What Is selfoss and How Do You Set Up This Web-Based RSS Reader and Mashup Aggregator?

selfoss is an open-source, web-based RSS reader and multi-source mashup aggregator created by Tobias Zeising (aditu.de). It collects posts, tweets, and feeds into a single stream, runs as a lightweight PHP application of around 25 MB, and supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite. You can set it up by uploading the files to a PHP-capable web server and running the installation — the project describes installation as "just upload and run." It suits anyone who wants a self-hosted dashboard for many sources rather than a hosted feed reader, and who is comfortable running a small PHP app with a database.

What selfoss actually does

selfoss is not only an RSS reader. Its stated purpose is to be a "multi-purpose RSS reader, data stream, mash-up, aggregation web application." In practice that means:

• It reads RSS feeds and aggregates them alongside other sources such as posts and tweets into one place.
• It presents everything in a single stream you can filter.
• It imports feeds from other apps via OPML, so you can migrate an existing subscription list.
• It exposes a RESTful JSON API for developers, and a third-party Android app exists.
• It has an adaptive layout for mobile support, including Android, iOS, and iPad.

The current download referenced on the site is selfoss 2.19.

Requirements and installation

The site lists Administration → Requirements and Administration → Installation as separate documentation sections, which tells you the setup has two parts: confirming your environment, then running the installer.

At a general level, the prerequisites are:

The practical steps are:

1. Check requirements first. Open the Requirements page in the documentation and confirm your server has a compatible PHP version and one of the three supported databases. The site does not list exact version numbers on the landing page, so use the documentation page as the source of truth.
2. Upload the application. Place the selfoss files on your web server.
3. Run the installation. Follow the Installation documentation to connect the database and complete setup.
4. Configure options. The Administration → Configuring and Configuration options pages cover the settings you can change after install.
5. Verify. Log in and confirm the stream loads, then import your feeds (see below) to check that aggregation works.

Common sticking points: the most likely failure is a database that is not reachable or not one of the three supported types. Because the site separates Requirements from Installation, check requirements before uploading rather than debugging after.

Importing, filtering, and daily use

Once running, the Usage section of the documentation covers the tasks you will actually repeat:

• Importing & exporting data — bring in feeds from other apps using OPML, and export your data to move it elsewhere.
• Filtering sources — narrow the combined stream so you see only the sources you care about at that moment.
• Shortcuts — keyboard shortcuts for navigating the stream, useful if you read many items per session.
• FAQ — the documentation includes a Frequently Asked Questions page for common operational questions.

A concrete example: if you follow twenty sites and a few social sources, you import the twenty via OPML, let selfoss merge everything into one stream, then use source filtering to switch between "everything" and "just the sources I check daily."

Customization and extension

selfoss is extensible through an open plug-in system. The Customization documentation covers two mechanisms:

• Creating spouts — spouts are the data connectors that pull content into selfoss. Writing your own lets you add a source type the built-in connectors do not cover.
• Monkey patching — a way to modify behavior without changing the original code, described in the Customization docs.

If your goal is simply to read feeds, you can ignore this section entirely. It matters if you want to aggregate a non-standard source, such as an internal system or a service without an existing connector.

Who should choose selfoss

Choose selfoss if you want a self-hosted, open-source aggregator that combines RSS with other sources, runs on modest PHP hosting, and gives you an API and plug-in system to extend. It is a reasonable fit when you already have PHP and MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite available and prefer owning your data over using a hosted reader.

Look elsewhere if you do not want to maintain a web application and database, or if you need a managed service with no server setup. The site does not publish pricing information, so treat any cost question as depending on your own hosting rather than on selfoss itself.

To go further, use the project's own entry points: the download for selfoss 2.19, the Documentation (Requirements, Installation, Configuring, Usage, Customization), the GitHub repository, and the Forum. Contact for the project is listed as Tobias Zeising, [email protected].