com/feed/" blog emacs)
                    "http://www.50ply.com/atom.xml"  ; no autotagging
                    ("http://nedroid.com/feed/" webcomic)))
#+END_SRC

Check documentation for =elfeed-feeds= for more information about this variable
(~SPC h d v elfeed-feeds RET~).

** Server
Elfeed comes with a simple [[https://github.com/skeeto/elfeed#web-interface][web interface]] to browse its database. You can manually
start it by calling =elfeed-web-start= or by setting =elfeed-enable-web-interface=
to =t= which will start the web automatically when Emacs starts.

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (elfeed :variables elfeed-enable-web-interface t)
#+END_SRC

By default web interface is available on [[http://localhost:8080/elfeed/][localhost:8080/elfeed]]. You can change
the default port by changing the value of =httpd-port=.

* Key bindings

| Key binding | Description  |
|-------------+--------------|
| ~SPC a f~   | start elfeed |

Use =SPC ?= to discover major-mode key bindings.

| Key binding | Description                                       |
|-------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| ~c~         | compact feed db                                   |
| ~gr~        | update all the feeds                              |
| ~gR~        | force refresh view of the feed listing            |
| ~gu~        | unjam elfeed if it is slow due to slow connection |
| ~o~         | load OPML                                         |
| ~q~         | quit main window, or item view buffer.            |
| ~w~         | start web server                                  |
| ~W~         | stop web server                                   |

In =elfeed-show= mode, you can use the following bindings:

| Key binding | Description      |
|-------------+------------------|
| ~q~         | quit show window |
| ~C-j~       | Next entry       |
| ~C-k~       | Previous entry   |

* Troubleshooting
** Database empty at first start
Be sure that you added some feeds first then load your feeds with ~gr~
in evilified buffer. Or ~M-x elfeed-update~.

** Queue timeout exceeded
If you are getting "Queue timeout exceeded" errors, try increasing
the value of =url-queue-timeout=.

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
  (elfeed :variables url-queue-timeout 30)
#+END_SRC