As you have probably already discovered, you can install packages on your DSM through the Package Manager. Packages are like apps and using the package manager, you can download, install, update your packages. So whether you plan on using your NAS for hosting your own mail server, backing up all of the computers within your home or office, or maybe using the NAS to store all of your surveillance video from various IP camera’s. Yes you guessed it, there is an app for that… well in this case a “There is a package for that”.

Synology has given us access to a great deal of packages but there are many more that become accessible when you add additional package sources.

What is a Package Source?

Package sources are URL’s that point to additional packages that are hosted through the community. So with this one URL you can access all of the packages located at the given source. There are many excellent packages available out there whether you’re running Synology or Xpenology.

How to add new package sources

When you are ready to add new package sources, you will want click on the Package Center, once open you can click the settings tab at the very top.

Once you click settings you will see a new window open where you can edit the various settings within the Package Center. If you click the tab all the way on the right called “Package Sources” you will see a new window where you can add new sources.

In this window you can add various package sources one by one. The name field is not required and will be populated after you select OK. The Location field is where you will enter the URL for the source you want to add.

Once you have added all of your new sources you can view all of the new packages that are available by clicking on the “Community” link in the sidebar of the package center. Now you should have all new packages showing which are available for download!

For an extensive list of package sources along with the packages availabe within each source, go to this list