zrok/website/docs/get-started/set-up-agent.md

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5. Set up the agent	6

Step 5: Set up the agent

In this step, you'll set up the zrok agent—the recommended approach for always-on shares that need to survive terminal sessions and system restarts.

Why use the agent?

The foreground zrok2 share command in Step 4 stops the moment you close the terminal. The zrok agent runs in the background, manages all your shares and accesses as a single persistent process, and provides a web UI. When the agent is running, zrok2 share and zrok2 access commands delegate to it automatically. For a full explanation, see zrok agent overview.

Try the agent in the foreground

The foreground share from step 4 won't carry over to the agent—it started as its own process and the agent begins fresh. You can leave it running or cancel it; either way, you'll create shares through the agent separately.

To try the agent before installing it as a service:

1. Start the agent:

   zrok2 agent start
   

2. In another terminal, open the agent console:

   zrok2 agent console
   

   This opens the agent UI in your browser. You can create and monitor shares from there, or continue using the CLI.

Install the agent as a background service

For reliable, always-on shares, install the agent as a system service:

• Windows: Set up the Windows agent service
• Linux: Install the Linux agent package zrok2-agent
• Docker: Run the zrok agent in Docker

:::note A native macOS agent package is not yet available. macOS users can run zrok2 agent start in the foreground or use a third-party process manager. :::

For more detail on managing shares with the agent, see Manage shares with the agent.