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[GH-ISSUE #959] Barrier without admin rights, is it even possible ? #770

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opened 2026-05-05 07:03:04 -06:00 by gitea-mirror · 6 comments

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:04 -06:00

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Originally created by @ChristopheClaustre on GitHub (Nov 24, 2020).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier/issues/959

Hi everyone,

I want to use Barrier in an environment where not all users have admin rights.
Is there a way to have a barrier version (and installer) without admin rights ?
Is it even possible ? At least for client ?

Configuration

Server: Windows 7 64b Pro with admin rights, connected by ethernet
Client: Windows 10 64b Pro without admin rights, connected by WIFI
Barrier version: v2.3.3

My rooter see both computers.

What I tried

I installed it on server without any problems, then zip and send the installation folder to my client.
The result is that this nasty version on client keep blocking on "Barrier is starting.", while spamming in the log the following errors:

[2020-11-24T15:32:12] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused
[2020-11-24T15:32:13] INFO: connecting to service...
[2020-11-24T15:32:15] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused
[2020-11-24T15:32:16] INFO: connecting to service...
[2020-11-24T15:32:18] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused
[2020-11-24T15:32:19] INFO: connecting to service...

It spams those errors even when I "Stop" the connection.
I suppose that "connecting to service" is specific to the client computer and not dependent of server's barrier potential dysfunction ^^"

Hope someone can help me ;)

Originally created by @ChristopheClaustre on GitHub (Nov 24, 2020). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier/issues/959 Hi everyone, I want to use Barrier in an environment where not all users have admin rights. Is there a way to have a barrier version (and installer) without admin rights ? Is it even possible ? At least for client ? ## Configuration - Server: Windows 7 64b Pro with admin rights, connected by ethernet - Client: Windows 10 64b Pro without admin rights, connected by WIFI - Barrier version: v2.3.3 My rooter see both computers. ## What I tried I installed it on server without any problems, then zip and send the installation folder to my client. The result is that this _nasty_ version on client keep blocking on "Barrier is starting.", while spamming in the log the following errors: ``` [2020-11-24T15:32:12] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused [2020-11-24T15:32:13] INFO: connecting to service... [2020-11-24T15:32:15] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused [2020-11-24T15:32:16] INFO: connecting to service... [2020-11-24T15:32:18] ERROR: ipc connection error, connection refused [2020-11-24T15:32:19] INFO: connecting to service... ``` It spams those errors even when I "Stop" the connection. I suppose that "connecting to service" is specific to the client computer and not dependent of server's barrier potential dysfunction ^^" Hope someone can help me ;)

gitea-mirror closed this issue

2026-05-05 07:03:06 -06:00

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:11 -06:00

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@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2020):

By using the command-line versions (barrierc.exe and barriers.exe), documented here you will be able to run both client and server without admin. There are some limitations when running barrier without admin, e.g. you will loose "control" if any elevated windows are active or if UAC prompts appear, but other than that it works.

I have a pull requestion for the wiki page which describes the command line version a bit more, with added details about minimal copy install of command line client/server, configuring local configuration, manually generating encryption certificate etc. See https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md.

@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2020): By using the command-line versions (barrier**c**.exe and barrier**s**.exe), documented [here](https://github.com/debauchee/barrier/wiki/Command-Line) you will be able to run both client and server without admin. There are some limitations when running barrier without admin, e.g. you will loose "control" if any elevated windows are active or if UAC prompts appear, but other than that it works. I have a [pull requestion](https://github.com/debauchee/barrier-wiki/pull/5) for the wiki page which describes the command line version a bit more, with added details about minimal copy install of command line client/server, configuring local configuration, manually generating encryption certificate etc. See https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md.

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:14 -06:00

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@ChristopheClaustre commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020):

Thanks for your answer. It helped a lot :)

My problem seems to be that my client can't use OpenSSL without admin rights and on this computer i can't have them. So I disabled ssl encryption on server and now it's working ! Thank you for your help.

By the way, you should consider distributing command line only installer ;)
It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder.

Thanks for all your hard work since synergy became paying ;)

@ChristopheClaustre commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020): Thanks for your answer. It helped a lot :) My problem seems to be that my client can't use OpenSSL without admin rights and on this computer i can't have them. So I disabled ssl encryption on server and now it's working ! Thank you for your help. By the way, you should consider distributing command line only installer ;) It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder. Thanks for all your hard work since synergy became paying ;)

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:18 -06:00

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@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020):

By the way, you should consider distributing command line only installer ;)

I agree!

It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder.

In the meantime, you can extract all files from the installer using command line utility innounp, and then create your own copy-install package without installing it somewhere first.

My problem seems to be that my client can't use OpenSSL without admin rights.

You can't run the openssl executable, to generate certificate? Or barrier executable can't use openssl libraries? If it is the first, I found that when creating cert openssl wants to create file C:\.rnd, which requires admin, but can be avoided by setting environment variable RANDFILE, as in my example here: https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md#generating-certificate-and-fingerprint

@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020): > By the way, you should consider distributing command line only installer ;) I agree! > It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder. In the meantime, you can extract all files from the installer using command line utility [innounp](http://innounp.sourceforge.net/), and then create your own copy-install package without installing it somewhere first. > My problem seems to be that my client can't use OpenSSL without admin rights. You can't run the openssl executable, to generate certificate? Or barrier executable can't use openssl libraries? If it is the first, I found that when creating cert openssl wants to create file `C:\.rnd`, which requires admin, but can be avoided by setting environment variable RANDFILE, as in my example here: https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md#generating-certificate-and-fingerprint

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:21 -06:00

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@ChristopheClaustre commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020):

It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder.

In the meantime, you can extract all files from the installer using command line utility innounp, and then create your own copy-install package without installing it somewhere first.

Didn't know this software, seems useful but still it is not really user-friendly ^^"

You can't run the openssl executable, to generate certificate? Or barrier executable can't use openssl libraries? If it is the first, I found that when creating cert openssl wants to create file C:.rnd, which requires admin, but can be avoided by setting environment variable RANDFILE, as in my example here: https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md#generating-certificate-and-fingerprint

Okay, I spoke too soon ^^".
The server part was okay as I am using UI version ^^" (I have admin rights here).
On the client, I updated my TrustedServers.txt and now it's working with encryption.

But still it doesn't work with UI on client. I get the same error than on my first post. Don't know why.

@ChristopheClaustre commented on GitHub (Dec 7, 2020): > > It's note really user-friendly to install on another computer and transfer the install folder. > > In the meantime, you can extract all files from the installer using command line utility innounp, and then create your own copy-install package without installing it somewhere first. Didn't know this software, seems useful but still it is not really user-friendly ^^" > You can't run the openssl executable, to generate certificate? Or barrier executable can't use openssl libraries? If it is the first, I found that when creating cert openssl wants to create file C:\.rnd, which requires admin, but can be avoided by setting environment variable RANDFILE, as in my example here: https://github.com/albertony/barrier-wiki/blob/local_config/Command-Line.md#generating-certificate-and-fingerprint Okay, I spoke too soon ^^". The server part was okay as I am using UI version ^^" (I have admin rights here). On the client, I updated my TrustedServers.txt and now it's working with encryption. But still it doesn't work with UI on client. I get the same error than on my first post. Don't know why.

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:26 -06:00

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@plessbd commented on GitHub (Dec 24, 2020):

I know this is closed, but there is an easier way to get the programs without extracting the installer.
Use the Azure pipelines

https://dev.azure.com/debauchee/Barrier/_build?definitionId=1&_a=summary
click on one of the builds
Under Related click the second item (looks like a package ans says # published)
Then I use windows release

This will give you a zip file.

@plessbd commented on GitHub (Dec 24, 2020): I know this is closed, but there is an easier way to get the programs without extracting the installer. Use the Azure pipelines 1. https://dev.azure.com/debauchee/Barrier/_build?definitionId=1&_a=summary 1. click on one of the builds 1. Under Related click the second item (looks like a package ans says # published) 1. Then I use windows release This will give you a zip file.

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 07:03:28 -06:00

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@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 25, 2020):

True. I am considering those beta builds, though.

@albertony commented on GitHub (Dec 25, 2020): True. I am considering those beta builds, though.