Freefilesync 10.6 - Linux 18.04 Does not start

[maxz64]

This new version of Freefilesync 10.6, unified 32 bit and 64 bit does not either start: the program dies immediately.
System Ubuntu 18.04 64 bit

[Zenju]

What happens when you run it from the command line?

[maxz64]

The program silently dies: nothing different from that is detectable

[Zenju]

No output at all on the command line?

[maxz64]

Actually, I have tried launching the application from a devoted desktop icon and in that case no messages were available.

Now, following your suggestion, I tried running Freefilesync from command line console and the message is:

Error launching Bin/FreeFileSync_x86_64: No such file or directory [execv]

After that message, the program dies.

[Zenju]

What are your steps to reproduce this error (beginning after you've downloaded FreeFileSync_10.6_Linux.tar.gz)?

[maxz64]

Nothing special and anyway different from previous versions:
1) extracted FreeFileSync_10.6_Linux.tar.gz
2) from root account removed old versions of FreeFileSync and RealTimeSync executables and copied new FreeFileSync and RealTimeSync executables in folder /usr/bin
3) from root account removed old version of all files in folder /usr/share/FreeFileSync and copied all new files included in that folder in /usr/share/FreeFileSync
4) older versions, at this point, were alredy working and running
5) new version 10.6, at this point, does not start at all. Or saying differently, starts and dies immediately with the error message: "Error launching Bin/FreeFileSync_x86_64: No such file or directory [execv]"
6) QUESTION: I use a script, working for any other previous versions, to do steps 2 and 3. Might it be there the issue ? Did you change some file names or layout in folders ? Thanks

[Zenju]

Yes, the layout changes are what caused the previous error. All files are now expected to be in the same layout as they are shipping in FreeFileSync_10.6_Linux.tar.gz. The extraction location does not matter.

[maxz64]

Nice: this was the issue and now it works. Thanks. Unfortunately I missed you changed the layout. Did you write it somewhere ?

[Zenju]

The current layout has been this way for at least a couple of years. But there are unofficial FreeFileSync builds which use a different layout. The fact that latter worked (if it worked?) was more accidental.
Here's a related discussion: viewtopic.php?t=5750#p19010

[Karia]

Hi guys,

I've got the same problem. As I'm quite a noob with Ubuntu (and any other Linux distros as well), I followed these guidelines (as seen on this page: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1045412/how-to-install-freefilesync-on-kubuntu-18-04 - with tiny modifications for version 10.6):

# 1. Create ~/Software folder and download here
mkdir ~/Software
cd ~/Software
xdg-open https://freefilesync.org/download/FreeFileSync_10.6_Linux.tar.gz
# save to ~/Software

# extract the program
tar -xf FreeFileSync_10.6_Linux.tar.gz
cd FreeFileSync
# extract icons
unzip Resources.zip FreeFileSync.png RealTimeSync.png
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/
mv {FreeFileSync,RealTimeSync}.png ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/

# 2. Create shortcuts for current user
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/applications/

cat > ~/.local/share/applications/freefilesync.desktop << EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=FreeFileSync
Comment=Keep files and folders synchronized
Exec=FreeFileSync %f
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=FreeFileSync
MimeType=application/x-freefilesync-ffs;application/x-freefilesync-batch
Categories=Utility;FileTools;GTK;
StartupWMClass=FreeFileSync
StartupNotify=true
EOF

cat > ~/.local/share/applications/realtimesync.desktop << EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=RealtimeSync
Comment=Start synchronization in real time
Exec=RealTimeSync %f
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=RealTimeSync
Categories=Utility;FileTools;GTK;
MimeType=application/x-freefilesync-real
StartupNotify=true
EOF

# add it to PATH
echo "PATH=$PATH:$HOME/Software/FreeFileSync" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "PATH=$PATH:$HOME/Software/FreeFileSync" >> ~/.profile
source ~/.bashrc

Now, if I open the "Show Applications" menu and click one of the shortcuts created above, it looks like the program is going to start (the program name and a moving icon appears in the toolbar at the top of the screen), but it never actually starts anything, and also the name and the icon disappear from the toolbar after a couple of seconds. In the Applications log I can see the same error message which maxz64 described above:

Error launching Bin/FreeFileSync_x86_64: No such file or directory [execv]

If I start Terminal and type in the command FreeFileSync, it replies with the same error message. However, if I cd to Software/FreeFileSync directory created above, and then type in the same command, the program starts just fine (well, actually it does give an error message "Gtk-Message: 00:13:03.472: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module", to be exact, but this does not prevent the program from running).

If I use the Files application, open the Home/Software/FreeFileSync directory and double click the FreeFileSync icon there, the program starts quite normally then also.

So, what have I done wrong here? How should I fix the situation regarding the "layout change" zenju mentioned and regarding the procedure described above?

Thank you in advance!

best regards, Karia

[AlainDex]

@Karia
Hi, I've got the same issue, but I'm a newbie. So thanks for the help in finishing intalling, with the .desktop.

It finally worked. The only difference is that I put the full path in the exec line:
Exec=/opt/FreeFileSync/FreeFileSync %f

Two things you could solve easily for me:
1) The Icon is not showing
2) Is there a way to make a link on the Desktop. If I do a copy, it works fine, but I'd prefer a shortcut.

Thanks all...

[qbot101]

The current layout has been this way for at least a couple of years. But there are unofficial FreeFileSync builds which use a different layout. The fact that latter worked (if it worked?) was more accidental.
Here's a related discussion: viewtopic.php?t=5750#p19010

HI guys,

I've got the same problem, but I fixed creating a script in the same layout:
1. Create a script called "FreeFileSync1" in "/your/path/FreeFileSync/" with the following content:
# !/bin/sh
/your/path/FreeFileSync/FreeFileSync

2. Make a SymLink for Easy Launching
sudo ln -s /your/path/FreeFileSync/FreeFileSync1 /usr/local/bin/FreeFileSync

In this way all files will be executed in the same layout as expected.

[tom8857]

Is there maybe some easier way to install it on ubuntu?

I am a complete noob and new with the PI and are not so really able to follow the Post from Karia.

I have since few years FFS on my Win PC and are happy with it, just want to move to the PI, but ... not clever enough for it :D

[tom8857]

Really nobody? :(