---
title: Linux User Share
---

import LinuxShareInstall from '/../docs/guides/_linux-share-install.mdx'

## Overview

You can run any number of zrok share services as `systemd --user` units with your Linux user's zrok environment in `~/.zrok`. This is like [zrok frontdoor](/guides/frontdoor.mdx) except that frontdoor is a system service managed by root separately from your user's login. Linux user shares, Linux system services, and Docker shares all use the same configuration environment variables.

## Install the Linux Package

The package provides the `zrok` executable and service unit template.

<LinuxShareInstall />

## Create a User Share Configuration File

Substitute a name for your instance in place of `my-instance` in the following example. To avoid character escaping problems, use only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores in the instance name, not spaces or other special characters.

```bash
ZROK_INSTANCE="my-instance"
cp /opt/openziti/etc/zrok/zrok-share.env ~/.zrok/zrok-share@${ZROK_INSTANCE}.env
```

## Edit the User Share Configuration File

Edit the configuration file in `~/.zrok/zrok-share@${ZROK_INSTANCE}.env` as you would for [zrok frontdoor](/guides/frontdoor.mdx), except ignore the first section "ZROK ENVIRONMENT" because user shares re-use `~/.zrok` and do not need a separate zrok environment.

## Start the User Share Service

```bash
systemctl --user enable --now zrok-share@${ZROK_INSTANCE}.service
```

## Check the User Share Journal

```bash
journalctl --user -lfu zrok-share@${ZROK_INSTANCE}.service
```

## Add Another User Share

To create another user share, choose another instance name, copy the `zrok-share.env` file, edit the configuration file, and start the service.