Bluesky SCN Bot

A Node.js script that checks the SAP Community Network (SCN) RSS feeds every 60 minutes and posts new blog entries to your Bluesky account. The bot includes metadata like the blog source (by SAP or by Members), author, and maintains a local list of posted entries to avoid duplicates. It respects Bluesky's rate limits and supports automated deployment via GitHub Actions.

Bluesky SCN Bot

Features

Automated Posting: Automatically fetches new blog posts from two SCN RSS feeds:
- SAP Technology Blog: https://community.sap.com/khhcw49343/rss/board?board.id=technology-blog-sap
- Community Member Technology Blog: https://community.sap.com/khhcw49343/rss/board?board.id=technology-blog-members
Metadata Inclusion:
- Blog Source: Indicates whether the post is by SAP or by Members.
- Author: Includes the author's name.
Rate Limiting: Respects a rate limit of one post every 30 seconds.
Check Interval: Checks feeds every 60 minutes.
Duplicate Prevention: Maintains a local record of posted blog entries with their Bluesky post IDs to avoid duplicates.
Content Management:
- HTML Stripping: Strips HTML tags from descriptions to handle HTML content.
- Content Truncation: Automatically truncates long posts to fit within Bluesky's character limit.
Automated Deployment:
- Uses GitHub Actions workflow for automated deployment to your server via SSH.

Prerequisites

Node.js: Version 14 or higher (Node.js 18+ recommended for native fetch API support).
Bluesky Account: A valid Bluesky username and password.
Git: For cloning the repository and updating the script.
PM2: For process management in production.
SSH Access: For automated deployments using GitHub Actions.
Server: A server (e.g., VPS) where the bot will run continuously.

Installation

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/marianfoo/bluesky-rss-bot.git
cd bluesky-rss-bot

Install Dependencies
```
npm install
```

Configuration

Create a .env File

In the project root directory, create a file named .env:
```
touch .env
```
Add Your Bluesky Credentials

Open the .env file and add your Bluesky username and password:
```
BLUESKY_USERNAME=your_bluesky_username
BLUESKY_PASSWORD=your_bluesky_password
```
Note: Replace your_bluesky_username and your_bluesky_password with your actual Bluesky credentials.
Secure the .env File

Ensure the .env file is not tracked by Git by adding it to .gitignore:
```
echo '.env' >> .gitignore
```
Configure GitHub Secrets (For Automated Deployment)

If using the automated GitHub Actions deployment, set up the following secrets in your GitHub repository settings:
- SSH_IP: Your server's IP address.
- SSH_USER: SSH username (e.g., root or another user with deployment permissions).
- SSH_PRIVATE_KEY: Your SSH private key (ensure it is properly formatted).

Running the Script

Running Locally

Start the Script
```
node index.js
```
Verify Output

The script should log messages indicating it has logged into Bluesky and is checking the RSS feeds.

Running in Production

For production environments, it's recommended to use a process manager like PM2 to keep the script running continuously.

1. Install PM2 Globally

npm install -g pm2

2. Start the Script with PM2

pm2 start index.js --name bluesky-scn-bot

3. Configure PM2 to Run on Startup

pm2 startup

Follow the instructions output by the command to enable PM2 to run on system startup.

4. Save the PM2 Process List

pm2 save

Automated Deployment

The project includes a GitHub Actions workflow (deploy.yaml) for automated deployment to your server when changes are pushed to the main branch.

Setup

Configure SSH Access
- Ensure your server accepts SSH connections using a private key.
- Add your SSH private key to GitHub Secrets as SSH_PRIVATE_KEY.
- Add your server's IP address and SSH username to GitHub Secrets as SSH_IP and SSH_USER, respectively.
GitHub Actions Workflow

The deploy.yaml workflow performs the following steps:
- Checks out the repository.
- Connects to your server via SSH.
- Navigates to the bot directory.
- Pulls the latest changes from the main branch.
- Installs dependencies.
- Restarts the bot using PM2.

Usage

Trigger Deployment

Simply push changes to the main branch:

git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message"
git push origin main

Deployment Process
- The GitHub Actions workflow will automatically run and deploy the latest code to your server.

Updating the Script in Production

If you prefer to update the script manually, follow these steps:

1. SSH into Your Server

ssh your_username@your_server_ip

2. Navigate to Your Project Directory

cd /path/to/bluesky-scn-bot

3. Stop the Running Script

pm2 stop bluesky-scn-bot

4. Pull the Latest Changes from GitHub

git pull origin main

5. Install Updated Dependencies

If any dependencies have changed, install them:

npm install

6. Restart the Script with PM2

pm2 start index.js --name bluesky-scn-bot

7. Save the PM2 Process List

pm2 save

Logging and Monitoring

View Logs
```
pm2 logs bluesky-scn-bot
```
Stream Logs
```
pm2 logs
```

Log Rotation

Install the PM2 log rotate module:

pm2 install pm2-logrotate

Configure log rotation settings:

pm2 set pm2-logrotate:max_size 10M
pm2 set pm2-logrotate:retain 7

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Additional Information

Data Persistence
- The script uses posted_ids.json to keep track of posted blog entries.
- Ensure this file is backed up if necessary.
- The file stores a mapping of RSS item IDs to their corresponding Bluesky post IDs.
Security Considerations
- Keep your .env file secure and never commit it to version control.
- Regularly update dependencies to patch security vulnerabilities.
- Use SSH keys instead of passwords for server access.
Error Handling
- The script includes basic error handling and will log errors without crashing.
- Consider enhancing error handling as needed for your production environment.
Contributions
- Contributions are welcome! Please open issues or submit pull requests for improvements.

Contact

Author: marianfoo
Email: marian@marianzeis.de

Summary

The Bluesky SCN Bot script automates the process of fetching new blog posts from the SAP Community Network and posting them to your Bluesky account. It handles multiple RSS feeds, includes metadata like the blog source and author, and ensures posts comply with Bluesky's character limit. The script supports automated deployment using GitHub Actions, making it easy to keep your production environment up-to-date.

By following the steps outlined above, you can set up, run, and maintain the bot in both development and production environments.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact the repository maintainer.

marianfoo / bluesky-scn-bot

readme