Today's Deep-Dive: Wallabag

Welcome back to the deep dive.

This is where we take those interesting sources you find and we'll we

unpack them for you.

And today we're tackling something.

I think many of us struggle with digital clutter.

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actually quite relevant to today's topic.

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Okay.

So the internet, it's amazing, right?

So much information.

Oh, absolutely.

A universe of knowledge.

But let's be honest.

It can also be messy.

You find this great article.

So you really want to focus on and suddenly pop ups ads, autoplay videos.

Yeah.

The signal gets lost in the noise.

It's easy to lose track or just get overwhelmed before you even start reading.

Exactly.

Yeah.

So for this deep dive, we looked at the source material, the GitHub repository,

the official website for an app that aims to fix exactly this.

That's right.

We're going to unpack a tool called Wallabag.

Our mission really is to understand what it is, how it works based on their

own docs and site, and crucially, why you might find it valuable for

managing online info.

And we want to do this in a way that's, you know, easy to grasp, especially

if you're new to this sort of thing.

Perfect.

So Wallabag, let's start there.

What is it fundamentally?

Okay.

So the sources describe it pretty clearly as a self-hostable application

for saving web pages.

Their tagline sums it up nicely.

Save and classify articles, read them later, freely.

Read them later.

That sounds simple, but.

Yeah.

Why not just use bookmarks or keep tabs open?

What's the Wallabag advantage?

Ah, well, this is where it gets interesting.

And it ties right back to that clutter problem.

Wallabag's big feature is what they call comfortable reading.

So when you save an article, Wallabag doesn't just save the link.

It actually processes the page.

Processes it how?

It strips out everything, but the main content, the text, the images that matter.

So, you know, no ads, no pop-ups asking for your email, none of that extra stuff.

You get this clean, minimal version, ready for you to read whenever you want.

Totally distraction-free.

It's about creating a space just for reading.

Okay.

That makes a huge difference.

It's not just archiving, it's cleaning.

Think about just trying to focus online.

Wallabag seems designed to help with that.

Now you said self-hostable right at the start.

Yeah.

That sounds potentially technical.

Is that the only way?

What about listeners who aren't server wizards?

Yeah, that's a really important point.

And the sources show they've thought about accessibility.

There are basically two main ways to use Wallabag.

Option one is self-hosting.

That means you install it on your own server.

Right.

The documentation explains it.

You need to check requirements, grab the code using something like Git clone.

Okay.

Like copying the project files.

Exactly.

Then run commands like make install, set up your web server.

They call it a virtual host.

It definitely gives you the most freedom, total control over your data.

But yeah, it assumes you're okay with managing server stuff.

So some technical comfort needed there.

For sure.

Option two is designed to be much easier, especially for beginners.

It's the hosted service at wallabag.it.

With this, they handle all the technical parts for a fee.

The site mentions around 11 euros a year, which is pretty reasonable.

They give you quality hosting support.

They do all the updates automatically.

So you always have the latest features and security fixes plus daily backups.

They even have a 14 day free trial, no credit card needed and offers for companies

too.

It's basically the wallabag experience without the setup hassle.

That flexibility is fantastic.

So you can start easy with the hosted service, get the benefits right away.

And maybe, maybe later, if you feel like it, explore self-hosting.

It really lowers the barrier.

Precisely.

It lets you choose your path based on your comfort level and needs.

Okay.

So I've saved my articles.

They're cleaned up.

Where can I actually read them?

Am I stuck on my computer?

Nope, Wallabag aims to be accessible, as they say, everywhere.

Your articles aren't locked into one place.

So how does that work?

Well, you've got the main web application accessible from any

computer browser naturally, but then there are also dedicated mobile

apps, Android and iOS, so you can read on your phone or tablet.

Oh, convenient.

And for saving articles easily while you're browsing, there are browser

extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera.

The really neat part is how it connects.

You could say save an article from your work laptop using the extension and

then read it later on your commute using the phone app, or even better for

focused reading, send it to an e-reader, like a pocketbook, Kobo, or even a Kindle.

E-readers too.

That really covers all the bases for where you might want to read.

Yeah.

And also plays nice with lots of RSS readers.

If you use something like MiniFlux, fresh RSS, tiny, tiny RSS, the

sources list a bunch, you can often integrate Wallabag to save

articles directly from your feed.

That cross device and integration stuff sounds super useful for fitting

a reading into a busy schedule.

Okay.

So we know what it does, why it's useful, how to get it running.

Who actually makes Wallabag?

Is it a company?

This is another interesting aspect.

Wallabag isn't run by a single company.

It's an open source project.

Open source.

Yeah.

Hosted on GitHub.

The sources describe it as community driven.

It's built and maintained by developers and users who volunteer

their time and skills.

It's explicitly free, as in freedom and open source under the MIT license,

which is very permissive.

You see names like Nicolas Louie, Thomas Sitheral mentioned as key

contributors, highlighting that human element.

So it's people passionate about the idea of building it.

Exactly.

And that community is active.

They collaborate on GitHub.

There's official documentation at doc.wallabag.org.

You can even contribute to the docs via its own GitHub repository.

And they have a matrix chat room for discussions.

That open model often means it evolves based on what users actually need.

That community angle is definitely appealing, feels more collaborative.

Okay.

Let's tie this all together for the listener.

We've gone through what Wallabag is, the comfortable reading, the setup options,

accessing articles, the open source nature.

Why should someone listening right now really consider using it?

Well, if you feel that sense of information overload online, if you find great

stuff, but lose track of it, Wallabag offers a a practical solution for anyone

using the web to learn or stay informed.

It helps turn that passive finding of articles into active, focused reading.

Right.

Making it more intentional.

Exactly.

It gives you a dedicated place to save and sort things you decide are important.

That comfortable reading feature.

It's not just nice to have by cutting the clutter.

It genuinely helps reduce cognitive load, letting you, you know, actually absorb

what you're reading better.

Better focus, better comprehension.

And that choice, easy hosted service or full control, self hosting plus access

everywhere that puts you in control, control of your data, how you read, and

ultimately control over your attention online.

It's about reclaiming some of that focus.

So it's a tool for being more deliberate about online reading and managing your

own knowledge stream, pushing back against the constant distractions.

Well put.

And maybe that leaves us with a thought to consider in this online world that's

constantly trying to grab your attention, trying to optimize every second you

spend for someone else's benefit.

What's the real value, maybe an underestimated value of carving out your

own private, quiet distraction, free space, just for learning and engaging

with the things you choose.

That's definitely something to think about a great place to wrap up.

This deep dive into Wallabag was supported by safe server.

Remember they help with digital transformation and hosting software.

Thanks for joining us on the Deep Dive.

Thanks for joining us on the Deep Dive.