Installing SynKitab on Linux

Two downloads, one app. The .deb installs properly on Ubuntu and Debian. The AppImage is a single file that runs on any 64-bit distribution — Arch, Fedora, openSUSE and the rest.

Ubuntu and Debian the .deb

This is the one to pick if you are on Ubuntu or Debian: it adds SynKitab to your applications list and to "Open with" in your file manager.

# from wherever your browser saved it
sudo apt install ./SynKitab_amd64.deb

The leading ./ matters — without it apt looks for a package called "SynKitab_amd64.deb" in its repositories. To remove it later, run sudo apt remove synkitab.

Arch, Fedora, openSUSE and the rest the AppImage

One file, no installation. Your browser clears the executable bit when it downloads, so it needs setting once:

chmod +x SynKitab-x86_64.AppImage
./SynKitab-x86_64.AppImage

On Arch and Omarchy, AppImages need FUSE 2, which is not installed by default:

sudo pacman -S fuse2

Or skip FUSE entirely and let the AppImage unpack itself each time:

./SynKitab-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract-and-run

What it runs on

64-bit x86 only; there is no ARM build yet. Both downloads use your system's GTK 3, so a desktop that already runs GTK applications has everything it needs. On a very minimal install you may also want libsecret, which is what keeps you signed in.

If something goes wrong

Nothing happens when I run the AppImage. Almost always the missing executable bit or FUSE — the two commands above fix both. Run it from a terminal to see the actual error.

It asks me to sign in every time. SynKitab keeps your session in the system keyring. Make sure a keyring service is running and unlocked — GNOME Keyring on most desktops, KWallet on KDE. Minimal window managers often start without one.

"Open with SynKitab" is missing. The .deb registers it; the AppImage does not, because it is not installed anywhere. Use the .deb if you want SynKitab to be your default reader.

Read aloud and "send to another app" are not there. Correct — neither has a Linux implementation yet. "Save a copy" writes the file wherever you point it.