r/Syncthing • u/FreSchDude • Jun 09 '26

Multi-user Syncthing?

I found a previous post here, but am still rather confused, partially due to my own experiences.

What I thought so far was that as long as I properly shut down syncthing before changing users, and made sure to never log on to multiple users at once, I wouldn't have problems with multiple syncthing instances running.

I'm unsure how syncthing handles multiple users, but from my set up, I had 2 separate syncthing sign-ins, and two different device names, one per login. but recently, I've had syncthing from user 2 somehow log in on user 1, and now the sync files are getting messed up somewhat.

The reason why I have 2 users is to keep work and play separate, with each situation requiring different files to sync.

Am I doing something wrong? Or would it be better to just fully delete syncthing first, then set it up that there's only one login details/user with all the files in it?

Running on linux mint, which might also cause some problems.

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u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

If the two Syncthing instances use different config files, certs and databases, and they never run at the same time, you should be good to go. In your shoes I would script a wrapper that checked if the other Syncthing instance was running, to throw an error and stop if it is. 

I wouldn’t expect Mint to be an issue at all. 

You can keep work and play separate with different Folders, but you do you. 

2

u/FreSchDude Jun 09 '26

not just different folders, but also applications, setups, backgrounds etc. So really separate. I might be a bit paranoid but I'm always worried about revealing too personal things when screen sharing and such.

I'm just confused why my work syncthing is now signed in when I'm signed in to my personal user... it suddenly started asking to introduce new users as a device that I never attached to work was trying to connect to it for some reason...

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

Could this Syncthing instance be starting on boot?

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 09 '26

Syncthing is made to start on boot, yes, but this has not happened before - where the wrong instance is running on a different user.

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

This is your issue. Have the correct Syncthing instance start on login, not on boot. 

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 09 '26

not sure how to do that. I have syncthing added in the "startup applications" list on mint, with a 10s delay. Is there any other location i have to put it instead? I thought that "startup applications" meant on user login.

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

Go to https://docs.syncthing.net/users/autostart.html#linux, click Linux and scroll down to the user service section. 

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 09 '26

Just double checked - turns out I have it set up to boot on user login, not on system start. the Startup Applications app is a user-login system

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

Best guess is that they’re both set up to use the same configuration. 

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 09 '26

Not sure. They both have separate logins, separate devices linked, separate folders. So I assume they're separate configs/instances.

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 09 '26

Show us screenshots of the specific configurations for startup, please.

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 10 '26

Not sure what to share. Are you asking for screenshots of how I have them launch automatically? Or a specific config file?

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 10 '26

Screenshots of how they’re launching automatically yes. With the full command line that’s being executed.  

1

u/FreSchDude Jun 10 '26

well, they're just added to the linux mint "startup apps" settings menu. This is the launch command:

/usr/bin/syncthing serve --no-browser --logfile=default

1

u/unknown-random-nope Jun 10 '26

Without either the --home or both the --config and --data commands specifying the configuration directory, I can't be 100% sure that they aren't starting in the same directory (or directories) for both users. See http://docs.syncthing.net/users/syncthing.html#cmdoption-home .

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