# Ubuntu - folder permissions (can't create .stfolder)?
**URL:** https://forum.syncthing.net/t/ubuntu-folder-permissions-cant-create-stfolder/27203
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [October 9, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/ubuntu-folder-permissions-cant-create-stfolder/27203 "2026-10-09T15:53:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ReticentRobot](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/ReticentRobot)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/ubuntu-folder-permissions-cant-create-stfolder/27203/1 "2026-10-09T15:53:45Z")
Hello, I found this other topic here ( [Need help please - setup issue - .stfolder: permission denied - #4 by chaos](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/need-help-please-setup-issue-stfolder-permission-denied/22769/4) ) but it doesn’t really answer the question I have and their setup is a bit different.
I just installed Syncthing on Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS using the documentation on how to add to Debian systems, and installed the repository and program from terminal. I then opened Syncthing from the gui and tried to add my first folder. That’s when I got the .stfolder creation permission denied error.
First, I’m not sure how to tell what user is running syncthing. I assume it’s just my own account since I opened it from the gui using ‘Start Syncthing’ and then the web gui option. If I check the folder that I’m trying to add to start syncing, I see the permissions are set like this:
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Oct 9 04:49 30ed69d0-69ed-4f3c-a0c7-2595ca545467
So, do I just need to make the owner of that folder be my own user account instead of root?
Also, do I need to do anything to make Syncthing start with my computer now? I wasn’t sure with the Debian repository install if I just needed to use ‘Start Syncthing’ the once and that’s it, or if I should follow the instructions to get it to run on startup with systemd or something else like that?
Thanks so much!
---
### Author:  [@chaos](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/chaos)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/ubuntu-folder-permissions-cant-create-stfolder/27203/2 "2026-10-09T16:51:20Z")
```plaintext
chaos@REDACTED:~$ ps -ef | grep syncthing
chaos 1181 930 0 Sep12 ? 00:00:06 /usr/bin/syncthing serve --no-browser --no-restart
chaos 1189 1181 0 Sep12 ? 00:29:11 /usr/bin/syncthing serve --no-browser --no-restart
chaos 136257 136216 0 11:47 pts/0 00:00:00 grep --color=auto syncthing
```
My username is chaos, `ps -ef | grep syncthing` will show the username that owns the Syncthing processes.
Your next move is to give the user that owns the two Syncthing processes access to the directory in question.
`sudo setfacl -R -m u:alice:rwx /path/to/directory`
Replace “alice” with the owner of the process for Syncthing. This command will give read, write and execute permissions to “alice” recursively (including subdirectories).
If you want Syncthing to start on boot, use:
`sudo systemctl enable --now syncthing@alice.service`
`sudo systemctl status syncthing@alice.service`
Again, replace “alice” with your actual username.
---
### Author:  [@ReticentRobot](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/ReticentRobot)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/ubuntu-folder-permissions-cant-create-stfolder/27203/3 "2026-10-09T17:01:44Z")
Perfect! Thank you so much.