How to use the `$HOME` environment variable in systemd service files

Question

I am trying to use the $HOME environment variable in the ExecStart. I tried many different things like $HOME and ${HOME} but nothing seems to be working

ExecStart=${HOME}/bin/some-binary

Anyone knows the correct format for this?

This is not allowed in `ExecStart=`. It must be a full path beginning with a `/`. — Michael Hampton, Aug 04 '16 at 19:37
If you want a service to use things in every user's homes, you want a user service, not a system service. — bviktor, Jan 04 '20 at 11:52

score 31 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 07 '17 at 23:38

31

I think this is what you're looking for: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.unit.html#Specifiers.

Specifically, %h should expand to the current user's home dir.

answered Nov 07 '17 at 23:38

Jack O'Connor

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According to the documentation you have provided, `%h` is the `user home directory`. But, in my case, `ExecStart` still requested the full path so I ended up typing it starting from the root. – Can Sürmeli Nov 15 '19 at 09:06
Using `%h` is probably not what you want. I've posted an alternate answer with details. – pR0Ps Jan 04 '20 at 11:20

score 13 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 04 '20 at 11:14

13

The full list of supported variables (called "Specifiers") is here: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.unit.html#Specifiers.

There is no specifier for the home directory of user the service is run as (the one specified by User=). There is only one for the user running the service manager.

From the link:

%h is the home directory of the user running the service manager instance. In case of the system manager this resolves to "/root". Note that this setting is not influenced by the User= setting configurable in the [Service] section of the service unit.

answered Jan 04 '20 at 11:14

pR0Ps

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Just to be clear, that means if I have a user unit, then `%h` most definitely is what I want to use because it will give me the equivalent of `$HOME`. – Cliff Apr 22 '20 at 20:05
1

Can confirm. %h resolves to $HOME for --user services. – Karl Pokus Apr 24 '21 at 21:21

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 15 '22 at 17:34

1

You could use

WorkingDirectory=~

and set relative paths.

answered Mar 15 '22 at 17:34

crabvk

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 07 '23 at 11:58

So, as the absence of practical examples in combination with comments makes a feeling like %h doesn't work (it does actually), here's a full example of a service that starts from HOME dir without hardcoding it.

Given a script ~/test.sh:

#!/bin/bash
echo hello

Creating a file ~/.config/systemd/user/test.service:

[Unit]
Description=Test

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=%h/test.sh

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

then executing a systemctl --user daemon-reload && systemctl --user start test will make it start and print Hello to the journal.

It uses the %h specifier mentioned in other answers and documented as a This is the home directory of the user running the service manager instance. […]. So unless you'll run your user service as another user, this should work.

Systemd versions tested:

systemd 253 (253.1-3-arch)
systemd 237.

How to use the `$HOME` environment variable in systemd service files

4 Answers4