When I tried to install the Windows service using the INSTALL-ONLY parameter, it did not install, and I got the message “cannot start service from the command line or a debugger”
I removed the -ONLY, and then it installed, but the service did not automatically start immediately, as described in the Duplicati documentation (Service and WindowsService | Duplicati). Since that was what I was trying to acheive anyway, this did not bother me, but just FYI.
I “installed” Duplicati by downloading the .zip package and extracting the files to C:\Duplicati (v 2.1.0.5). My command line to install the service was:
I think the documentation is wrong. While the “From version 2.1.0.0 and forward” claim could possibly be a typo for 2.1.1.0, it’s also possible that it was confused by GitHub tagging errors.
For simple check, just run Duplicati.WindowsService.exe help to see no install-only. 2.1.1.0_experimental_2025-07-17 has it but was so early that a current Beta is preferable.
If you prefer to stay on 2.1.0.5_stable_2025-03-04 you can simply expect the old behavior.
As a side note to avoid the next possible issue, the rest of your command line looks suspicious because it seems (even in source) to be using curly typographic double quotes and sometimes typographic long dash. Use the keyboard double quote and keyboard double dash (minus key).
thinks it goes back to v2.1.0.0_experimental_2024-11-15, but it might be looking at GitHub tag.
says maybe the documentation claim should have looked at the branch. It lacks the new feature.
EDIT 1:
seems to follow from the theory. The executable will install itself as a service if it sees a request, otherwise it runs as a service. Giving an unknown command from CLI results in run try from CLI.