synapse package missing in 14.04 Trusty Tahr

[Minimec]

For some reason, the synapse deb package is missing in the Trusty Tahr repositories.

See here... http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?suite=all&section=all&arch=any&keywords=synapse&searchon=names

Workaround:

It is possible to use the synapse package version 0.2.10-2ubuntu3 from the Saucy Salamander repositories.There is no compatibility issue and therefore no reason to remove synapse from the 14.04 Trusty Tahr repositories.

[netrick (netrick)]

I confirm that using .deb package from 13.10 repos works without problems. I also second that this is quite important package as it is the only possibility to have semantic launcher in LXDE (Lubuntu) and it works flawlessy and it appeals to many Windows XP users and it should be available in LTS release (especially that the package works without problems).

[Cavia Porcellus (caviaporcellus)]

Hm, I did have a problem with the .deb from 13.10 on 14.04, namely that whenever I invoked Synapse a box with shading appeared behind it. See attached picture. I have no clue what causes that issue, but I've been using Synapse for years on this computer and it's never occured before. No other program has the issue either.

[Minimec (minimec)]

@ Aibara Iduas

Hi. Your problem with synapse is indeed reprodoucible here. In my eyes it is related to the unity desktop. I do not see that behaviour with the gnome-flashback (compiz) desktop manager or enlightenment e17.

Also the kupfer launcher shows a similar problem to a lesser degree with unity (see the window edges of the kupfer launcher on the screenshot).

So still, I don't see a reason to remove the synapse package from the Trusty Tahr repository.

[netrick (netrick)]

Generally we can say Unity has its own launcher and *usually* Synapse is used by people using other DEs (like LXDE, Mate, Gnome fallback, E17, OpenBox etc). So that's another point to have it in Trusty despite some problems that only occurs in Unity.

[Cavia Porcellus (caviaporcellus)]

Yes, it should still be included. I just thought that this might be the reason it has yet to be packaged. I use Unity but love Synapse... hopefully this can all be fixed.

[Cavia Porcellus (caviaporcellus)]

The graphical bug affects other programs as well, if anyone is interested:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1291693

[Sergio Rubio (rubiojr)]

FWIW, there's a package for Trusty available here: https://launchpad.net/~synapse-core/+archive/testing

[netrick (netrick)]

@Sergui Rubio

The package from that PPA, unlike the 13.10 .deb of Synapse, is bugged and doesn't work on my Lubuntu 14.04 so I wouldn't call it a solution. However the version from 13.10 official repos works great (except that Unity-only graphical bug) so that "official" version should be packaged for 14.04.

[netrick (netrick)]

It has been removed from debian repos (which ubuntu is based on) because it is based on old vala version. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=709727

Seems like developers abandoned that amazing piece of software... They need to make synapse build with vala 0.20 and they can have it back in debian repos.

[said el (said-el)]

Please guys is there anybody here who could re-build synapse with the new Vala , Gnome do and lunchy are really sucks , i love synapse

[vehka (heikki-wilenius)]

Yes, Synapse is sorely needed. It's just very noticeably faster than Dash, even on a modern computer. I've been using Dash now exclusively for a few weeks, but I can't get used to it, it's just too slow for launching apps.

[Luca Saba (lucasaba)]

Just update Ubuntu and the first thing I noticed was Synapse missing :(
It is blazingly fast compared to the others!

[Francisco Cribari (cribari)]

Synapse is missing in 14.04!

[Mario Pareja (mpareja)]

I've installed the bleeding edge version of Synapse which seems to be working fine. I used a PPA:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:synapse-core/testing
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install synapse

[Nick B (declension)]

@mpareja - That works perfectly for me.
Thanks!

[Matthieu JOOSSEN (amgie)]

Hi,
That works for me too, but I have a problem with shortcuts.
When I change activate shortcut from "<Shift>space" to "<Shift><Control>space" the change is made in the config file (~/.config/synapse/config.json).
But when I reboot my reboot my computer, the activate shortcut stay "<Shift>space" whereas the config file contains "<Shift><Control>space".
Am I alone with this bug ?

[Jonathan Yip (helkaluin)]

Is there no devs who are interested in continuing this amazing project?

Synapse manages to search more (useful) stuff than Unity Dash and Gnome Shell Dash, and yet use so little resource and is so fast that it'll be a shame if this project just dies.

[dreamon (db4mt)]

Same here. Changes in keyboard is saved in ~/.config/synapse/config.json. but were not loaded at start.

[Toon Nolten (toonn)]

I upgraded to ubuntu 14.04 today and I was surprised the synapse package was removed. I followed the advice in the bug description and now synapse is running without problems (no box with shading in unity).

Matthieu JOOSSEN, dreamon: I had a problem with the configuration of the activation shortcut when I installed synapse from the "bleeding edge" ppa, I had no such problem with the deb from saucy.

[Andy Balaam (mail-artificialworlds)]

I was able to install the Saucy (13.10) version by clicking the amd64 link on this page: http://packages.ubuntu.com/saucy/synapse and it works very nicely for me on Trusty (14.04).

[DrkJstr (drkjstr)]

I tried the testing PPA and was having issues with Synapse recognizing the hotkeys to open. I installed via Andy's suggestion, and the program appears to be working properly, running 14.04.

[Massimiliano Varani (max-varani)]

Thanks netrick for your suggestions (and Andy for the handy link :-)

I now have Synapse from 13.10 running fine on my LinuxMint 17 'Qiana' MATE RC 64 bit.

Hope someone will fix this, anyway.

[Oliver Bestwalter (3-oliver)]

I can confirm that synapse 0.2.10-2ubuntu3 downloaded from http://packages.ubuntu.com/saucy/amd64/synapse/download works with 14.04. I use the minmal i3 window manager (i3wm.org) and synapse is the perfect launcher. I especially like the ssh plugin, which gives me quick access to all my configured remote hosts.

[Samuele Rini (samuele-rini)]

Yes, the package suggested in the Bug Description works good (I'm on Mint-17, based on Trusty Tahr). Thanks guys!

[anatoly techtonik (techtonik)]

Erh.. Why it is not packaged??

[Jeremy Munsch (jeremy-munsch)]

According to this question it is because it was removed from debian repo and so from ubuntus.
https://answers.launchpad.net/synapse-project/+question/246635