# Alternate-destination-marker

**URL:** <https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556>\
**Category:** Features\
**Created:** [February 18, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556 "2018-02-18T17:20:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://forum.duplicati.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/1 "2018-02-18T17:20:05Z")

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Hi,

I know that duplicati currently has an option for alternate-destination-marker. What I’d really like to see is that when someone selects that option, it immediately offers to write that marker to the destination for them so that the destination that is currently accessible has that marker and is effectively “annointed” for duplicati backups.

I’m not sure if this is easy to implement or not but I just thought it might aid the USB external harddrive scenario in windows.

Regards,  
Stephen

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**Author:** ![JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/JonMikelV)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/2 "2018-02-18T19:11:11Z")

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I like the idea, though I think it would need more coding to get it working than it deserves…

I am a bit worried about the interface for it. Are you suggesting a manual “do it now” button or that when the setting is saved it checks the destination right then and offers to create if not found?

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**Author:** ![kenkendk](https://forum.duplicati.com/user_avatar/forum.duplicati.com/kenkendk/32/5305_2.png) [@kenkendk](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/kenkendk)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/3 "2018-02-18T20:02:17Z")

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I think it could be done during the “save” process. If the destination is “file” and the `--alternate-destination-marker` is set, check if the file is currently available, and ask to create it if not?

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**Author:** ![JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/JonMikelV)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 4:27am UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/4 "2018-02-19T04:27:52Z")

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I’d be worried about edge cases like editing a job when a different drive might happened to be attached at that drive letter.

If we could use drive ID though…

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**Author:** ![kenkendk](https://forum.duplicati.com/user_avatar/forum.duplicati.com/kenkendk/32/5305_2.png) [@kenkendk](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/kenkendk)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:15am UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/5 "2018-02-19T08:15:30Z")

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I was thinking that the file would only be written on the initial job creation?

For the drive-ID, that would be a new feature. I guess we could look at the destination, determine that it was a drive (checking for _removable_ drive was buggy when I last looked), and ask to fill in a new `--removable-drive-guid` option, or check it in case it was already filled.

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**Author:** ![JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JonMikelV](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/JonMikelV)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/6 "2018-02-19T15:41:18Z")

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> [@kenkendk](#):
>
> For the drive-ID, that would be a new feature.

Yeah - and it would come with it’s own potential issues.

> [@kenkendk](#):
>
> I was thinking that the file would only be written on the initial job creation?

That would probably handle most of my worries. (I’m assuming an import would be treated as a create and do the check.)

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**Author:** ![Stephen](https://forum.duplicati.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/Stephen)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/alternate-destination-marker/2556/7 "2018-02-24T08:21:37Z")

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Exactly @JonMikelV , when the setting is saved it checks the destination right then and offers to create if not found.

Thanks for considering this idea.  
Regards,  
Stephen