What does "portable" mean?

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cjpalermo21

Hello,

I downloaded QuiteRSS - and I like it a great deal. I have a few questions however - about what it means to be "portable."

My biggest hesitation with using a Windows-based application is that I typically use my RSS reader on two different machines; so I don't wish to constantly re-read (or have to remember what I last read).

With that in mind, I have two questions -- and my fingers are crossed they both have good answers!

 

1) Is there a way to run this cloud-based (like, say, through Google Drive). I did try that; but it asks me to "download" the application; so perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

2) Currently, when I'm on a site with an RSS feed I'd like to capture, I hit the RSS icon in my browser and it automatically adds that to InoReader. How would I facilitate something like that with a portable app?

 

If there's an easy way to do these things, I may finally have the best reader I've seen since Google!

Thanks!

 

Sheldon
Hi,

Hi,

portable applications under Windows OS don't use the registry.
They have everything on board that is necessary to run them.

That leads us to your first question. If you want to use QuiteRSS on several systems
you can just copy the app to a portable drive (f. e. an USB stick) and carry it from one system to the other.
In that case you can run it from the portable drive.
For this purpose i recommend using the PortableApps.com version of QuiteRSS.
You can find it here
https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/quiterss-portable
These apps are optimized for this kind of usage.
If you're interested you can also learn more about portable apps from this website.

if you prefer using a cloud you can upload the files
- feeds.db (holding data and filters)
- QuiteRSS.ini (holding settings)
to your cloud drive and download them from there before starting
QuiteRSS on any of your systems.
To keep the cloud files up-to-date you need to upload the files frequently.
For the file location please refer to
Help -> About -> Tab Inormation
in QuiteRSS.
You cannot run portable apps on a cloud drive.

And finally we get to your second question.
To fetch a feed url from a website just copy the feed link
to the clipboard.
How to do this depends on the browser but
usually this can be done from the right click menu.
Afterwards you can add it to QuiteRSS.

Kind regards,

Sheldon

cjpalermo21
Hi Sheldon,

Hi Sheldon,

My apologies. I never received notification of a reply.

So - let me ask you this (and, hopefully .... *one* of these two ways will work).

I currently have QuiteRSS loaded to my Google Drive (and constantly running on "Computer A").

Let's say I *close* it on my Computer A -- it "saves" back to Google Drive (because, when closing, it always saves the data). Now, I re-open it on Computer B (from Google Drive). Will it pull down my saved information (in other words, what I've read will be marked as read; and what I haven't read will be marked as new?)

Assuming that will work ... here's the second scenario.

I open it on Computer A; keep it running. Then, I *also* open it on Computer B -- my guess is that *won't* work.

But, if the first scenario will work; that's not terrible (basically, I'm heading out of the country for two weeks, and I'd prefer not to miss all the downloaded feeds while I'm gone). I can just run it on Computer B while I'm gone; then close it when I'm home and open it on Computer A (which I'm taking with me).

It WOULD be better if I could still open it on Computer A even while it's running on Computer B; but i'm guessing that isn't possible? Sad

Chris

Sheldon
If you want to use Google

If you want to use Google Drive I recommen storing the files feeds.db and QuiteRSS.ini there and proceed as follows.

If QuiteRSS is running on Computer A permanently it should frequently update the files on Google Drive. That should be easy to achieve. This would be your main QuiteRSS.

Before starting QuiteRSS on Computer B you get the latest files from Goole Drive.

Perhaps you should still consider the USB stick scenario.

cjpalermo21
The problem is I won't be in

The problem is I won't be in the country (nor have internet access) the whole time I'm not here.

So - here's the scenario: Would this work?

Computer A opens QuiteRSS through GoogleDrive. I have it checking for feeds every 20 minutes. How does it *update* the files on Google Drive automatically?

Now, I get to my destination -- three days later, I open QuiteRSS through GoogleDrive on Computer B (which is with me).

Will I see the new stuff? Or, will it functionally refresh everything from scratch?

Is there a way to force QuiteRSS to update the GoogleDrive files automatically?

(I have the Portable Apps install on GoogleDrive; so I have folders labeled "App" "Data" and "Other" along with the QuiteRSSPortable application.)

 

 

Sheldon
No, because as mentioned

No, because as mentioned already the portable app will not run on Google Drive. It needs at least a Windows OS.

In the scenario I dscribes you just need a small program that copies the files frequently from Computer A to Google Drive.

If you get them from there f. e,  3 days later they will be up-to-date.

cjpalermo21
Hi Sheldon,

Hi Sheldon,

Hmmmm... Is it possible that it *does* work?

Here's what I did yesterday:

I have QuiteRSS running, perpetually, on Computer A (I go to my Google Drive and I launch QuiteRSS from there). Computer A checks for new posts every 20 minutes. I cleaned out half of the feeds (leaving half unread). I did not close QuiteRSS.

I then went downstairs to Computer B, and opened QuiteRSS from Google Drive. When it opened, everything that I'd left unread on Computer A was still unread; and everything marked read, was still marked read. I marked a few other things read and closed the program (it gave me the "saving data" popup).

I then returned to Computer A (which was still running); and the changes I'd made to QuiteRSS were reflected.

Based on what you're saying - that shouldn't be possible. But, if it *is* the way it works; my life just got infinitely easier.

 

 

 

Sheldon
Perhaps John did some changes

Perhaps John did some changes in the latest releases that make it possible to handle Google Drive like a portable drive.

There have been several approaches in that direction but I didn't follow them because I don't use Google Drive.

But you still have to launch it. There will be no permanent serice. So this is more or less the portable drive scenario I described above.

 

cjpalermo21
OK ...

OK ...

Yes - you have to launch it, certainly ...  But, what I'm doing *is* working (it seems). Is there a way to check if that was a change made?

Yes - I'm functionally using Google Drive as a portable drive, with two exceptions:

I'm basically keeping it constantly running on Computer A (and checking for feeds every 20 minutes); and then, on Computer B, when I'm *done* - I'm shutting it down.

If it could grab *everything* missed since the last time it ran, it wouldn't even need to do that (I'd just keep it on Computer B - launch it; refresh and close it). But, since it's only going to pull 20 entries per feed, I stand to lose a lot of things while I'm offline, I'd imagine :/  Is that correct? Is it keyed to only grab 20 entries per feed each time it searches?

 

In other words -- let's say I leave it running *all the time* on Computer A, but -- since it's a laptop -- I shut it down, and leave it off for two days. When I turn it back on again; and load up QuiteRSS .... will it find *everything* that was published since I shut it down? Or, only 20 entries?

Sheldon
No, this is not how RSS works

No, this is not how RSS works. You always get what is stored in the feed related XML file fetched from the server.

That means Computer A must run permanently to make sure you always receive everything.

Otherwise if you launch QuiteRSS after a few days you receive what is stored in the feed XML file. This might not be everything because some news are already outdated. This depends on the feed of course.

For changes on the portable apps architecture regarding Google Drive please refer to the PortableApps.com website.