{"id":24018,"library":"matrix-synapse","title":"Matrix Synapse","description":"Synapse is the reference homeserver for the Matrix decentralized communication protocol. As of version 1.152.0, it requires Python 3.10+ and follows a rapid release cadence. This package provides the server backend, not a client library.","status":"active","version":"1.152.0","language":"python","source_language":"en","source_url":"https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse","tags":["matrix","server","chat","homeserver"],"install":[{"cmd":"pip install matrix-synapse","lang":"bash","label":"Install from PyPI"}],"dependencies":[],"imports":[{"note":"Synapse is a server package, not typically imported as a library. Use 'import synapse' only for internal modules.","wrong":"","symbol":"synapse module","correct":"import synapse"}],"quickstart":{"code":"# Synapse is a server application, not a library for direct import.\n# To run it, use the command line:\n# python -m synapse.app.homeserver --server-name my.domain --config-path homeserver.yaml --generate-config\n# For development, install and then start:\n# install via pip, then run:\n# synctl start\nprint('Synapse is a server; see https://matrix-org.github.io/synapse/latest/')","lang":"python","description":"Synapse is a server; quickstart shows how to generate config and run."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Ensure your environment uses Python 3.10 or later.","message":"Synapse 1.96 dropped support for Python 3.7 and 3.8; 1.110 dropped Python 3.9. Upgrade to Python 3.10+.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":">=1.96"},{"fix":"Use matrix-nio for client SDK: pip install matrix-nio","message":"Do not pip install matrix-synapse expecting a client library. Synapse is a server. For Python clients, use matrix-nio or matrix-client.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"all"},{"fix":"Review upgrade notes at https://matrix-org.github.io/synapse/latest/upgrade.html","message":"Configuration format changes between major versions; old config files may break. Especially the transition to YAML-only and removal of legacy options.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":">=1.0"}],"env_vars":null,"last_verified":"2026-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","next_check":"2026-07-30T00:00:00.000Z","problems":[{"fix":"Use matrix-nio: pip install matrix-nio; from nio import AsyncClient","cause":"Confusion between server package and client library. matrix-synapse does not provide a MatrixClient.","error":"ImportError: cannot import name 'MatrixClient' from 'matrix_client'"},{"fix":"Run: python -m synapse.app.homeserver --server-name my.domain --config-path homeserver.yaml --generate-config","cause":"synctl is not installed as a script; must be run from the source tree or use python -m synapse.app.homeserver.","error":"synapse module not found or python: can't open file 'synctl': [Errno 2] No such file or directory"}],"ecosystem":"pypi","meta_description":null,"install_score":null,"install_tag":null,"quickstart_score":null,"quickstart_tag":null}