Review: Feedjack
By: Jens in Remember Feedjack? The feed aggregator written in python with django webframework i wrote a while ago about. Today i'll give you a short summary of it, as i've lately installed a version for my own personal use. Of course you can use it too. Check it out.
What do you need?
* Python 2.3 or greater
* Feedparser 4.1
* A recent version of Django.
I use django version 0.95.1 on beta.codeboje.de and wasn't able to run the latest feedjack release. They use functions of django svn dev tree and i am not running that yet in production. Anyways i just switched back to the previous version 0.9.8, but used the newest template for starting my own. Works fine.
How to install?
Just follow their installation instruction. Pretty easy. If you are hosting with webfaction like myself, you should consider serving the static stuff via the webfactions main apache.
How to configure?
Follow feedjack configuration steps and don't leave a step out. I did first ignore the cache stuff and it didnt work. But after careful reading the cache did fix my problems. So ignoring manuals isn't always good :-)
The adminstration via django admin is pretty simple. Add your feeds, add a site, and let your site subscribe the feeds and there you go!
Any Issues?
On my first try i run into some KeyError in the default templates, but they were lucky fixed soon after i dropped a note in the mailinglist. The problem is gone now.
I have another issue with one special feed when i try to add it. I get an error from apache, but no log entries whats actually happening. A bit strange and i need to figure that out.
How to create your own template?
I copied the feedjack default template and started adjusting it to my needs so far. As you see i am not quite done yet. It's djangos templating system, even when you are not familiar with it you can get the design you want very fast.
Anything missing?
I miss the option of a language indicator for each feed, like a little country flag. Shouldn't be too hard to implement and flags can be found
in the Open Clip Art library.
Conclusion
Great work done Feedjack team! I love this python world.
17 February 2007 | 
Comments (2)
on 23 February 2007 at 05:04 vanderkerkoff said …
Hi Azari
I've been using feedjack recently as well, and have been posting on the same google group as yourself, that's how I found this site.
I was wondering if you've looked into or used feedjack in a lightly different way to how you are using it.
I'm using it like Feeddigest, to aggregate alot of feeds and then use the aggreated RSS to display output from a number of different sites on one portal site. I don't like the term portal, but I hope you know what I mean.
There's some things that feedjack does that I'm going to alter as it doesn't do exactly what I want.
For instance, on your feeds page that you've made, see how it repeats the styledepartment on your new post.
Thats all the built in stuff and I"m going to be looking to edit it. I'll keep posting to the google group, but if there's any things you've spotted that you'd like altered, or you've altered some things yourself it might be a good idea to share knowledge.
Anyway, best get back to work, just a hello really.
Catch you on the google group.
on 23 February 2007 at 15:21 Azarai said …
Hi vanderkerkoff,
thanks for your comment. As far as i understood you use feedjack just as a feed aggregator and put another piece of software in front of it for feed displaying? Why? btw i dont like the term portal either
You can change most just with the templates and leave stuff out you dont link, eg the repeating realy isnt one, the default template just displays the feeds name, short name and again name as a link. Just change the template and you get rid of it.
The only enhancement i need is a language indidcator for each feed, a little flag or something.
Regards,
azarai