newsnow: Elegant Real-time News Reading with a Clean UI

Introduction

newsnow is an open-source project designed for elegant reading of real-time and hottest news. It provides a clean and intuitive user interface, focusing on an optimal reading experience. Key features include real-time updates for trending news, GitHub OAuth login with data synchronization, and intelligent adaptive scraping intervals to optimize resource usage and prevent IP blocking.

Please note, the current version is a demo primarily supporting Chinese content. A full version with customization features and English content support is planned for future release.

Installation

Deploying newsnow is straightforward, with options for basic setup, Cloudflare Pages, or Docker.

Basic Deployment (without login and cache)

Fork this repository.
Import it into a platform like Cloudflare Pages or Vercel.

Cloudflare Pages Configuration

Build command: pnpm run build
Output directory: dist/output/public

GitHub OAuth Setup

Create a GitHub App.
No special permissions are required.
Set the callback URL: https://your-domain.com/api/oauth/github (replace your-domain with your actual domain).
Obtain your Client ID and Client Secret.

Environment Variables

Refer to example.env.server. For local development, rename it to .env.server and configure:

# GitHub Client ID
G_CLIENT_ID=
# GitHub Client Secret
G_CLIENT_SECRET=
# JWT Secret (usually same as Client Secret)
JWT_SECRET=
# Initialize database (set to true for first run)
INIT_TABLE=true
# Enable caching
ENABLE_CACHE=true

Database Support

newsnow supports database connectors via https://db0.unjs.io/connectors, with Cloudflare D1 Database being recommended.

Create a D1 database in your Cloudflare Worker dashboard.
Configure database_id and database_name in wrangler.toml.
If wrangler.toml doesn't exist, rename example.wrangler.toml and adjust settings.
Changes will take effect on the next deployment.

Docker Deployment

From the project root directory, run:

docker compose up

Environment variables can also be configured in docker-compose.yml.

Examples

To get newsnow running for development or to understand its extensibility, consider these examples:

Local Development

Node.js >= 20 is required.

corepack enable
pnpm i
pnpm dev

Adding Data Sources

The project provides full type definitions and a clean architecture for adding new data sources. Refer to the shared/sources and server/sources directories to extend its capabilities.

MCP Server Configuration

newsnow supports MCP servers, allowing for flexible integration. An example configuration for the newsnow-mcp-server is provided:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "newsnow": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "newsnow-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BASE_URL": "https://newsnow.busiyi.world"
      }
    }
  }
}

Why Use It

newsnow stands out for its commitment to a superior reading experience, combining aesthetics with powerful backend features. Its elegant UI ensures a distraction-free environment for consuming news. With real-time updates and adaptive scraping, you're always informed with the latest trends. The project's roadmap promises multi-language support and enhanced personalization, making it a versatile choice for global news consumption. Furthermore, its easy deployment options and robust database support, especially with Cloudflare D1, make it a developer-friendly solution for building a personalized news aggregator.