MURMUR RSS

A nostalgic RSS feed reader built with Electron, featuring authentic Windows 98 styling and modern functionality.

Features

• Authentic Windows 98 UI - Complete with retro styling, borders, and color schemes
• Multiple Themes - Windows 98, Windows 95, Classic Green, and Amber Terminal
• RSS Feed Management - Add, organize, and refresh RSS and Atom feeds
• Group Organization - Create custom groups to organize your feeds
• Article Reading - Built-in article viewer with save and mark-read functionality
• Search & Filtering - Find articles quickly with search and unread filters
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Navigate efficiently with hotkeys
• Data Persistence - Your feeds and settings are automatically saved
• Auto-refresh - Automatically update feeds on a schedule
• OPML Support - Import and export your feed lists (planned)

Installation

1. Prerequisites:

   • Node.js 16 or higher
   • npm or yarn

2. Clone or download the project files

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Run the application:

   npm start

5. Build for distribution:

   npm run build

Usage

Adding Feeds

1. Click "New Feed" in the toolbar or press Ctrl+N
2. Enter the RSS feed URL
3. Optionally customize the name and assign to a group
4. Click "Add Feed"

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+N - Add new feed
• Ctrl+R or F5 - Refresh all feeds
• Ctrl+B - Toggle sidebar
• Ctrl+G - Create new group
• Escape - Close modals/menus

Themes

Switch between vintage themes using the dropdown in the toolbar:

• Windows 98 - Classic gray with blue accents
• Windows 95 - Slightly different gray variant
• Classic Green - Terminal-style green on black
• Amber Terminal - Retro amber on dark background

Organization

• Create custom groups to organize your feeds
• Expand/collapse groups by clicking the arrow
• Drag to resize the sidebar and article list panels
• Use search to find specific articles

Technical Details

Built With

• Electron - Desktop app framework
• Node.js - RSS parsing and file operations
• HTML/CSS/JavaScript - UI and application logic
• xml2js - RSS/Atom feed parsing
• node-fetch - HTTP requests for feeds

File Structure

retro-rss-aggregator/
├── package.json          # App configuration and dependencies
├── main.js              # Electron main process
├── renderer/
│   ├── index.html       # Main UI layout
│   ├── styles.css       # Windows 98 styling
│   └── app.js          # Application logic
└── assets/
    └── icon.png        # App icon (optional)

Data Storage

• Settings and feeds are stored in localStorage
• Data persists between app sessions
• No external database required

Development

Running in Development Mode

npm run dev

This opens the app with developer tools enabled.

Building for Distribution

npm run build

Creates distributable packages in the dist/ folder.

Adding New Themes

1. Add theme variables to styles.css
2. Add theme option to the select dropdown in index.html
3. Theme will be automatically available

Troubleshooting

Feed Won't Load

• Check that the URL is a valid RSS or Atom feed
• Some feeds may have CORS restrictions
• Try the "Test Feed" button to verify the URL

App Won't Start

• Ensure Node.js 16+ is installed
• Delete node_modules and run npm install again
• Check console for error messages

Data Loss

• Data is stored in browser localStorage
• Clearing browser data will reset the app
• Use OPML export (when available) to backup feeds

Contributing

This is a demonstration project showcasing Windows 98 UI design in modern web technologies. Feel free to:

• Report bugs and issues
• Suggest new features
• Submit pull requests
• Create additional themes

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by classic Windows 98 interface design
• RSS feed parsing powered by xml2js
• Built with love for retro computing aesthetics