RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

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smaragdus
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RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#1 Post by smaragdus »

[Moderator note: this is the primary RSS Guard program thread. View database entry]

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I discovered a new portable RSS reader- RSS Guard. It is open-source, multi-platform (works on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and OS/2), portable, light, feature-rich, customizable and has a clean, skinnable and tabbed interface. It can import feeds from OPML files and export feeds to OPML files. It can fetch metadata and the feeds can be auto-updated at user-defined intervals. The feeds can be organized in categories (folders). It has a built-in browser therefore it does not depend on Internet Explorer. The articles can be opened either inside RSS Guard in its own tabbed internal browser or in an external browser (the default browser or a custom one). Deleted articles go to recycle bin from where they can be either deleted permanently or restored. RSS Guard offers customizable short-keys and skins. The tool-bars can also be customized. All panels/menus can be shown/hidden via hot-keys, there is also full-screen view and newspaper view. Currently it is available in 6 languages (Czech, Dutch, English, French, German and Italian). It is written in C++ and is significantly lighter in resources than RSSOwl and QuiteRSS. RSS Guard is very easy to use and is truly portable. It is frequently updated and its developer- Martin Rotter, is helpful and open to suggestions.

RSS Guard Project Page:
https://bitbucket.org/skunkos/rssguard

RSS Guard Download Page:
https://bitbucket.org/skunkos/rssguard/downloads

RSS Guard at Softpedia:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/N ... uard.shtml

RSS Guard Portable at Softpedia:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-S ... uard.shtml

I have taken some screen-shots of RSS Guard:

http://postimg.org/image/9m61gr749/ - RSS Guard main window (featuring 'blau' skin)
http://postimg.org/image/mrljmv0zt/ - an article opened in RSS Guard internal browser with some specific 'Image' menus (featuring 'blau' skin)
http://postimg.org/image/ldtwrk1qh/ - settings panel (featuring 'solarized' skin)
http://postimg.org/image/4rccih8sp/ - an article in internal browser with some specific 'Hyperlink' menus (featuring 'solarized' skin)
http://postimg.org/image/minywxo7d/ - newspaper view (featuring 'solarized' skin)

RSS Guard is a new and not very popular RSS reader but it works well (very stable and light) and is very easy to use. Since it is open-source, multi-platform and portable it can be a good choice for a RSS reader.

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I am Baas
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#2 Post by I am Baas »

Create an empty config.ini file and place it in rssguard \data\config folder.

It writes Trolltech junk keys to the registry though.

skunkos
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#3 Post by skunkos »

Hello, I am developer of RSS Guard.

As for writting to registry. Indeed, there is a "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." folder written when ANY Qt application is started. Problem is that there is no elegant solution to this, because the structure of keys is not documented by Qt Docs. You could just remove the "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." when the application exists, but that is not a solution, because you would delete cached informatiou about other Qt-based applications too.

Version 2.0.0.2 by default starts in fully portable mode - stores settings/database in its folder directly, but only in case if the folder is writtable. Otherwise, RSS Guard falls back to non-portable mode (settings in C:\users\....).

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JohnTHaller
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#4 Post by JohnTHaller »

skunkos wrote:Hello, I am developer of RSS Guard.

As for writting to registry. Indeed, there is a "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." folder written when ANY Qt application is started. Problem is that there is no elegant solution to this, because the structure of keys is not documented by Qt Docs. You could just remove the "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." when the application exists, but that is not a solution, because you would delete cached informatiou about other Qt-based applications too.

Version 2.0.0.2 by default starts in fully portable mode - stores settings/database in its folder directly, but only in case if the folder is writtable. Otherwise, RSS Guard falls back to non-portable mode (settings in C:\users\....).
The PortableApps.com Launcher (PAL) has built-in support for handling the keys elegantly.

We could package it in PA.c Format for distribution on PortableApps.com as well as your own site if you're interested. It'll work with or without our platform as always. Since it's already portable, it only takes about 10 minutes. As a bonus, the PA.c Installer will prevent installs to Program Files and Program Files (x86) so users don't install what they think is the portable version only to have it save data elsewhere. (prevention of installing to these paths was done for exactly this reason)
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SYSTEM
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#5 Post by SYSTEM »

skunkos wrote:As for writting to registry. Indeed, there is a "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." folder written when ANY Qt application is started. Problem is that there is no elegant solution to this, because the structure of keys is not documented by Qt Docs. You could just remove the "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." when the application exists, but that is not a solution, because you would delete cached informatiou about other Qt-based applications too.
Would it be an option to remove the Trolltech key if it's empty?
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skunkos
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#6 Post by skunkos »

JohnTHaller wrote:
skunkos wrote:Hello, I am developer of RSS Guard.

As for writting to registry. Indeed, there is a "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." folder written when ANY Qt application is started. Problem is that there is no elegant solution to this, because the structure of keys is not documented by Qt Docs. You could just remove the "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." when the application exists, but that is not a solution, because you would delete cached informatiou about other Qt-based applications too.

Version 2.0.0.2 by default starts in fully portable mode - stores settings/database in its folder directly, but only in case if the folder is writtable. Otherwise, RSS Guard falls back to non-portable mode (settings in C:\users\....).
The PortableApps.com Launcher (PAL) has built-in support for handling the keys elegantly.

We could package it in PA.c Format for distribution on PortableApps.com as well as your own site if you're interested. It'll work with or without our platform as always. Since it's already portable, it only takes about 10 minutes. As a bonus, the PA.c Installer will prevent installs to Program Files and Program Files (x86) so users don't install what they think is the portable version only to have it save data elsewhere. (prevention of installing to these paths was done for exactly this reason)
I say, "yes". If you would be able to package RSS Guard to another format (portableApps), then it is perfect. You have my official permission. I will post links on RSS Guard website and include file in downloads. I did not used portableApps before, but heard about it.

skunkos
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#7 Post by skunkos »

SYSTEM wrote:
skunkos wrote:As for writting to registry. Indeed, there is a "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." folder written when ANY Qt application is started. Problem is that there is no elegant solution to this, because the structure of keys is not documented by Qt Docs. You could just remove the "HKCU/Software/Trolltech/..." when the application exists, but that is not a solution, because you would delete cached informatiou about other Qt-based applications too.
Would it be an option to remove the Trolltech key if it's empty?
The problem is that if Trolltech key is created, it is never empty because Qt immediatelly writes more data to it when it creates it. Another problem is that the structure of keys is not documented and Qt can change it anytime. So even if I decide to do some "intelligent" cleanup when RSS Guard closes, it still does not have to be enough. But this is issue, definitely.

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Midas
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#8 Post by Midas »

skunkos wrote:The problem is that if Trolltech key is created, it is never empty because Qt immediatelly writes more data to it when it creates it. Another problem is that the structure of keys is not documented and Qt can change it anytime. So even if I decide to do some "intelligent" cleanup when RSS Guard closes, it still does not have to be enough. But this is issue, definitely.
  • :idea: How about recording the initial key status (content/non-existence) at start-up and re-setting it at program exit?

    System utility 'reg.exe' would do this easily -- the worst that could happen then would be that changes made by other applications while RSS Guard was active would be lost...

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#9 Post by JohnTHaller »

Midas wrote:
skunkos wrote:The problem is that if Trolltech key is created, it is never empty because Qt immediatelly writes more data to it when it creates it. Another problem is that the structure of keys is not documented and Qt can change it anytime. So even if I decide to do some "intelligent" cleanup when RSS Guard closes, it still does not have to be enough. But this is issue, definitely.
  • :idea: How about recording the initial key status (content/non-existence) at start-up and re-setting it at program exit?

    System utility 'reg.exe' would do this easily -- the worst that could happen then would be that changes made by other applications while RSS Guard was active would be lost...
Unfortunately, quite a few Qt-based apps use that key for different things. That's why PAL takes the approach it does with the keys it does specifically and automatically handles the end bit (which is based on path run from) then deleting the parent keys if empty at the end.
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skunkos
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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#10 Post by skunkos »

I added RSS Guard to your SW listing. If you like it, then make it your favorite to make it publicly visible. :)

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2639

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#11 Post by joby_toss »

I voted and added a screenshot. I also removed the 64-bit download link, as there is no such version available yet (although the 32-bit version works fine on x64 system).

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#12 Post by Midas »

JohnTHaller wrote:Unfortunately, quite a few Qt-based apps use that key for different things.
  • In my personal case, if it is still there after program ends, I have no care for it and would happily have it zapped... but then, it's just me. ;)

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#13 Post by skunkos »

Midas wrote:
JohnTHaller wrote:Unfortunately, quite a few Qt-based apps use that key for different things.
  • In my personal case, if it is still there after program ends, I have no care for it and would happily have it zapped... but then, it's just me. ;)
I can add option to "Delete junk "Trolltech" registry keys when application exits." to settings, with default OFF state. What you think?

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#14 Post by Midas »

skunkos wrote:I can add option to "Delete junk "Trolltech" registry keys when application exits." to settings, with default OFF state. What you think?
  • Fine by me. Thanks. 8)

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Re: RSS Guard - a new portable RSS reader

#15 Post by I am Baas »

Midas wrote:
skunkos wrote:I can add option to "Delete junk "Trolltech" registry keys when application exits." to settings, with default OFF state. What you think?
  • Fine by me. Thanks. 8)
+1

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