FreeFileSync won't install -- and the solution

[Tom_ZeCat]

It appears the command line install for FreeFileSync no longer works:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:freefilesync/ffs
 sudo apt-get update
 sudo apt-get install freefilesync

This is one of my absolute favorite utilities that I depend on. It's not in the regular *buntu repositories, so I kept a copy of that terminal code handy for whenever I need to install it. However, in the second step of that code, I got this:

W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/freefilesync/ffs/ubuntu/dists/utopic/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/freefilesync/ffs/ubuntu/dists/utopic/main/binary-i386/Packages  404  Not Found

I guess FFS is having problems with their PPA.

Plan B: I downloaded what Sorgeforce was calling a Debian package for Ubuntu. Actually, it's a bit.tar.gz archive. Okay, no handy quick install to Kubuntu's app launcher, but a manual install should go quickly, right? Wrong. When I unpacked the archive and ran it, it would not run. (FreeFileSync would not, but RealtimeSync would.) I get the error message in the terminal:

/home/tommy/Manual Installs/FreeFileSync/FreeFileSync: error while loading shared libraries: libunity.so.9: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I did some googling and found a way to make it work. I think this "libunity" must be an Ubuntu thing that's not included in Kubuntu (which I've just reinstalled from scratch). I found "libunity9" in the Synaptic Package Manager and installed it and then voilà! The thing suddenly worked.

So why am I posting this when I've already solved the problem? It's for the benefit of others. There's likely someone else out there pulling out their hair to get FreeFileSync to run under Kubuntu like I was. This post will show up in the search engines soon and they'll have the answer here.

I'll have to put FreeFileSync and RealtimeSync icons into the launcher manually. No biggie, not too hard. I suspect their PPA may be back at some point too.

[Snowhog]

Or install the GetDeb Apps ppa and install freefilesync (package version 6.12) using apt or through Muon Package Manager.

[SteveRiley]

The PPA is still present; ist just isn't building for Utopic yet:




An alternative to Snohowg's idea would be to try the Trusty build -- it'll probably work. Open Muon and go to Settings | Configure Software Sources | Other Software. Find the PPA for FreeFileSync. Click Edit and change the Distribution to trusty. Close the dialogs. Now FFS should appear for download.

[Tom_ZeCat]

Thanks, guys. I keep learning more and more about this complex, but amazing, Kubuntu distro. In my complete OS reinstall, I did seriously consider Mint/KDE, which has impressed me and which I have on a netbook, but ultimately I feel most comfortable with Kubuntu.

[claydoh]

It would be interesting to compare and contrast Mint-KDE with Kubuntu, especially as Mint is using Kubuntu's KDE stuff, with a different set of default applications and theming. The only real functional difference I could see from using it is a different package manager and maybe the menu?

[Tom_ZeCat]

It would be interesting to compare and contrast Mint-KDE with Kubuntu, especially as Mint is using Kubuntu's KDE stuff, with a different set of default applications and theming. The only real functional difference I could see from using it is a different package manager and maybe the menu?

The main differences I noticed were:
1. Mint/KDE comes with a different program intaller than Muon discover,
2. It comes with Synaptic Package Manager preinstalled
3. It has a shut down option that lets you save your working situation. In other words, if you have a LibreOffice Writer document open, a Calc one open, a web page open, etc., it saves all that and brings it back when you boot the PC back up again.

The third option is pretty cool and made me consider switching. The first option doesn't make a difference to me. It seems like it's no better or worse than Muon. The second is no big deal since you can just install Synaptic. I prefer it to Muon Package Manager.

[claydoh]

You can get #3 if you select to enable manually saved sessions in the Startup/shutdown config - it adds the option in the Kmenu shutdown options. (I run plasma 5, it could work differently for others)

The KDE default is to automatically save the current session and open the files and programs at next logon. Kubuntu for good and bad sticks to the default KDE settings.

Interestingly (I have done this) in Kubuntu you can add the Mint repo and get the packages that Mint uses (installing mint-meta-kde) - most of this distro , at least in terms of core and KDE uses pure Kubuntu/Ubuntu packages. Doing this installed a surprisingly small amount of stuff. I wanted to check out the package manager, but it required uninstalling Muon for whatever reason, so I soon undid things.

I love that we have to ability and tools to create new spins and such, but I find it hilarious sometimes when someone claims one is soooo much superior to the other.

[jlittle]

Mint/KDE ... has a shut down option that lets you save your working situation. In other words, if you have a LibreOffice Writer document open, a Calc one open, a web page open, etc., it saves all that and brings it back when you boot the PC back up again ... is pretty cool and made me consider switching.

Isn't that "hibernation"? I do it with Kubuntu. You have to have swap at least as large as your RAM, and you have to enable it somehow; I can't remember how though I've done it a few times over the years.

...you can just install Synaptic. I prefer it to Muon Package Manager.

I prefer Muon package manager.

[Rod J]

Isn't that "hibernation"? I do it with Kubuntu. You have to have swap at least as large as your RAM, and you have to enable it somehow; I can't remember how though I've done it a few times over the years.

It's different to hibernation. In the System Settings, System Administration, Startup and Shutdown, Session Management. The options are in the "On Login" section. I can't remember if it opens the previously opened documents or just starts the previously used applications if you have "Restore previous session" selected.

I prefer Muon package manager.

Me too ... I used to use Synaptic when I was using Ubuntu a few years ago and liked it but I've found Muon just as useful.

[52ROSt]

I tried to install freefilesynch using the Muon Discoverer and the Muon Package Manager. In neither of the tqo application I found FreeFileSynch. My search string was "freefile" but no search results.Is it not there or did I make a mistake?

[52ROSt]

3. It has a shut down option that lets you save your working situation. In other words, if you have a LibreOffice Writer document open, a Calc one open, a web page open, etc., it saves all that and brings it back when you boot the PC back up again.
.

I do miss this function (suspend to HDD) a lot. It is the most often used shut down function I use on my XP machine (here it is called "hypernation"). I use it several times a day. Fortunately my kubuntu machine has a SSD which enables a start up in 30 sec incl the loggin as a user. It would be very nice to get the function "suspend to HDD/SSD" implemented in kubuntu or KDE.

[anika200]

I tried to install freefilesynch using the Muon Discoverer and the Muon Package Manager. In neither of the tqo application I found FreeFileSynch. My search string was "freefile" but no search results.Is it not there or did I make a mistake?

I did the exact same thing, it would not show up in Muon no matter how many times I updated.
So I used the good old command line and it was there and installed fine, then I checked back in Muon and it showed up there too --- After the install.

Anyway add the ppa
To setup the GetDeb Apps repositories:

wget -q -O - [URL]http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key[/URL] | sudo apt-key add - sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [URL]http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu[/URL] utopic-getdeb apps" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list'

then

sudo apt-get update

then make sure the app is there

apt search freefilesync

then install

sudo apt-get install freefilesync

[Tom_ZeCat]

I tried to install freefilesynch using the Muon Discoverer and the Muon Package Manager. In neither of the tqo application I found FreeFileSynch. My search string was "freefile" but no search results.Is it not there or did I make a mistake?

You made no mistake. FreeFileSync is not in the standard repositories. You could do what I did and download and install it. Installing it on the command line via the PPA did not work for me in Kubuntu 14.10, but it should in time. Probably the easiest way is to install it via a Debian package from getdeb.net. Here's the link:

http://www.getdeb.net/updates/Ubuntu...q=FreeFileSync

[52ROSt]

Interesting to read that for you in 14.10 the Lauchpad.net PPA did not work. I just did it this way today in 14.04. It seems that all is stable and FreeFileSynch works like I am used to on my XP machine.

I used to the 3 command lines given on the Lauchpad.net site to set up all..Now I should get the updates whenever I look for them. - That's what I hope.....

[Tom_ZeCat]

Yup, I was able to install it via the command line in 14.04, but not in 14.10. The command line install simply hasn't caught up to version 14.10 yet. I'm glad you got it running. FreeFileSync is an outstanding utility. I use it every day.