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Welcome to the Boreal Owl - Preview of RSSOwl 2.0

RSSOwl 2.0 will be the next major release with a lot of new and exciting features. The idea to work on a completely new RSSOwl was born back in Summer 2005. At that time it became clear to me that it was very hard to catch up with the features of other readers without redesigning everything. I teamed up with another developer (Ismael) to work on RSSOwl 2 from scratch. Our main goal is to provide a newsreader that is powerful, easy to extend and easy to use. We chose the Eclipse Rich Client Platform as framework and db4o as powerful database to store all the news. In combination with the well-known full-text search engine Lucene, we are able to give you the best experience of reading, managing and seeing through all your news.

News

2008-04-26: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 8a now available for download (What's new? | Changelog)
2008-03-09: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 8 now available for download (What's new? | Changelog)
2007-12-19: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 7 now available for download (What's new? | Changelog)
2007-06-07: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 6 now available for download (What's new? | Changelog)
2007-03-28: Public mailing list opened. Join here.
2007-03-25: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 5a now available for download (Changelog)
2007-03-13: Flash demo is now available (see below)!
2007-03-02: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview Milestone 5 now available for download (Changelog)
2007-03-01: Meet one of the developers at the EclipseCon 2007 and attend the demo on Wednesday.
2007-02-26: RSSOwl 2.0 Preview officially announced.
Watch and Hear the flash demo

Part 1: The Bookmark Explorer
Part 2: The Feed View
Part 3: Searching News
Part 4: Saved Searches and Bookmark Sets
Part 5: Preferences, Properties, Tips & Tricks
Part 6: New and Noteworthy for Milestone 6
Part 7: New and Noteworthy for Milestone 7
Part 8: New and Noteworthy for Milestone 8
Download

Windows: rssowl-2.0M8a.win32.zip

Linux 32: rssowl-2.0M8a.linux.gtk.x86.zip

Linux 64: rssowl-2.0M8a.linux.gtk.x86_64.zip

Mac OS X: rssowl-2.0M8a.macosx.zip

Eclipse: 2.0 M7 Update Site (Help)

Frequently Asked Questions

- What does Preview mean? Is there any roadmap available?

- What are the requirements to run RSSOwl 2.0?
- How do I install RSSOwl 2.0 into Eclipse?
- How do I update from one version to another?
- Is there any log to find out about issues while running RSSOwl?

- What are the steps to use Mozilla as Browser in RSSOwl?

- How to specify the folder to be used for settings?
- What are the support arguments of the launcher of RSSOwl?
- Is it possible to display multiple feeds at once?
- How do I disable the splash-screen on startup?

- How do I install and use the Newsgroup extension?
- How do I add Newsgroups to RSSOwl 2?
- Is it possible to post news to a Newsgroup?

- Why is RSSOwl 2.0 consuming more memory compared to 1.x?
- Why is RSSOwl 2.0 11 MB in size compared to 5 MB for RSSOwl 1.x?

- I found a bug or would like to suggest an enhancement. Where can I report it?
- Is it possible to join the team?
- Is it possible to contact the developers?

- Where do I find the sourcecode for RSSOwl 2.0?
- Is there instructions on how to build RSSOwl 2.0 from source?
- What is boreal standing for?


What does Preview mean? Is there any roadmap available?

RSSOwl 2.0 is still in its very early stages. We will update this site with new milestones once they are released. We plan to release a milestone every 1-2 months. The final release is planned for end of the year.

You can find a list of all enhancements that are planned for future milestones in our Bugzilla here.
What are the requirements to run RSSOwl 2.0?

In order to run RSSOwl 2.0, make sure that Java is installed.
We recommend using version 6, but version 5 is sufficient too.
How do I install RSSOwl 2.0 into Eclipse?

  1. Install Eclipse 3.3.1.1 or later if not yet done
  2. Start Eclipse
  3. Open the Menu "Help" and select "Find and Install" from the "Software Updates" item
  4. In the dialog select "Search for new features to install"
  5. Select "New Remote Site"
  6. Choose any name for the site
  7. Type in http://boreal.rssowl.org as URL and press "OK"
  8. Press the "Finish" button
  9. You will now see a list of downloads available for RSSOwl 2
  10. Expand the elements of the list and put a mark into the RSSOwl 2.0 for Eclipse checkbox
  11. Press the "Next" button
  12. Read through the license agreement if you want, and accept it below
  13. Press the "Next" button followed by the "Finish" button
  14. Eclipse is now downloading RSSOwl 2.0 and will ask for a restart when done
  15. Restart Eclipse and find a new perspective "RSSOwl"
How to specify the folder to be used for settings?

Start rssowl using the command line argument "-data". Example: "rssowl.exe -data C:/profile" on windows.
What are the support arguments of the launcher of RSSOwl?

The arguments are listed and explained here.
How do I update from one version to another?

Given that RSSOwl 2.0 is still in development, some internal changes on how your data is stored may be required from one milestone to another. This was the case for the transition between M6 and M7 and from M7 to M8. However, we believe your data is important to you, so we intend to do our best to migrate it automatically. This will be done on the first time you run the new version and once that's done, it cannot be reverted. So, it's a good idea to backup your rssowl data folder:
  • Windows: C:/Documents and Settings/<your.name>/.rssowl2
  • Linux: <home.dir>/.rssowl2
  • Mac: <home.dir>/.rssowl2

Note: Migrations are supported between final versions and between consecutive milestones. In other words, 2.0M7 to 2.0M8 and 2.0 to 2.1 are supported but 2.0M6 to 2.0M8 is not supported. In the latter case, you would need to launch 2.0M7 and then 2.0M8 to be able to use that version.

Note: In case of RSSOwl failing to migrate your data to the new version, try this:

  • Stop RSSOwl
  • Open RSSOwl.ini from the installation folder
  • Replace '-Xmx192m' with a higher value, e.g. '-Xmx384m '
  • Start RSSOwl again

During our internal testing, everything has worked, but if you find any problems, please report them at http://dev.rssowl.org.
Is there any log to find out about issues while running RSSOwl?

RSSOwl provides a view to display the contents of the log file. Open it from Window | Show View | Other | Error Log. In case of a serious error, where RSSOwl would not even start, you can find the log file in the filesystem here:
  • Windows: C:/Documents and Settings/<your.name>/.rssowl2/.metadata/.log
  • Linux: <home.dir>/.rssowl2/.metadata/.log
  • Mac: <home.dir>/.rssowl2/.metadata/.log
What are the steps to use Mozilla as Browser in RSSOwl?

Note that you can only use the rendering engine of Mozilla inside RSSOwl. Any other feature of Mozilla or Firefox can not be used from within RSSOwl. Download XULRunner for your operating system:
  • Windows: xulrunner-1.8.1.3.en-US.win32.zip
  • Linux: xulrunner-1.8.1.3.en-US.linux-i686.tar.gz
  • Mac: xulrunner-1.8.1.3.en-US.mac-cocoa-pkg.dmg
Then follow these short instructions on how to complete the installation after the download. Make sure to restart RSSOwl. It will use XULRunner from now on automatically until you uninstall it again.
Is it possible to display multiple feeds at once?

Yes! Open "Tools" | "Preferences and expand the "Generals" node. Then select "Editors" and enable "Show multiple editor tabs". You should also disable "Close editors automatically" if you do not want to have Feeds close automatically if a certain limit is reached.
How do I disable the splash-screen on startup?

Just pass "-noSplash" to the rssowl launcher. Example: "rssowl.exe -noSplash" on windows.
How do I install the Newsgroup extension?

Support for reading Newsgroups in RSSOwl 2.0 can be installed from a separate extension.

Installation from RSSOwl: Open "Tools" | "Extensions" | "Get More Extensions" and select the newsgroup extension from the "RSSOwl Extensions" category. Follow the instructions and restart RSSOwl after the wizard closes.

Installation from Eclipse: Open "Help" | "Software Updates" | "Find and Install" and select "Search for new features to install". Press the "Next" button and open the "New Update Site" dialog by selecting "New Remote Site". Enter any name and use http://boreal.rssowl.org as URL and press "OK". Select the newsgroup extension from the "RSSOwl Extensions" category. Follow the instructions and restart Eclipse after the wizard closes.

How do I add Newsgroups to RSSOwl 2?

  1. Make sure to have the newsgroup extension installed
  2. Bring up the "New Bookmark" dialog from the "File" | "New" menu
  3. Use news://[server]/[group] as link (example: news://news.eclipse.org/eclipse.platform.swt)
  4. Press the OK Button
  5. The newsgroup will be loaded and a login dialog might show up asking for username and password if required
  6. Read the newsgroup as if it was a newsfeed
Is it possible to post news to a Newsgroup?

Not yet. The support for newsgroups is currently limited to reading only.
Why is RSSOwl 2.0 consuming more memory compared to 1.x?

RSSOwl 2.0 uses a couple of technologies that make it possible to add new features very easily and allows one to manage, search and read news in a way that is far beyond what RSSOwl 1.x supports.

Also keep in mind that this is a preview of what will later be RSSOwl 2.0. We are doing our best to make the final release as fast as possible and as memory friendly as possible.

If you are subscribed to more than 200 feeds, you will notice that RSSOwl 2.0 performs a lot better compared to RSSOwl 1.x
Why is RSSOwl 2.0 11 MB in size compared to 5 MB for RSSOwl 1.x?

We are aware of this problem and have a solution that requires some work and investigation. That's why we are confident that the final release of RSSOwl 2.0 will not require more than 6-7 MB for the download.
I found a bug or would like to suggest an enhancement. Where can I report it?

We use Bugzilla to track suggestions and bug reports. Please report anything to http://dev.rssowl.org.
Is it possible to join the team?

Yes it is. Contact us to receive more information.
Is it possible to contact the developers?

Either contact Benjamin, or visit us in our IRC Channel #rssowl at irc.freenode.net. Also consider joining the public mailing list here.
Where do I find the sourcecode for RSSOwl 2.0?

The sourcecode is only available from our subversion repository at https://rssowl.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/rssowl.
Is there instructions on how to build RSSOwl 2.0 from source?

Yes!
What is boreal standing for?

The Tengmalm's Owl, Aegolius funereus, is a small owl. It is known as the Boreal Owl in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. This bird breeds in dense coniferous forests across northern North America and Eurasia, and in mountain ranges such as the Alps and the Rockies. It lays 3-6 eggs in a tree hole. Read more at Wikipedia.



And the Boreal Owl is now also the name for this preview of RSSOwl 2.0 :-).