Installing Packages - The Synology App Store

What Package Center Is

Package Center is a program that already lives on your NAS. It is where you find, install, and update the add-on apps - called packages - that give your NAS new abilities.

Think of your NAS as a smart phone when you first take it out of the box. It can do a few things right away. But the moment you open the app store and start adding apps, it can do a great deal more. Package Center is that app store, built right in. You do not download it from anywhere; it is simply there.

Synology's Own Packages vs Third-Party Ones

Not every package comes from the same place. Knowing who made an app helps you decide how much to trust it.

When you first open Package Center, most of what you see are Synology's own apps, plus some well-known partners. Those are a great place to start. Third-party apps from outside sources are a separate step you have to opt in to - we cover that later, along with the cautions.

• Synology packages - written and tested by Synology, the company that made your NAS. These are the safest and best supported.
• Third-party packages - written by other software makers. Some are excellent and well-known; others are hobby projects. They vary in quality.

Browsing and Searching for Packages

Package Center is organized so you can either wander through categories or search for something by name. Both are easy.

Each package has its own page with a short description, screenshots, and a note about what it needs. Read that description before installing - it tells you in plain terms what the app is for.

• All Packages lists everything available to install.
• Categories group apps by what they do - for example backup, multimedia, or business.
• The search box at the top lets you type a name, like Drive or Photos, to jump straight to it.
• Installed shows only the apps you already have on the NAS.

Installing a Package

Installing an app is a matter of a click and a short wait. Here is the whole process, step by step.

That is it. You have added a new ability to your NAS. If you change your mind later, removing it is just as simple, which we cover in a moment.

• Open Package Center from the Main Menu.
• Find the app you want, by browsing or by searching its name.
• Click the package to open its page and read the description.
• Click the Install button.
• If it asks a few setup questions, answer them or accept the defaults.
• Wait while it downloads and installs - a moment for small apps, longer for big ones.

Where Installed Apps Show Up

Once a package is installed, you do not go back to Package Center to use it. It gets its own icon in the Main Menu, like an app on a phone.

The Main Menu is the grid of squares in the top-left corner of the DSM screen. Click it and you will see an icon for every app you have installed. Click an app's icon to open and use it.

Updating Your Packages

App makers release updates that fix problems, add features, and - most importantly - patch security holes. Keeping packages updated is one of the best habits you can have.

Updates rarely change how an app looks or works day to day. They mostly happen quietly in the background and keep things running safely.

• Open Package Center and look at the Installed section.
• Any app with a newer version available shows an Update button.
• Click Update on that app, or update several at once if offered.
• A small number badge on the Package Center icon often signals updates are waiting.

Turning On Auto-Update

Rather than remembering to check for updates yourself, you can let the NAS update packages on its own. This is the set-and-forget approach, and it is a good one.

In Package Center, open its Settings (usually a button near the top of the window). There you will find an option to automatically update packages. You can often choose to update everything, or only apply important updates.

Removing a Package (and Its Data)

If you no longer use an app, you can uninstall it to free up space and tidy up. But there is one important thing to understand first: what happens to the data that app was holding.

Some apps store their own data - for example a photo app's thumbnails or a note app's notes. Uninstalling the app can delete that data. Your regular files in shared folders are usually separate and safe, but app-specific data may go with the app.

• Open Package Center and go to the Installed section.
• Click the app you want to remove.
• Choose Uninstall (sometimes under an Action menu).
• Read the warning it shows you, then confirm.

Beta Packages - Proceed With Care

Sometimes you will see a package or a version marked Beta. A beta is an early, unfinished version that the maker is still testing. It is not meant for everyday, important use.

There is nothing wrong with trying a beta out of curiosity, but do not rely on one for anything you cannot afford to lose. For your main photo backup or file sync, always choose the regular, finished version.

• It may have bugs or behave unexpectedly.
• Features can change or be removed before the final version.
• It is offered so willing volunteers can help test it.

The Trust Level Setting

Package Center has a safety setting called the trust level. It controls which app makers your NAS is willing to install from. This is one of the most important settings to leave alone.

You will find this in Package Center's Settings, usually under a Trust Level or General heading. For nearly everyone, one of the first two choices is correct.

• Synology only - the NAS installs only apps signed by Synology. Safest.
• Synology and trusted publishers - also allows well-known, verified makers. A reasonable middle ground.
• Any publisher - allows anyone's app, verified or not. This removes an important safety check.

Popular First Packages Worth Having

If you are wondering where to begin, here are Synology's own apps that most home users find genuinely useful. All are made by Synology, so they are safe and well supported.

You do not need all of these. Pick the one that solves a problem you actually have - photo backup and file sync are the two most people reach for first.

Dependencies - Some Apps Install Helpers

Now and then, when you install one package, the NAS tells you it also needs to install one or two others first. Those extra bits are called dependencies. It simply means the app you want relies on a helper to do its job.

Nothing special. When Package Center says an app requires an additional package, just let it install the helper too. It handles the whole thing for you. For example, some apps need a database helper, and Package Center adds it automatically.

How Much Storage Packages Use

Every app you install takes up a little room on the NAS - the app itself, plus any data it creates as you use it. It helps to know where that space goes.

The app program is rarely what fills your NAS. It is the files and photos it collects over time. Keep an eye on your overall storage, and remove apps you no longer use so their leftover data does not sit there forever.

• The app itself - usually small, from a few megabytes to a few hundred.
• The app's data - this can grow a lot. A photo app that backs up years of photos will use far more room than the app itself.

Starting and Stopping a Running Package

An installed package can be running or stopped. Running means it is active and doing its job. Stopped means it is installed but paused - it stays on the NAS but does nothing until you start it again.

In Package Center's Installed section, click the app. You will see a Stop or Run option (sometimes under an Action menu). Stopping does not delete anything - the app and its data stay put, just paused.

• You are not using it right now and want to save a little of the NAS's effort.
• You are troubleshooting and want to see if an app is causing a slowdown.
• You want to keep the app for later without removing it entirely.

Community Package Sources - and Caution

Beyond the built-in list, there are community-run collections of packages - the best known is SynoCommunity. These offer apps that Synology does not provide. They can be useful, but they call for extra care.

You add the community's address as an extra source in Package Center's Settings. After that, its apps appear alongside the regular ones. SynoCommunity is a long-running, respected project, but even so, its apps are made by volunteers, not Synology.

Keeping Only What You Actually Use

It is tempting to install every interesting-looking app. Resist that. A tidy NAS with a few well-chosen apps runs better and is easier to understand than one stuffed with things you never open.

Every few months, glance at your installed apps and ask, honestly, whether you still use each one. If you have not touched an app in a long time and do not expect to, it is a fair candidate to remove - after checking its data first.

• Fewer apps means fewer things to keep updated and secure.
• Unused apps still take space and can still have security holes.
• A short, clear list is easier for you - or me - to manage.

Troubleshooting a Package That Won't Install

Once in a while a package refuses to install or gets stuck. Most of the time it is one of a few simple causes. Work through these before you worry.

If none of that works, note any error message the screen shows. That message is a big clue, and it is exactly the kind of thing I can sort out quickly.

• Not enough free space - the NAS needs room to install. Free up space and try again.
• DSM is out of date - some apps require a newer DSM. Update DSM first, then retry.
• A momentary glitch - close Package Center, reopen it, and try once more.
• Internet hiccup - the NAS downloads the app from Synology, so check its internet connection.
• Trust level too strict - a legitimate app may need trusted publishers allowed (not any publisher).

A Tidy-Apps Checklist

Run through this now and then to keep your NAS's apps in good shape. It takes only a few minutes and prevents most trouble.

• Auto-update is turned on for packages and DSM.
• The trust level is set to Synology, or at most trusted publishers.
• You have installed only apps you actually use.
• Any app you were unsure about has been researched or removed.
• You have not added outside package sources without guidance.
• Your important data is backed up before removing any app.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• What Package Center is and how to open it
• The difference between Synology's own apps and third-party ones
• How to install, update, start, stop, and remove packages
• Which packages are worth having first
• How to stay safe with trust levels and community sources
• A tidy-apps checklist so your NAS stays clean and fast

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill