How to get forum topics/boards as RSS feeds

[travisN000]

There have been a few times when I wished I could easily subscribe to a forum section or topic via RSS, but unfortunalty our forum software doesn't provide the requisite links by default.  Here is a quick tutorial on how to create the RSS url by hand:

When you browse to a forum thread you will see a url in your browser that looks similar to this:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,59360.0.html

We can get what we want by modifying the format slightly and adding some information to indicate that we want an RSS feed:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=59360.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=20

..notice that the topic number is the same; you may change or remove the limit number as needed (it defaults to 5).  You can also specify a different type of feed; supported formats include rss, rss2, atom, and rdf.


This techinique also works for subscribing to sections (boards) of the forum.  For example, say you are interesed in following all posts in the sandbox from your RSS client; the following URL is what you will find in your browser when looking at that section:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/board,4.0.html

..if we modify it as we did above we will have a working URL for your favorite RSS reader:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=4.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=50

To subscribe to entire categories (..the parent to individual boards), your browser url will likely look like the following (Help section):

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php#2

..change it as above:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?c=2;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=50

You can also subscribe to multiple catagories, or boards, or topics in a single feed.  This is accomplished by using comma seperated ID codes for the desired content.  For example, if I want a feed for posts from both Monthly Screenshots AND Artwork I would use the following rss url:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=24.0,53.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=50

 

[musonio]

This is awesome!
Thanks.

I will finally give some use to those plasmoids.

Done:

[timeth]

Great!     Thanks Travis!  

[longtom]

Wonderful, Travis.  Thanks a stack!

[AndrzejL]

Just found it and it knocked my socks off .

Andy

[menotu]

Yup - I've been using this method for about a year or more now and I've got loads and loads of forum posts from way back and right upto - and including - this thread.

I then use luckyBackup to backup my Akregator folder each day, and weekly zip them up for storing both locally and online.

Very quick way to search for old posts - I think I've mentioned doing this in some other posts

[Archie]

Has anyone tried to make a feed of the Package Suggest section. It's the one that I can't seem to get. I have General News and Announcements, Software Announcements, etc. but I always error with:

Code:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=62.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=10

[travisN000]

Has anyone tried to make a feed of the Package Suggest section. It's the one that I can't seem to get. I have General News and Announcements, Software Announcements, etc. but I always error with:

Code:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=62.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=10

..seems to work as posted in firefox

[Archie]

I'm not sure I quite understand, travisn000. I tried pasting the URI onto the Chromium address bar and only got the XML structure without a stylesheet.

My problem was adding the URI as a feed on a reader, i.e. Akregator.

As already mentioned, all other board=xx.x were accepted but it seems that Akregator is rejecting board=62.0.

Since I am probably the only one having this problem, it may be something on my local.

Regards.

[Ferdes Fides]

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?type=rss;action=.xml;limit=100

I use Sage in Firefox, which picked this up in feed discovery mode.
But, it only included 5 feeds at a time.   Adding   ;limit=100 picks
up all categories up to 100 messages.   Need to reconfigure
if I wanted only certain categories or certain topics I see.
Which can be in different feed item lines.  One thing at a time I guess. 

THX

[Ferdes Fides]

Has anyone tried to make a feed of the Package Suggest section. It's the one that I can't seem to get. I have General News and Announcements, Software Announcements, etc. but I always error with:

Code:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=62.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=10

Perhaps one has to be logged in and that section isn't available as a general RSS feed.

[Archie]

The point is I don't really need a plugin in Firefox, which I don't really use often (I use Chromium) when I already have a feed reader (Akregator) on the background ... alerting me of any new feeds. I also have retrieve feeds from other RSS, e.g. DistroWatch's Latest Packages, GIMP Plugin Registry, etc. (just to name a few).

Whereas the other PCLinuxOS Forum feeds are OK, I am wondering why board=62,0 is getting an error?



Also, I checked and a visitor does not have to login to read the Packagers section.

[Ferdes Fides]

Whereas the other PCLinuxOS Forum feeds are OK, I am wondering why board=62,0 is getting an error?

I have used feeds, quite a few, and my first idea is if most feeds come thru
and the member feeds do not come thru, well there is a reason.  There's
no way to login to get them via RSS if login is req'd to get them without
RSS.   Just the nonmember feeds will come thru RSS, which is good or at least
how it's working presently.   Some areas aren't accessible without login,
RSS or not.   I think my logic will be confirmed regarding that.   Doesn't
really matter which reader one uses.

regards,

FF

[Archie]

Whereas the other PCLinuxOS Forum feeds are OK, I am wondering why board=62,0 is getting an error?

I have used feeds, quite a few, and my first idea is if most feeds come thru
and the member feeds do not come thru, well there is a reason.  There's
no way to login to get them via RSS if login is req'd to get them without
RSS.   Just the nonmember feeds will come thru RSS, which is good or at least
how it's working presently.   Some areas aren't accessible without login,
RSS or not.   I think my logic will be confirmed regarding that.   Doesn't
really matter which reader one uses.

regards,

FF

Hi Ferdes Fideles,

I agree with you on your logic, and it is without a doubt that the reason behind this mystery is yet to be seen. There is a reason, and I just don't know it yet. I was hoping one of our site admins would give an explanation. So, really it is just a wait and see for me at this point.

One thing I did notice is that in pasting the URI on a browser's address bar, it looked to me that the server displays a well-structured XML, and the latest activity are indeed pulled. It might be Akregator; I'm not sure. I did get to add 9 selected board feeds so why not this particular one?

Waiting ... waiting ...

[Ferdes Fides]

It might be Akregator; I'm not sure. I did get to add 9 selected board feeds so why not this particular one?

Waiting ... waiting ...

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?board=62.0;type=rss;action=.xml;limit=100

The above line does not work in Sage in Firefox, although I can get
General News and also Software Announcement forums anytime.

FYI