How can I subscribe to SE RSS feed using Gnus?

Question

I tried G R https://emacs.stackexchange.com/feeds RET which resulted in the following error:

Debugger entered--Lisp error:
    (error "No feeds found for https://emacs.stackexchange.com/feeds")
  signal(error ("No feeds found for https://emacs.stackexchange.com/feeds"))
  error("No feeds found for %s" "https://emacs.stackexchange.com/feeds")

Answer 1

I actually get a slightly different error on GNU Emacs 27.0.50 (build 4, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars) of 2018-02-03 with Gnus v5.13:

Contacting host: emacs.stackexchange.com:443
open-network-stream: www.syndic8.com/80 Name or service not known

This is because the function nnrss-discover-feed tries to access syndic8 when all other RSS detection methods (ostensibly) inspired by Mark Pilgrim's ultra-liberal RSS locator fail.

Why do they fail? Let's see:

1. M-xurl-handler-modeRET
2. C-xC-fhttps://emacs.stackexchange.com/feedsRET
3. C-satom

Aha! Stack Exchange sneakily provides an Atom, not RSS feed, without alluding to the fact.

Unfortunately, Gnus' nnrss backend cannot yet handle Atom feeds. Fortunately, you're using Emacs, so you have several alternative options not limited to the following:

1. Browse SE feeds in Gnus via Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen's (one of the main guys behind Gnus) excellent Gwene RSS/Atom<->NNTP gateway:

   (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.gwene.org"))
   

   or

   (add-to-list 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
                '(nntp "news.gwene.org"))
   

   followed by

   • M-xgnusRET
   • ^
   • Navigate to {nntp:news.gwene.org} and press RET
   • C-sstackexchange.emacs
   • Either
     • RET to browse the group ephemerally
     • or u to subscribe to the group
   • qq to return to the *Group* buffer

   
   

2. Use Ulf Jasper's excellent built-in Newsticker feed reader:

   (setq newsticker-url-list
         '(("Emacs SE"
            "https://emacs.stackexchange.com/feeds")))
   

   followed by M-xnewsticker-show-newsRET.

   
   

3. Use the excellent (the adjective du jour) Christopher Wellon's Elfeed feed reader.

   I haven't tried this one out yet (mostly because I can never seem to follow RSS feeds for more than a day), but Chris is known for doing jobs very well done, so I'm sure you'll find the setup instructions clear and quick. The only downside to Elfeed is that it is not (and probably won't be) built into Emacs.

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See also the relevant EmacsWiki page: https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/GnusRss