systemctl --user: manage your own services without sudo

updated 2026-10-24

tool: systemd
command: systemctl
flag: --user
default: --system: talk to the system service manager

systemctl --user talks to your own per-user service manager instead of the system one. Every systemctl command works with it (start, stop, enable, status, daemon-reload, list-units), but it manages units from your home directory, runs them as you, and needs no sudo. Without the option, systemctl uses --system, which the manual calls "the implied default".

Syntax

bash

mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user
cp myapp.service ~/.config/systemd/user/
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now myapp.service
systemctl --user status myapp.service
journalctl --user -u myapp.service -f

A user unit looks like a system unit, but its [Install] section usually targets default.target, because user managers have no multi-user.target:

~/.config/systemd/user/myapp.service

[Unit]
Description=My app (user service)

[Service]
ExecStart=%h/bin/myapp
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

--user, --system and --global

Option	Service manager	Unit files read from (main locations)
--system (default)	The system manager (PID 1)	/etc/systemd/system, /usr/lib/systemd/system
--user	Your user manager	~/.config/systemd/user, /etc/systemd/user, /usr/lib/systemd/user
--global	None (only with enable and disable)	Enables a unit in the global user configuration for all future logins of all users
--user --machine=alice@.host	alice's user manager	alice's user unit paths

The full user search path in systemd.unit(5) also includes $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS, $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and $XDG_DATA_HOME locations; ~/.config/systemd/user/ is the one to use for hand-written units.

Keep user services running: lingering

A user manager is started when you log in and stopped when your last session ends, so user services die with it. loginctl enable-linger changes that: in the words of the loginctl manual, a user manager is spawned for the user at boot and kept around after logouts.

bash

loginctl enable-linger              # for the calling user
sudo loginctl enable-linger alice   # for another user
loginctl disable-linger

Logs of user services

journalctl --user shows messages from your user services, and with it -u NAME is treated as a user unit. The journalctl manual notes that --user only works if persistent logging is enabled through Storage= in journald.conf.

Pitfalls

A unit created in ~/.config/systemd/user/ is invisible to plain systemctl; sudo systemctl start myapp reports Unit myapp.service not found. Add --user and drop sudo.
After editing a user unit run systemctl --user daemon-reload, not the system one.
User services cannot bind ports below 1024 or write system directories unless the system grants that; use a system unit with User= for those (see create a systemd service).

FAQ

Why does my user service stop when I log out?

The per-user service manager normally runs only while you have a session. Run loginctl enable-linger once for your user: a user manager is then started at boot and kept after logout, so services enabled with systemctl --user keep running.

Does sudo systemctl --user work?

It talks to root's user manager, not yours, because the command runs as root. Run systemctl --user as the user who owns the service; an administrator can reach another user's manager with systemctl --user --machine=alice@.host.

Where do I put the unit file for systemctl --user?

In ~/.config/systemd/user/ for your own units. Units for every user go in /etc/systemd/user/, and systemctl --global enable turns them on for all future logins.

Sources

commands · systemdCreate a systemd service for a script or app (.service file)Create /etc/systemd/system/myapp.service with ExecStart, run daemon-reload and enable --now. A minimal unit, Type= choices, restarts, and common mistakes.commands · systemdsystemctl enable --now: start a service and enable it at bootsudo systemctl enable --now NAME starts a service now and at every boot; disable --now undoes it. is-enabled states, mask, and the errors enable can print.commands · systemdjournalctl -u nginx -f: follow the logs of one systemd servicejournalctl -u NAME -f shows one service's log and follows new lines like tail -f. Add -n, --since, -b, -p err and --no-pager to filter by time and priority.errors · systemdFailed to start nginx.service: Unit nginx.service not found.systemctl prints Unit not found when no unit with that name is loaded: a typo, a missing package, a user unit, or a new unit file added before daemon-reload.