Feature Request: Allow changing the backup path easily in the AIO interface

[witzker]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Yes, it is. Currently, after the initial backup path is set, there is no straightforward or visible way in the AIO web interface to change this path later. During my setup on a Synology NAS, the default path was automatically set to a user's home directory (/volume1/homes/...), which is not the ideal location for system backups (e.g., /volume1/docker/...).
The current documented workaround (stopping all containers to reveal the input fields again) is not very intuitive. Manually editing the config.json file is also difficult and risky for many users, especially on systems with complex permissions like Synology DSM.

Describe the solution you'd like
It would be extremely helpful to have a clearly visible and always accessible button in the "Backup and restore" section of the AIO interface, for example named "Change backup location" or "Reset backup location".

Clicking this button should:

1. Warn the user that a new initial backup will be created at the new location.
2. Present the input fields to enter a new Local backup location and the Borg passphrase.
3. Allow submitting the new path while the containers are running, as it doesn't affect the running services, only future backups.

Describe alternatives you've considered
I have considered and tried:

• Looking for the option in the UI (not visible when containers are running).
• Trying to edit the config.json via SSH/WinSCP, which was very difficult due to system permissions on a Synology NAS.
• Recreating the master container with an environment variable, which feels like a very drastic step for such a simple configuration change.

Additional context
This feature would significantly improve the user experience, especially for users on non-standard systems like Synology, and would prevent users from being "locked in" with a suboptimal backup path they might have chosen during the initial setup. It would make the AIO interface more self-sufficient and reduce the need for complex command-line interventions.

Thank you for considering this improvement!

[szaimen]

Hi, I am not yet sure if this should be a first class feature. Will need to think about it for a while.

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During my setup on a Synology NAS, the default path was automatically set to a user's home directory (/volume1/homes/...)

For now, I am wondering how did that happen? We don't actually set the backup path automatically so maybe the auto fill feature of your browser or some external like a browser addon filled in this path?

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Also, as long as the first backup is not successful, you can always reset the backup location. Only when the initial backup is successfully done, there is no way via the AIO interface to reset it anymore currently which is intended to be a safe-guard...

[witzker]

Hi @szaimen,

Thank you for your quick reply!

Regarding the auto-filled path: I can confirm that this was not a browser auto-fill issue. I have set up multiple AIO instances for testing, and on a Synology NAS, the pre-filled suggestion in the input box consistently defaults to a path within the user's home directory (/volume1/homes/...). This seems to be a specific behavior on this platform, possibly due to how user permissions are handled. For a system service like Nextcloud, this is a suboptimal default.

You are right that the location can be reset before the first backup. However, the main problem arises after the initial setup. I strongly believe that allowing to change the backup location later should be a "first-class feature" for several critical, real-world scenarios:

1. Running out of space: As you mentioned, a user might realize their initial backup volume is too small. The current solution would be a complex manual migration of the entire Borg repository, which is very error-prone for average users. A simple "change location" button that handles this migration would be a massive improvement.

2. Hardware Changes / Adding a dedicated Backup Drive: A user might start with backups on the main drive and later add a dedicated, larger hard drive just for backups. They would need a simple way to point AIO to this new drive.

3. Migrating the Host System: If a user migrates their entire Docker host to a new machine (e.g., from a Synology to an ESXi server), the volume paths might change (e.g., from /volume1/docker/... to /srv/docker/...). The user needs an easy way to update the backup path in the AIO interface to match the new host's file structure after restoring the AIO instance.

The current "safe-guard" feels more like a restriction that forces users into complex command-line actions for very common administrative tasks. A simple button with a clear warning like "Warning: Changing this path requires re-initializing the backup. Are you sure?" would provide both safety and the necessary flexibility.

I hope you will reconsider this. This feature would make AIO even more robust and user-friendly.

Thank you!

[szaimen]

pre-filled suggestion in the input box consistently defaults to a path within the user's home directory (/volume1/homes/...)

I cannot tell where this comes from. I guess it is auto-filled from your browser. If you check the codebase, we don't have that string in the project: https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Anextcloud%2Fall-in-one+%22%2Fvolume1%2F%22&type=code

Apart from that, I add the feature request for this (Allow changing the backup path easily in the AIO interface) to #5251 in the meantime.

[witzker]

Apart from that, I add the feature request for this (Allow changing the backup path easily in the AIO interface) to #5251 in the meantime.

Right! Many THX