I used to adore the Feedbro extension for Firefox - until I learned that browser extensions are a privacy concern and stopped using them. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find anything similar for the Linux desktop. I just can't seem to find the 'sweet spot' with all the readers I've tried. Some are bloated with features and complicated configurations that I will never use. Others are too simplistic. Still others haven't seen an update in years. I feel like this is an impossible quest.

The readers I have tried (and discarded):

• Liferea
• RSS Guard
• News Flash
• Feeds
• Feed Deck
• Feed Flow
• Akregator
• Thunderbird
• Raven Reader

Here are the features I need:

• FOSS (obviously)
• Import/export OPML
• Scale the size of the UI and all text elements
• RSS feed discovery
• Fetch full articles
• Configure update interval
• Privacy-conscious
• Desktop only (I am currently unable to self-host)

Things that would be nice, but I can live without if I have to:

• Dark mode
• An uncluttered, two-column display

That's about it. Now tell me that I am asking too much and there's no hope for me. :D

Depending on what's keeping you from self-hosting, running a server-based reader right there on your desktop could be an option. Also, maintaining a separate browser profile just for FeedBro is easy, if you don't trust it for whatever reason.

I'm replying here in good faith that this isn't a bottomless Yes, but scenario.

Now tell me that I am asking too much and there’s no hope for me.

There's plenty of hope if one is willing to fork and modify a FOSS server or client. Make it look and act exactly like you want.

browser extensions are a privacy concern and stopped using them

I think this concern is overstated in an RSS context for anonymous (no sign-in) feeds.

If your desktop is not very old with very little RAM, you could self-host FreshRSS on your desktop.

I'm currently running FreshRSS with good results. I ran TinyTinyRSS previously but the dev was so toxic I bailed on principle. :-(

Liferea

Or miniflux if it is. It's efficient, fast, and I like the interface better.

Not meaning to 'yes, but' you.....but.... :D

1. You're assuming that I know how to code. :)
2. I think the privacy concerns are from third parties somehow being able to use browser extensions to read the contents of whatever other tabs one has open. At least that's what I've read.

Is this something that a complete newbie would be able to do?

For FreshRSS, if you want to run the development version on localhost:

1. apt update && apt install build-essential git

2. Install Docker: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/

3. Clone FreshRSS repository, run make start and finish the installation: https://freshrss.github.io/FreshRSS/en/developers/02_First_steps.html

I use Fluent Reader. It supports several view modes, and has lots of convenience features.

That seems simple enough. I'll give it a shot. Much appreciated!

Fluent Reader was my stopping point when looking for a good desktop RSS reader. I'd rather a non-Electron-based app, but hey, non-programmers beggars can't be choosers.

Installation for MiniFlux is similar, once you have docker installed you run the long ass docker command from their documentation:

https://miniflux.app/docs/docker.html

I personally prefer the approach they mention in the Docker Compose section of that page though, for long term maintenance.

What was the trouble with Akregator? I think recent versions have dark mode, and older versions could be made dark with the right style sheets applied.

It's not a perfect fit for me, but it works well enough that I stopped hunting for something better.

Does "desktop" means no TUI? Because newsraft and its predecessor newsboat are pretty cool. Newsraft is the one I use.

If I remember correctly, Akregator wouldn't allow me to resize the text to make it more readable. Also, I believe it was having trouble downloading a few of my feeds for some reason.

I was really interested in trying feedr, but got frustrated trying to install it and moved on to other potential options.

That makes sense.

It has some font size controls in Settings: Configure Akregator: Appearance: Font Size. I think these sliders apply to the article bodies.

It uses built-in style sheets for the size of other text, like headings, so changing that probably requires the program to be recompiled. In case you have those skills and want to make those changes, have a look in this file: src/formatter/html/style.css

RSSOwlnix is my favorite, but I'm not sure if it has all the features you want.

Oooh, this looks interesting. Thanks!

hmm, it depends on the distribution. On artix for example it's available from stock official repos, and also from AUR (meaning it has to be built) but its build is pretty simple according to its own newsraft repo, just make + make install. It's C based, so it should build everywhere, in case interested. I prefer building it from AUR rather than using the distro repos package, to be more up to date, and it builds really fast. At any rate, just an option in case willing to explore it later. I explored several feed readers before, being the last gui I tried "news-flash" which can or can not be used with a combination of feeds self hosted server. I ended up looking at newsraft, and hadn't looked back since.