Mapped drive or network path with Duplicati service

[katobalano]

Hi friends,

When I install and run Duplicati in Tray icon mode, I can see the network mapped drives or add network path directly. But after switching to Duplicati service installed (as JonMikelV posted Migrating from User to Service install on Windows), all of those missing and failed to access.

So how can I fixed that, please recommend some advices

Thanks and best regards,

[ts678]

Welcome to the forum @katobalano

@katobalano

all of those missing

I think the main problem is that you’re no longer in your old user session, but SYSTEM (presumably you found that your own user lacked enough access).

Is this an open share (a bit dangerous, but some home users might do that)?

@katobalano

add network path directly.

Typing UNC path (starts with double blackslash)? Or do you use drive letters?

Is this Source or Destination? I think SYSTEM service gets difficult either way.

@marceloduplicati

We are currently working on a CIFS Backend currently in PR review and tests and it should be available soon on a canary release.

With the new backend you won’t need the share mounted/mapped, instead you will configure the share credentials and Duplicati will connect directly to it without.

is still only in Canary (testing) releases, but if normal means (e.g. on Destination, type the UNC path and maybe enter Username and Password) fail, it might help.

Surprising to me (but nice to see), it’s even documented in the user manual now.

CIFS (aka SMB) Destination

I’m wishing the new code put the emphasis on SMB, as CIFS is kind of obsolete.

[katobalano]

Thank you ts678 for your reply

@ts678

Typing UNC path (starts with double blackslash)? Or do you use drive letters?

I tried both UNC (start with double backslash) and mapped drive letter: In Tray icon mode it’s ok, but run as service it isn’t.

@ts678

Is this Source or Destination?

This is Source, my Destination is fixed drive

@ts678

Is this an open share

No, shared with permission was set.

@ts678

I’m wishing the new code put the emphasis on SMB, as CIFS is kind of obsolete.

I’m reading for that, thanks for your news

[ts678]

To clarify, the new code should do both CIFS (obsolete) and many SMB, AFAIK.

https://github.com/TalAloni/SMBLibrary

“Free, Open Source, User-Mode SMB 1.0/CIFS, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0”

Maybe one of the Duplicati people involved with it can say if there’s another way.

At least several other posts make me think a SYSTEM service is currently tough.

[kenkendk]

@katobalano

I tried both UNC (start with double backslash) and mapped drive letter: In Tray icon mode it’s ok, but run as service it isn’t.

Most likely the credentials are not working because you are outside you user context. Not sure how well Windows handles mounting shares in the system context, so that may be the problem.

@katobalano

This is Source, my Destination is fixed drive

I have recently introduced this, but it is still a bit clunky to use.
You need canary build 2.1.0.110 or newer.

Then edit the backup, and on the source page click the three dots to the right, and choose “Show advanced editor”:

In here type in the information in this format:

You can have multiple paths in there as needed.
What the @ symbol does is treat the path as a “virtual mount”.
So a setup such as:

@X:\mount|cifs://server/share/folder?auth-username=username&auth-password=password

Makes it appear as if the share folder was mounted on X:\mount.
You can choose any mount point you like, and you can “mount” as many remote sources as you like.

This also works for S3 and SSH connections.

[katobalano]

Thanks kenkendk,

@kenkendk

Most likely the credentials are not working because you are outside you user context

Maybe this is the problem, the services is running as LocalSystem account.

@kenkendk

@X:\mount|cifs://server/share/folder?auth-username=username&auth-password=password

Was this mount method works on Windows environment?

@kenkendk

Then edit the backup, and on the source page click the three dots to the right, and choose “Show advanced editor

I’ll try this today, then reply the results

[kenkendk]

@katobalano

Was this mount method works on Windows environment?

Yes, it works on all operating systems.

[marceloduplicati]

To clarify, the new code should do both CIFS (obsolete) and many SMB, AFAIK.

Indeed, in retrospect naming the backend SMB would be more appropriate.

Duplicati is using the SMB2Client so its for SMB 2.0, 2.1, and 3.x only.

“SMB” 1.0 CIFS has been in a deprecation process for a long time.

@kenkendk Do you recon a rename of the CIFS backend to SMB is still in time, since its only part of canary released?

[kenkendk]

@marceloduplicati

@kenkendk Do you recon a rename of the CIFS backend to SMB is still in time, since its only part of canary released?

Yes, we can do that.

We can do a dirty upgrade in Controller.cs where we do something like:

if (url.StartsWith("cifs://"))
{
  url= "smb://" + url.Substring("cifs://".Length);
  Log.WriteWarning("CIFS naming is deprecated, use smb:// instead");
}

Then we can remove that code after 1 or 2 canary builds.

[katobalano]

Hello @kenkendk,

@kenkendk

@X:\mount|cifs://server/share/folder?auth-username=username&auth-password=password

I try above on Duplicati - 2.1.0.5_stable_2025-03-04, the result as below:

With canary version (on Windows 10, datafile in C:\ProgramData\Duplicati) running as WindowsService, I got below error:

How should I try next?

[kenkendk]

@katobalano

I try above on Duplicati - 2.1.0.5_stable_2025-03-04, the result as below:

Yes, this is not support except on 2.1.0.110 or later.

@katobalano

How should I try next?

The error message indicates that you need to log in to Duplicati?

Also, for this setup, you probably want to use the button “Revert to NGAX” to get the previous UI.

[katobalano]

Thank you so much @kenkendk

@kenkendk

Also, for this setup, you probably want to use the button “Revert to NGAX” to get the previous UI.

Perfect, after Revert to NGAX then it works well.

It also works for now with UNC path when I change the service to run as specified user that have network share permission instead of LocalService.