This guide walks you through adding Syncthing’s official repository on Ubuntu 22.04, installing the latest stable binary, and configuring it to run automatically as a user‑specific systemd service so the web interface stays accessible at `http://localhost:8384`. It stresses the importance of importing the signing key first to avoid “NO_PUBKEY” errors and shows how to set up the repository entry with signed-by protection. After installation, you can launch Syncthing, open its UI, add a folder, and begin syncing right away, while optional tweaks like updating the systemd unit’s `PATH` or enabling HTTPS in the settings help keep it running smoothly on newer kernels or public networks. The whole process takes under ten minutes once the prerequisites are installed, making file sharing across devices quicker than your Wi‑Fi can deliver.

Install Syncthing on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS in Minutes

If you’ve ever tried to sync a folder across devices and ended up hunting through forums for the right package, this is your shortcut. You’ll add the official repository, install Syncthing, set it up as a systemd service, and be ready to share files faster than your Wi‑Fi can transmit them.

Step 1: Update Your System & Install Prerequisites

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl gnupg2 ca-certificates -y

The curl and GnuPG tools let you fetch and verify the repository’s signing key. Skipping that step means your system will happily install whatever package lands in /var/cache/apt/archives, which can be a recipe for getting a malicious or outdated binary.

Step 2: Add Syncthing’s Official Signing Key

curl -fsSL https://syncthing.net/release-key.txt | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null

This pulls the key over HTTPS, strips it from GPG’s ASCII armor format, and drops it into the directory where APT looks for trusted keys. Without this you’ll see a “NO_PUBKEY” error whenever you try to install.

Step 3: Add Syncthing’s Repository

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/syncthing-archive-keyring.gpg] https://apt.syncthing.net/ syncthing stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/syncthing.list

We’re telling APT to pull from Syncthing’s own mirror, not the default Ubuntu repos that ship an old 1.18 release. Trust me: a newer version brings performance tweaks and bug fixes you’ll thank yourself for later.

Step 4: Install Syncthing

sudo apt update
sudo apt install syncthing -y

The second apt update ensures the newly added repo is refreshed. The installation pulls in the latest stable binary and any required libraries.

Step 5: Run Syncthing as a Systemd Service

sudo systemctl enable --now syncthing@$(whoami).service

Running it under your user account keeps the UI accessible at http://localhost:8384. Enabling auto‑start guarantees that a reboot won’t leave your folders in limbo. If you prefer to run it globally, replace $(whoami) with root, but be aware of permission quirks on shared directories.

Step 6: Open the Web UI & Configure Your First Folder

Open a browser and go to < http://localhost:8384>. The first‑time wizard will ask you to set a name, accept the default listening port (22000), and choose whether you want to share data with other devices. Once you add a folder, Syncthing will create a local database file and start syncing immediately.

Real‑world tweak I’ve seen:

After a recent kernel update on my workstation, Syncthing would launch but never actually transmit data. The culprit was the systemd unit running under a user with an outdated $PATH. Adding /usr/local/bin to the unit’s Environment=PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin fixed the hiccup and kept things humming.

Step 7: (Optional) Secure Your Connections

If you’re syncing over public networks, consider enabling TLS. In the Web UI, go to Settings => Security => Enable “Use HTTPS for web interface” and upload a cert. It’s extra work but worth it if your files aren’t strictly private.

That’s all there is to it—Syncthing up and running on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS in less than ten minutes.