The "backup" command in smbclient is documented to toggle the backup intent flag sent to the server on directory listings and file opens. It appears to have no effect - the flag never reaches the wire. Verified with packet captures on both 4.19.5 and a 4.22.0 build from source. Environment: - Client: Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) - Reproduced on smbclient 4.19.5-Ubuntu (2:4.19.5+dfsg-4ubuntu9.7) and on 4.22.0 built from source (configure --prefix=/opt/samba422 --without-ad-dc --without-winbind --without-ldb-lmdb --without-pam --with-shared-modules='!vfs_snapper' --disable-cups) - Server: Windows Server 2019 file server, SMB 3.1.1 negotiated - Auth: NTLMv2 (no KDC reachable in this environment, falls back cleanly) - Service account holds SeBackupPrivilege on the target server - Target path is not in the account's NTFS ACL Steps to reproduce: 1. Confirm the server-side privilege works, using the kernel CIFS client with the same account, server and path: mount -t cifs //server/share/Folder /mnt/test \ -o credentials=/home/user/credentials,backupuid=0,rw Succeeds. Removing backupuid=0 makes the same mount fail with "mount error(13): Permission denied", which confirms backup intent is what makes it work rather than ordinary ACL access. 2. Attempt the equivalent with smbclient: smbclient //server/share -A /home/user/credentials -c 'backup; get Folder\Sub\test.txt' Result: NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED opening remote file \Folder\Sub\test.txt 3. Packet captures of both, same account, same server IP, same path, same SMB 3.1.1 dialect. mount.cifs with backupuid=0, SMB2 CREATE requests: Create Options: 0x00004000 Create Options: 0x00004000 Create Options: 0x00004000 Create Options: 0x00004000 Create Options: 0x00004000 Create Options: 0x00004001 Create Options: 0x00004000 smbclient with 'backup' toggled, SMB2 CREATE requests: Create Options: 0x00000001 Create Options: 0x00000000 Create Options: 0x00000040 The 0x4000 (FILE_OPEN_FOR_BACKUP_INTENT) bit is set on every create from the kernel client and on none from smbclient. Identical output on 4.19.5 and 4.22.0. Also checked: - Connecting directly to the file server instead of through the DFS namespace root - same result, so this is not DFS referral related. - Debug level 10 shows map_open_params_to_ntcreate logging create_options = 0x40 for the file open. - There is no -b / --use-backup-intent command line option in these builds; 'backup' as an interactive or -c command is the only way to reach this, and that is what was used. Expected: after toggling 'backup', subsequent opens should include FILE_OPEN_FOR_BACKUP_INTENT in create_options. Actual: the flag is never sent, and behaviour is identical with and without the toggle. Possible starting point: source3/client/client.c has a module-level "static bool backup_intent", while cli_smb2_create_fnum_send() in source3/libsmb/cli_smb2_fnum.c tests cli->backup_intent. If cmd_backup only updates the static and it is not propagated onto the cli_state used for the operation, that would produce exactly this behaviour. Note also that operations here go through cli_resolve_path(), which can return a different targetcli than the global cli. Pcaps for both cases available. Happy to test patches.