I’m in AlmaLinux 10, where I put my backup data; it’s my home LAN server with no interaction outside the private network. CUMBLIDATE is the name of the machine.
If I start syncthing as a regular process from command-line, everything works fine: I can sync my phone and my laptop. But I cannot start syncthing as a service. This is the output of journalctl -xeu in my server (thru SSH):
$ sudo journalctl -xeu syncthing@myuser.service
░░ Subject: Process /usr/bin/syncthing could not be executed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: Help and Support | AlmaLinux Wiki
░░ The process /usr/bin/syncthing could not be executed and failed.
░░ The error number returned by this process is 13.
Jan 29 21:12:33 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Main process exited, cod>
░░ Subject: Unit process exited
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ An ExecStart= process belonging to unit syncthing@myuser.service has exited.
░░ The process’ exit code is ‘exited’ and its exit status is 203.
Jan 29 21:12:33 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Failed with result 'exit>
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ The unit syncthing@myuser.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result 'exit-cod>
Jan 29 21:12:35 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Scheduled restart job, r>
░░ Subject: Automatic restarting of a unit has been scheduled
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Automatic restarting of the unit syncthing@myuser.service has been scheduled, as the r>
░░ the configured Restart= setting for the unit.
Jan 29 21:12:35 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Start request repeated t>
Jan 29 21:12:35 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Failed with result 'exit>
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support:
░░
░░ The unit syncthing@myuser.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result 'exit-cod>
Jan 29 21:12:35 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: Failed to start syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthi>
░░ Subject: A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support:
░░ A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has finished with a failure.
░░ The job identifier is 908036 and the job result is failed.
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Start request repeated t>
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Failed with result 'exit>
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ The unit syncthing@myuser.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result 'exit-code>
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: Failed to start syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthi>
░░ Subject: A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has finished with a failure.
░░ The job identifier is 908218 and the job result is failed.
lines 1370-1395/1395 (END)
░░ The unit syncthing@myuser.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘exit-code’.
Jan 29 21:12:35 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: Failed to start syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthing - Open Source Continuous File Synchronization for myuser.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has finished with a failure.
░░ The job identifier is 908036 and the job result is failed.
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support:
░░
░░ The unit syncthing@myuser.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘exit-code’.
Jan 29 21:12:52 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: Failed to start syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthing - Open Source Continuous File Synchronization for myuser.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ A start job for unit syncthing@myuser.service has finished with a failure.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 908218 and the job result is failed.
There are other services working OK in my home-server, so systemctl itself is not the problem.
I managed to connect all three nodes (home server, laptop, phone). The connection to the non-GUI home server was no fuzz at all, but it was done when syncthing was running as a command-line process.
I followed this guide for the server part: How to Install Syncthing on AlmaLinux 9 .
After rebooting the home-server, this is the status:
$ sudo systemctl status syncthing@myuser.service
× syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthing - Open Source Continuous File Synchronization for >
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/syncthing@.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2026-01-29 21:43:18 CST; 13min ago
Duration: 41ms
Invocation: c156c45592b94c2db3063183338f88ff
Docs: man:syncthing(1)
Process: 1360 ExecStart=/usr/bin/syncthing serve --no-browser --no-restart --logflags=0 →
Main PID: 1360 (code=exited, status=203/EXEC)
Jan 29 21:43:18 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Scheduled restart job, r>
Jan 29 21:43:18 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Start request repeated t>
Jan 29 21:43:18 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: syncthing@myuser.service: Failed with result 'exit>
Jan 29 21:43:18 CUMBLIDATE systemd[1]: Failed to start syncthing@myuser.service - Syncthi>
lines 1-13/13 (END)