Feature request: get the clock from network, instead of a local clock

[ts678]

@cowboy

This would be a major change of the way the backups are done, i.e. from datetime to file hash to check if a file has been changed.

I didn’t write the code, but I think any time change will get that file looked at:

2026-03-29 08:57:28 -04 - [Verbose-Duplicati.Library.Main.Operation.Backup.FilePreFilterProcess.FileEntry-CheckFileForChanges]: Checking file for changes C:\PortableApps\Notepad++Portable\App\Notepad++64\backup\webpages.txt@2026-02-04_220342, new: False, timestamp changed: True, size changed: True, metadatachanged: True, 3/28/2026 2:16:49 PM vs 3/21/2026 11:57:46 PM

That’s from a verbose log-file. Chances are high that a file saved with wrong clock will show a phony time change rather than happen to exactly hit prior time.

@cowboy

not based on time at all.

disable-filetime-check can make Duplicati not rely on the file time for its decision. Probably the price for this (if done for all files) will be high – having to read them.

I’m not sure you really need this, as usually another clue of file change will occur.