I was hoping that someone here would be able to help me out. I am trying other install Synchronet on a Pi 5 with a M.2 HAT+. running the latest Pi OS (64-bit). I am using the directions found here: [https://wiki.synchro.net/howto :raspbian_install](https://wiki.synchro.net/howto:raspbian_install)

everything seems to be running well until I issue "make -f install-sbbs.mk SYMLINK=1" which runs for quite some time and then produces the following error:
filedat.c:36:10: fatal error: archive.h: No such file or directory
36 | #include <archive.h>
| ^~~~~~~~~~~
Any thoughts? Are there a different set of install instructions I should be following - or is there an easy fix for this error.
Thanks in advance!

---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: Help needed with new install
By: Mark Acierno to all on Fri Jan 02 2026 08:55 pm

I was hoping that someone here would be able to help me out. I am trying other install Synchronet on a Pi 5 with a M.2 HAT+. running the latest Pi OS (64-bit). I am using the directions found here: [https://wiki.synchro.net/howto :raspbian_install](https://wiki.synchro.net/howto:raspbian_install)

everything seems to be running well until I issue "make -f install-sbbs.mk SYMLINK=1" which runs for quite some time and then produces the following error:
filedat.c:36:10: fatal error: archive.h: No such file or directory
36 | #include <archive.h>
| ^~~~~~~~~~~
Any thoughts? Are there a different set of install instructions I should be following - or is there an easy fix for this error.

You need to install the libarchive-dev prerequisite which is listed on https://wiki.synchro.net/install:nix:prerequisites and linked to from that wiki page you posted.
--
digital man (rob)

Rush quote #62:
He's a restless young romantic, wants to run the big machine .. New World Man Norco, CA WX: 55.7øF, 94.0% humidity, 2 mph WNW wind, 0.07 inches rain/24hrs ---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Thank you for your assistance - and apologies for initially posting in the wrong place. I tired the command which i think is appropriate to install the prerequisites for the Pi:

sudo apt install build-essential perl zip git gdb libarchive-dev libncursesw5-dev libnspr4-dev libmosquitto-dev libsystemd-dev libcap-dev xorg-dev libsdl2-dev libgtk-3-dev libglade2-dev python3 python-is-python3 lrzsz gkermit


and received the following error:
Note, selecting 'libncurses-dev' instead of 'libncursesw5-dev'
Error: Unable to locate package libglade2-dev

Should I down load each package individually?

Thanks again

-Mark

---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net

Re: Help needed with new install
By: Mark Acierno to Digital Man on Sat Jan 03 2026 08:30 am

Thank you for your assistance - and apologies for initially posting in the wrong place. I tired the command which i think is appropriate to install the prerequisites for the Pi:

sudo apt install build-essential perl zip git gdb libarchive-dev libncursesw5-dev libnspr4-dev libmosquitto-dev libsystemd-dev libcap-dev xorg-dev libsdl2-dev libgtk-3-dev libglade2-dev python3 python-is-python3 lrzsz gkermit

and received the following error:
Note, selecting 'libncurses-dev' instead of 'libncursesw5-dev'
Error: Unable to locate package libglade2-dev

You can likely do fine without libglad2-dev, it's only need for the gtk/GUI utils that most sysops don't ever use.

Should I down load each package individually?

Usually not necessary, but if none of the packages install if any one of them can't be installed, then I suppose it's worth a try.
--
digital man (rob)

Synchronet/BBS Terminology Definition #73:
SIGHUP = Hangup signal sent to a process when its controlling terminal is closed
Norco, CA WX: 64.4øF, 77.0% humidity, 0 mph SSE wind, 0.05 inches rain/24hrs ---
þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net