diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4146edf..3a0e093 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <fstream>
 #include "Services.h"
 #include "Modules.h"
 #include "BashManager.h"
 using namespace std;
+namespace fs=filesystem;
 
 void help(char * argv0)
 {
@@ -60,35 +62,106 @@ int createUser(string serviceUsername)
     return 0;
 }
 
+string findCertificate(string serviceUsername)
+{
+    //this method searches for a specific ssl certificate for the service, either in dns or http directories
+    //it would be under a serviceUsername* folder and named fullchain.perm
+    //if none is found, it returns the dummy certificate
+
+    //searching is dns_certs_path
+    string dns_certs_path=getenv("dns_certs_path"); //dns_certs_path is an environment variable
+    //finding the serviceUsername* directory
+    string cmd="ls $dns_certs_path/"+serviceUsername+" | grep \"^"+serviceUsername+"\(-[0-9]\{4\}\)\?$";
+    string name = BashManager::ExecuteAndReadResult(cmd);
+    if (!name.empty()){
+        //finding the certificate
+        string cert = dns_certs_path+"/"+name+"/fullchain.pem";
+        if (fs::exists(cert)){
+            return cert;
+        } else {
+            cout << "No certificate in " << dns_certs_path << endl;
+        }
+    } else {
+        cout << "No certificate in " << dns_certs_path << endl;
+        //searching in http_certs_path
+        string http_certs_path=getenv(("http_certs_path")); //http_certs_path is an environment variable
+        //finding the serviceUsername* directory
+        string cmd="ls $http_certs_path/"+serviceUsername+" | grep \"^"+serviceUsername+"\(-[0-9]\{4\}\)\?$";
+        string name = BashManager::ExecuteAndReadResult(cmd);
+        if (!name.empty()){    
+            //finding the certificate 
+            string cert = http_certs_path+"/"+name+"/fullchain.pem";
+            if (fs::exists(cert)){
+                return cert;
+            } else {
+                cout << "No certificate in " << http_certs_path << endl;
+            }
+        } else {
+            cout << "Using dummy certificate" << endl;
+            return getenv("dummy_cert_path");
+        }
+
+    }
+}
+
 int createEnvService(string serviceUsername)
 {
+    //this method creates the environment variables of the service as well as its directories 
     Services services;
-    //create directories
-    //filesystem::create_directories() 
+    //environment variables creation
     string http_dir="/srv/http/"+serviceUsername;
     string data_dir="/data/"+serviceUsername;
     string secret_dir="/data/secrets/"+serviceUsername;
     string docker_dir="/services/"+serviceUsername;
     string jc_service=serviceUsername;
     string home="/data/"+serviceUsername;
-    string net="172.29."+services.FindByUsername(serviceUsername)->GetUserID();
-    /*
-    "HTTP_DIR='/srv/http/$service'" "$dir/.env"
+    string jc_id=to_string(services.FindByUsername(serviceUsername)->GetUserID());
+    string net="172.29."+jc_id;
+    string jc_cert=findCertificate(serviceUsername);
 
-	cert="$(findcert.sh "$service")" || true
-	if [ -n "$cert" ] ; then
-		line_in_file "JC_CERT='$cert'" "$dir/.env"
-	fi*/
+    //create a .env file accessible outside the C++ program
+    string file = "/services/"+serviceUsername+"/.env";
+    ofstream outfile(file);
+    outfile << "http_dir=" << http_dir << endl;
+    outfile << "data_dir=" << data_dir << endl;
+    outfile << "secret_dir=" << secret_dir << endl;
+    outfile << "docker_dir=" << docker_dir << endl;
+    outfile << "jc_service=" << jc_service << endl;
+    outfile << "home=" << home << endl;
+    outfile << "jc_id=" << jc_id << endl;
+    outfile << "net=" << net << endl;
+    outfile << "jc_cert=" << jc_cert << endl;
 
-    /*
-    run mkdir -p "$DATA_DIR" "$HTTP_DIR"
-	run chown $uid "$DATA_DIR"
-	run chmod 751 "$DATA_DIR"
-	run chown $uid:www-data -R "$HTTP_DIR"
-	if [ -d "$SECRET_DIR" ] ; then
-		run chown $uid "$SECRET_DIR" -R
-		run chmod 751 "$SECRET_DIR" -R
-	fi*/    return 0;
+    //setting the environment variables for all the shell commands called in this C++ programm
+    setenv("http_dir",http_dir.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("data_dir",data_dir.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("secret_dir",secret_dir.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("docker_dir",docker_dir.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("jc_service",jc_service.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("home",home.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("jc_id",jc_id.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("net",net.c_str(),1);
+    setenv("jc_cert",jc_cert.c_str(),1);
+
+    //create the directories
+    //data_dir
+    fs::create_directories(data_dir);
+    if (chown(data_dir.c_str(), (unsigned int)stoi(jc_id),(unsigned int)stoi(jc_id)) != 0) {
+        cerr << "Error changing ownership of" << data_dir << endl;
+        return -1;
+    }
+    fs::permissions(data_dir,fs::perms::owner_all|fs::perms::group_read|fs::perms::group_exec|fs::perms::others_exec,fs::perm_options::replace);
+    //http_dir
+    fs::create_directories(http_dir);
+    string cmd="chown "+ jc_id +":www-data -R "+http_dir;
+    BashManager::Execute(cmd); 
+    //secret_dir
+    if (chown(secret_dir.c_str(), (unsigned int)stoi(jc_id),(unsigned int)stoi(jc_id)) != 0) {
+        cerr << "Error changing ownership of" << secret_dir << endl;
+        return -1;
+    }
+    fs::permissions(secret_dir,fs::perms::owner_all|fs::perms::group_read|fs::perms::group_exec|fs::perms::others_exec,fs::perm_options::replace);
+   return 0;
 }
 
 int removeEnvService()
@@ -197,7 +270,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         return -1;
     } else {
         //check that data is mounted on the server
-        if (!(filesystem::exists("/data/mounted"))) {
+        if (!(fs::exists("/data/mounted"))) {
             cerr << "Error. The data is not mounted on the server" << endl;
             return -1;
         } else {
diff --git a/testenv/services/test.sh8s.sh/deploy_user.sh b/testenv/services/test.sh8s.sh/deploy_user.sh
index 33d20c1..baddc29 100755
--- a/testenv/services/test.sh8s.sh/deploy_user.sh
+++ b/testenv/services/test.sh8s.sh/deploy_user.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -euo pipefail
 #git_update.sh -r -d "$HTTP_DIR" "$GIT_SOURCE_REPO"
-touch done2
+