How to install tmux in Synology NAS Server

I was working on a project where my client wanted me to put all the crawlers and applications on his own Synology NAS. It was a new thing for me. He only knew that he was able to run containers on his server. The rest was my task to figure out. Among a lot of problems at each step of this project, I ran into this one too, so I am sharing it here.

Installing tmux on NAS can be frustrating.

To install tmux on a Synology NAS, you typically need to use ipkg or opkg because Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) doesn’t include tmux by default, and it uses a busybox-based system that lacks many common Linux utilities.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install tmux on a Synology NAS using opkg:

Step 1: Install Entware

1. Download and Install Entware:

   • Entware is a software repository for embedded devices like Synology NAS. It provides a package management system similar to apt on Debian or yum on CentOS.

   • You can download and install Entware by following these steps:

     wget -O - http://bin.entware.net/x64-k3.2/installer/generic.sh | /bin/sh

2. Initialize Entware:

   • After the installation script runs, it will set up Entware. You might need to add the Entware binary path to your PATH environment variable:

     echo 'export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile
     source ~/.profile

Step 2: Install tmux using opkg

1. Update the Entware Package List:

   • Ensure you have the latest package list:

     opkg update

2. Install tmux:

   • Now, you can install tmux:

     opkg install tmux

3. Verify Installation:

   • Check if tmux is installed correctly:

     tmux -V

   • You should see the version number of tmux if it was installed successfully.

Alternative Method: Using Docker

If you prefer not to use Entware or have trouble with it, you can use Docker to run tmux. Here’s how:

1. Ensure Docker is Installed:

   • Install the Docker package from the Synology Package Center if it’s not already installed.

2. Run a tmux Docker Container:

   • You can use an existing Docker image with tmux. Pull a lightweight image like Alpine Linux:

     docker run -it --rm alpine:latest /bin/sh

   • Inside the Docker container, install tmux:

     apk add tmux
     tmux

Troubleshooting

• Missing Commands: If you encounter errors like command not found, make sure that /opt/bin and /opt/sbin are included in your PATH.
• Permission Issues: Ensure you have root access or use sudo where necessary.
• Compatibility: Verify that your Synology NAS model supports Entware or Docker.

Summary

Installing tmux on a Synology NAS comes down to installing Entware and then using opkg. Entware also gives you a lot of other Linux utilities that DSM does not ship, so it is worth having anyway.