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Troubleshooting

This guide covers common issues and frequently asked questions for SynoCommunity packages.

Repository Issues

Cannot Add Repository

Symptoms: "Invalid location" error when adding repository, or repository cannot be contacted.

Solutions:

  1. Verify the URL is exactly: https://packages.synocommunity.com
  2. Check your NAS has internet access
  3. Note: Accessing https://packages.synocommunity.com directly in a browser will show a "Bad Request" error - this is normal as the URL is only for Package Center. Visit synocommunity.com instead to verify the service is online.
  4. Check if your firewall blocks outbound HTTPS connections
  5. Are you connected via a VPN? Try a direct/local connection instead
  6. Check DNS resolution: SSH into your NAS and run nslookup packages.synocommunity.com

DSM Certificate Issue:

If running DSM older than 6.2.4-25556 Update 2:

  • Update DSM to get the latest certificate trust store, or
  • Manually update certificates: 
    sudo mv /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt.bak
sudo curl -Lko /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt https://curl.se/ca/cacert.pem

DNS Workaround:

Configure manual DNS servers in Control Panel > Network > General:

  • Google: 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 / 208.67.220.220

400 Bad Request Error

If you see 400 Bad Request, The browser (or proxy) sent a request...:

  • packages.synocommunity.com is for your NAS Package Center only, not for browser access
  • Visit synocommunity.com for the website

No Packages Visible

Symptoms: Repository added but "Community" section is empty, or only some packages appear.

Solutions:

  1. Check your NAS architecture matches available packages (see Compatibility)
  2. Ensure your DSM version is supported
  3. Wait a few minutes and refresh - package lists may be loading
  4. For beta packages (DSM 6.x only): Enable Settings > General > "Yes, I want to see beta versions"
  5. In Package Center, click Community in the left sidebar to view community packages

How to Check Package Availability

  1. Find your NAS architecture: Architecture per Model
  2. Check if your architecture is listed at synocommunity.com/packages

If your architecture is not listed, it may be intentional - some packages cannot compile for certain architectures (especially PPC-based).

Installation Issues

"Invalid File Format" Error

Cause: Downloaded an SPK for the wrong architecture.

Solution: Find your NAS model in Control Panel > Info Center > General, then look up its architecture in the Architecture Reference or Synology's CPU guide. Download the package version matching your architecture.

Port Conflict Error

If you see Port configured for this package is either used by another service or reserved:

Port conflict error dialog

Check for port conflicts via SSH:

sudo servicetool --conf-port-conflict-check --tcp 8281

A negative result shows: 

IsConflict: false    Port: 8281    Protocol: tcp    ServiceName: (null)

A positive result shows the conflicting application: 

IsConflict: true    Port: 8281    Protocol: tcp    ServiceName: haproxy

Resolution: Port conflicts typically occur with Docker containers, as package port configuration is usually fixed and not user-configurable. Modify the conflicting Docker container's port mapping instead.

Advanced: Remove orphaned firewall rules

Only use this if a package has been removed but its firewall rules remain (verify the package in /usr/local/etc/services.d/ is not installed):

sudo servicetool --remove-configure-file --package [Package_Name].sc

Runtime Issues

Package Won't Start

Diagnostic Steps:

  1. Check package logs: 

    cat /var/packages/<package-name>/var/*.log

  2. Check system log: 

    sudo cat /var/log/synopkg.log | grep <package-name>

  3. Try restarting the package:

    • Via Package Center: Stop, then Start
    • Via SSH: synopkg restart <package-name>

  4. Check for port conflicts (see Ports)

"Failed to Start" After DSM Update

Cause: DSM updates can change system components that packages depend on.

Solutions:

  1. Repair the package: Package Center > click package > Repair
  2. Stop, then start the package
  3. Check if a package update is available
  4. Uninstall and reinstall the package
    • On DSM 7.x, data is preserved by default
    • On DSM 6.x, manually back up data before uninstalling as most packages remove all data by default

Web Interface Not Accessible

For packages with web interfaces:

  1. Verify the package is running
  2. Check the port in package settings
  3. Try accessing via IP address instead of hostname
  4. Check if your browser is blocking the connection (try incognito mode)
  5. Verify your firewall allows the port

DSM-Specific Issues

DSM 7.x Issues

Package Stopped After Reboot

Some packages may not auto-start after DSM 7 updates due to systemd changes.

Solution: Manually start the package after reboot, or check for package updates that address this.

Permission Issues with Shared Folders

DSM 7 has stricter permission controls.

Solution: Ensure the package user (usually sc-<packagename>) has appropriate permissions. See Permission Management for details.

DSM 6.x Issues

No Packages Available for Old DSM Versions

Cause: Some packages require DSM 6.2+.

Solution: Update DSM to the latest version for your NAS model, or check if older package versions are available.

Advanced Troubleshooting

Downgrading a Package (Without Uninstall)

Instead of uninstalling, modify the version number to allow installing an older version:

  1. SSH into the NAS
  2. Edit the INFO file: 
    sudo vi /var/packages/[Package_Name]/INFO
  3. Change the version (e.g., "5.20.1.34" to "1.0")
  4. Save and exit
  5. Package Center will now show version "1.0" and allow "upgrading" to an older release

Warning

This may not work if the package update irreversibly migrates data.

Downloading Pre-release Packages from GitHub

Development and pre-release packages are available from GitHub Actions artifacts.

Requirements:

  • GitHub account (required to download artifacts)
  • Note: Artifacts expire 90 days after workflow completion

Steps:

  1. Go to the Pull Request and click Checks tab

GitHub Actions Checks tab

  1. Select Build workflow
  2. Download the artifact for your architecture (e.g., x64-7.1)

GitHub Actions Artifacts

  1. Extract the .spk file from the ZIP
  2. Install via Package Center > Manual Installation

Finding Your Architecture:

  • See Architecture Reference
  • Use generic arch where available: x64 (for x86_64), armv7, aarch64
  • DSM 6: packages for version >= 6.2.4
  • DSM 7: packages for version >= 7.1 (or >= 7.2 when 7.1 not supported)

Verify Build Success

Before downloading, expand the build job (e.g., "Build (x64-7.1)") and check "Build Status" to confirm your package was successfully built.

GitHub Actions Build Status

Getting Help

If the above solutions don't help:

  1. Search existing issues: GitHub Issues
  2. Check package-specific documentation: Package Documentation
  3. Ask on Discord: SynoCommunity Discord
  4. Open a new issue with:
    • NAS model and DSM version
    • Package name and version
    • Steps to reproduce the issue
    • Relevant log excerpts