Windows Service - open UI on different PC

[impet]

Hi

I have installed BTSync 2.3.1 on Windows 2008 R2 as a service running under SYSTEM account.

I can open UI in local browser (http://127.0.0.1:8888/gui/) but I am not able to manage this BTSync service instance remotely (from another PC, by typing in address line http://server_name:8888/gui/).

What I need to change in configuration to allow manage from different computer ?

[GreatMarko]

You'll need to run Sync with a config file, to enable it to listen on addresses other than 127.0.0.1.

For details of how to run Sync with a config file on Windows, please see this article, where you'll also find a sample config file.

The key part you'll need to specify in your config file is:

"webui" :
  {
    "listen" : "0.0.0.0:8888"
  ....
  }

(0.0.0.0 instructs Sync to accept connections to the UI from any IP address)

 

 

[impet]

6 hours ago, GreatMarko said:

You'll need to run Sync with a config file, to enable it to listen on addresses other than 127.0.0.1.

For details of how to run Sync with a config file on Windows, please see this article, where you'll also find a sample config file.

I do not see how to specify config file for BTSync running as Windows Service. Do you have any advice on this ?

[Helen]

name it sync.conf and put to storage folder - %appdata%\ BitTorrent Sync Service.  Restart Sync service. 

[kamborio]

I have been trying to make this work without any luck

Wouldn't it be easier to add an option on the UI?

[Helen]

kamborio,

What exactly fails? how have you been trying to make this works? what was your config? where exactly you put it? 

We'll consider adding it to UI.

[kamborio]

It doesn't seem to take the option of 0.0.0.0. So far no luck to try and connect remotely.

Using version 2.3.1 as a service.  Downloaded sample file. Made several changes and put in C:\ProgramData\BitTorrent Sync Service. Tried with sync.conf and btsync.conf. Service was restarted every change or rename.

Having the option on the UI would definitely make things easier.

[Helen]

kamborio,

Please put sync.conf to %appdata% \ BitTorrent Sync Service folder, not C:\ProgramData\BitTorrent Sync Service. 

Also, run the content of config file thru a json validator (any you can find in google) to make sure that the config itself is correct. 

And finally, note that webui will be access from a machine in LAN only. 

[kamborio]

8 hours ago, Helen said:

And finally, note that webui will be access from a machine in LAN only. 

Maybe I did manage to make it work BUT I wasn't trying to access it from LAN, which defeats the whole purpose.

Now that (at last) BitTorrent Sync can be installed as a service means that no longer it is necessary to logon to the server so it runs, hence in an ideal world why do we need to logon to the machine to change the settings if could be done remotely?

Whilst I can understand why you would implement such measures and they indicate how serious you are about security by locking down as much as possible the default installation, why don't you let advanced users to circumvent those security measures?

[RomanZ]

@kamborio The main thingie here is to put the sync.conf file to the "%appdata%\BitTorrent Sync Service" of the user which runs service, as %appdata% is different for every user in OS.

The "listen only loopback" behavior is default behavior for any WebUI installation of Sync - as you mentioned, by security reasons. So the default behavior just slipped into "Run as Service" feature.

Indeed, it is not convenient and the checkbox sounds much more straightforward solution. We'll put it in future plans - meanwhile, you can use the conf file workaround.

[kamborio]

3 hours ago, RomanZ said:

@kamborio We'll put it in future plans - meanwhile, you can use the conf file workaround.

Hi RomanZ,

Even if I make it work... I am still constrain by the "LAN only" constrain right? Anyway to circumvent that at this stage?

Something else, somehow related... If I want to run the service under another user account (let's say SYSTEM), how easy is to move the configuration files and databases from one account to the other one?

[Helen]

15 hours ago, kamborio said:

I am still constrain by the "LAN only" constrain right? Anyway to circumvent that at this stage?

right. No, at least with Sync means and settings, it's not designed so. perhaps you'll need to reconfigure your network and make a kind of a VPN tunnel to the machine where service runs, or access it via a remote desktop tool, so you'l be able to access WebUI remotely. 

15 hours ago, kamborio said:

If I want to run the service under another user account (let's say SYSTEM), how easy is to move the configuration files and databases from one account to the other one?

Copy them from one %appdata% to another. As Roman said, each user on PC has their own %appdata%. User SYSTEM has it in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming (or might be C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming, depends) .

But better to it the right way - either change the user in service properties, or define the necessary user when installing service. 

[kamborio]

10 hours ago, Helen said:

(1) right. No, at least with Sync means and settings, it's not designed so.

(2) perhaps you'll need to reconfigure your network and make a kind of a VPN tunnel to the machine where service runs, or access it via a remote desktop tool, so you'l be able to access WebUI remotely. 

(3) But better to it the right way - either change the user in service properties, or define the necessary user when installing service. 

(1) Actually, it is design to do so. You have built in the capability of accessing the UI remotely BUT you have capped it by hard coding from where you can access it. That's fantastic in terms of security but not giving the option of overriding it, make the feature useless under certain circumstances. I can only think that you are doing so you can now sell us your upcoming "Sync IT".

(2) I am well aware of what I need to know to circumvent your hard coding but it makes my life more difficult. You should be making my life (as an IT admin) easier, not harder.

(3) I may be wrong here but I do not remember the option of using the SYSTEM account when I installed it (at least version 2.3.1)

[RomanZ]

@kamborio 1) 2)It looks like there is some misunderstanding. There is no hard coded limitations or artificial capping. Sync's WebUI is pretty much standard HTTP server. By default it listens a loopback only for security purpose, but can be configured to listen all NICs (or some particular NIC). As a standard web server it can be accessed from outside of your LAN, and as admin of your net you'll need to take care of connectivity to WebUI port. Does it makes sense now or you expect something different?

3) Upon installing 2.3.x Sync prompts if you want to run it as service. If you agree, it will ask you the username which you want to run Sync under. If later your want to change it - you can do it in services.msc, though you'll need to take care to transfer Sync's service data (and take care of permissions, if necessary), otherwise you'll get an empty instance.

[koolhands]

has there been an update to this issue? i just purchased this pro version only so that i could run it as a service on my home server. i don't want to install chrome or firefox, this is the first thing I've tried to do and it seems like it could be fixed easily with a a paid programer.

Found that if you go ahead and install a browser, and log into the UI the setting is there to allow for other PC's to remote into this service

Edited April 13, 2017 by koolhands
found information myself

[Helen]

what issue? You can "allow remote access" from Sync web ui -> preferences -> weui tab.