[How-To] Get "Google Reader" working right on router

[ryzhov_al]

As you might know, Google Reader is to shutdown on summer. The goal of this How-To is to install Google Reader replacement right to router - a Tiny Tiny RSS which Looks like Google Reader, Feels like Google Reader and so on Check out my video clip.

The positive side effect is a privacy — no one can see what feeds you are reading.

Pre-requirements: asuswrt-merlin firmware on board and a USB drive with Entware installation.

Download and unpack preconfigured TT-RSS

cd /opt
wget http://files.ryzhov-al.ru/Routers/tt-rss/tt-rss_1.7.5.tgz
tar -xvzf ./tt-rss_1.7.5.tgz
rm ./tt-rss_1.7.5.tgz

Install necessary packages

opkg install \
dtach \
lighttpd-mod-fastcgi \
mc \
mysql-server \
php5-cgi \
php5-cli \
php5-mod-ctype \
php5-mod-curl \
php5-mod-dom \
php5-mod-hash \
php5-mod-iconv \
php5-mod-json \
php5-mod-mbstring \
php5-mod-mysql \
php5-mod-session \
php5-mod-simplexml \
php5-mod-xml \
wget

Start it!

/opt/etc/init.d/S70mysqld start
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start
/opt/etc/init.d/S81ttrss-update start

All necessary stuff will be started automatically on reboot.

Point a browser to

http://192.168.1.1:81/tt-rss/

where 192.168.1.1 is an ip address of router, enter default credentials "admin"/"password" and enjoy using Tiny Tiny RSS.


That's an easy way of installing TT-RSS. If you want to know technical detail about it, see third post.

 

[ryzhov_al]

How to import my Google Reader RSS feeds to Tiny Tiny RSS?

First, export Google Reader subscription with help of Google Takeout. Select Services > Reader > Create Archive > Download. Unpack reader/subscriptions.xml from downloaded archive.

Now, import subscriptions to Tiny Tiny RSS. Open TT-RSS web interface and go to Actions > Preferencies > Feeds > OPML. Select subscriptions.xml file and press "Import my OPML" button.

Ignore warning message, just press "Close > Exit Preferencies". That it! All your subscription from Google Reader is here!

 

[ryzhov_al]

Installing TT-RSS, True Linux Geek Way™

Well, I've simplified TT-RSS installation in the first post to make it easier to use.
But my archive may get's older with time, so you may use this way to adopt a fresh TT-RSS version, or if you trying to understand deeper installation process.

Pre-requirements: asuswrt-merlin firmware on board and a USB drive with Entware installation.

Install necessary packages

opkg install \
dtach \
lighttpd-mod-fastcgi \
mc \
mysql-server \
php5-cgi \
php5-cli \
php5-mod-ctype \
php5-mod-curl \
php5-mod-dom \
php5-mod-hash \
php5-mod-iconv \
php5-mod-json \
php5-mod-mbstring \
php5-mod-mysql \
php5-mod-session \
php5-mod-simplexml \
php5-mod-xml \
wget

Donwload and unpack TT-RSS sources

cd /opt/share/www/
/opt/bin/wget --no-check-certificate https://github.com/gothfox/Tiny-Tiny-RSS/archive/1.7.5.tar.gz
tar -xvzf ./1.7.5.tar.gz
mkdir ./tt-rss
mv ./Tiny-Tiny-RSS-1.7.5/* ./tt-rss/
rm -fr ./Tiny-Tiny-RSS-1.7.5/
rm ./1.7.5.tar.gz

Configure MySQL server
Enter:

mcedit /opt/etc/my.cnf

and fix few strings, I'll show only those one, which need to be fixed:

datadir = /opt/var/mysql/
user = admin

Save changes by "F2", "Esc". Now initialize MySQL server by:

mysql_install_db --force
/opt/etc/init.d/S70mysqld start
mysqladmin -u root password 'P@ssw0rd'

Where P@ssw0rd is a new MySQL administrator's password. Enter to MySQL server by:

mysql -u root -p

type new password and execute this SQL-script:

create database ttrss;
use ttrss;
source /opt/share/www/tt-rss/schema/ttrss_schema_mysql.sql;
quit;

Configure web server

mcedit /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

Fix this lines:

index-file.names = ( "index.html", "default.html", "index.htm", "default.htm", "index.php" )
... 
server.port = 81

and add this ones to the end:

server.modules += ( "mod_fastcgi" )

fastcgi.server = (
  ".php" =>
    ( "localhost" =>
      ( "socket" => "/tmp/php-fcgi.sock",
        "bin-path" => "/opt/bin/php-fcgi",
        "max-procs" => 1,
        "bin-environment" =>
          ( "PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN" => "2",
            "PHP_FCGI_MAX_REQUESTS" => "1000"
          )
        )
     )
   )

Configure Tiny Tiny RSS
Copy default configuration file…

cp /opt/share/www/tt-rss/config.php-dist /opt/share/www/tt-rss/config.php
mcedit /opt/share/www/tt-rss/config.php

…and edit following lines:

define('DB_TYPE', "mysql"); // or mysql
define('DB_HOST', "127.0.0.1");
define('DB_USER', "root");
define('DB_NAME', "ttrss");
define('DB_PASS', "P@ssw0rd");
...
define('SELF_URL_PATH', 'http://www.asusnetwork.net/tt-rss/');
...
define('PHP_EXECUTABLE', '/opt/bin/php-fcgi');

Also, you need to replace "0" to "-1" in…

mcedit /opt/share/www/tt-rss/include/sanity_check.php

if (function_exists('posix_getuid') && posix_getuid() == -1) {

…to enable running TT-RSS with root priveleges.
Create start script for feeds update daemon

cp /opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd /opt/etc/init.d/S81ttrss-update
mcedit /opt/etc/init.d/S81ttrss-update

Edit this lines:

PROCS=php-cli
ARGS="/opt/share/www/tt-rss/update.php --daemon"
PREARGS="dtach -n /opt/var/ttrss_update.sock"

and start web server and feed updater:

/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start
/opt/etc/init.d/S81ttrss-update start

Command line exercises is finished We've done all necessary steps to start all stuff automatically on boot. Point a browser to

http://192.168.1.1:81/tt-rss/

where 192.168.1.1 is an ip address of router, enter default credentials admin"/"password" and enjoy using Tiny Tiny RSS.

 

[p71]

Embededd images

Hi,

Honestly I don't know Tiny RSS capabilities but the method you posted is quite impressive. Before installing this engine can you post some more image about the reader interface?
Goggle Reader is capable of downloading full articles with embedded images. Is it possible with Tiny Rss too?

Thanks!

 

[ryzhov_al]

Hi.

Before installing this engine can you post some more image about the reader interface?

As many as you wish.

Goggle Reader is capable of downloading full articles with embedded images. Is it possible with Tiny Rss too?

No, I think. Because SQL database with about hundred of RSS feeds, gathered in 7 days is only…

admin@RT-N66U:/tmp/home/root# du -hs /opt/var/mysql/ttrss/
10.1M   /opt/var/mysql/ttrss/

But it's even better: we still got an embedded device with a weak CPU. A huge SQL base will work painfully slow.

 

[nobode]

Thank you for the sweet introduction. I've just been looking for a replacement for Google Reader.

Tiny Tiny RSS is under heavy development, such a good app really should become a standard Entware package and follow up the upgrading pace.