How can I store encfs6.xml in another location (and still make it detectable)?

Question

How can I make encfs4win search for the encfs6 file in another location?
I tried modifying the encfs_mount.cmd file at the end, like so:

set ENCFS6_CONFIG=c:/test1/.encfs6.xml 
%pathtoencfs%encfs -f -v -d "%crypt%" "%decrypt%"

where crypt = c:\test4 and decrypt = J:.

If I have the correct encfs6 file in c:\test4 then the volume mounts regardless of whether I add the set ... line. But if I move the encfs6 file in c:\test1 then the application will get to the point where it asks for the password and then kind of does nothing else and then I close it; the drive does not appear to be mounted. I'm sure the ENCFS variable is detected because if I use it like this: set ENCFS6_CONFIG=c:/test1/ I get something along the lines of "found config file c:\test1\ but failed to load" so the variable has some effect.

Thank you in advance.
edit1: BTW if you intend to test make sure you run all commands/ executable as admin

edit2: i tried on another pc .
I created and mounted the drive using a slightly modified version of the encfs_mount.cmd file

@echo off
rem Batch file for mounting encfs encrypted folders
title encfs: Mount an encrypted folder to a decrypted one


rem Check if Windows XP or Windows 7
rem XP: C:\Documents and Settings (or language specific folder)
rem 7: C:\Users

set oprsystem=%appdata:~3,5%
if %oprsystem%==Users (
  set ops=win7
) else (
  set ops=winxp
)

set ininumber=1
rem An ini file will be created for future access 
if not exist encfs.ini goto firsttime
set ininumber=0

rem List existing encrypted / decrypted folder pairs
echo Already existing encrypted / decrypted folder pairs:
echo.
for /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=µ" %%i in (encfs.ini) do (
  echo No.: %%i Name:             %%j
  echo  Encrypted folder: %%k
  echo  Decrypted folder: %%l
  echo.
)
echo.
echo Choose which pair should be mounted.
echo Type the corresponding number and press ENTER
echo Just press ENTER if you want to create a new pair.
echo.

set /p ininumber=Type number: 

set new=yes
for /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=µ" %%i in (encfs.ini) do (
  if %%i==%ininumber% (
    set crypt=%%k
    set decrypt=%%l
    set pair=%%j
    set new=no
  )
  set number=%%i
)

if %new%==no goto mount
rem Increment ininumber for new folder pair
set /a ininumber= %number% + 1 

:firsttime
rem First time use
rem Ask for folder locations

cls
echo Please enter the location for the folder
echo that will contain the encrypted files and press ENTER:
echo [e.g. d:\crypt - don't use a trailing backslash]
echo.

set /p crypt=

echo.
if %ops%==win7 echo Please enter the location for the drive
if %ops%==winxp echo Please enter the location for the folder
echo where you want to be able to access the decrypted files and press ENTER.
if %ops%==win7 echo [e.g. x: - don't use a trailing backslash]
if %ops%==winxp echo [e.g. d:\plain or x: - don't use a trailing backslash]
echo.

set /p decrypt=

echo.
echo Please enter a name for the encrypted / decrypted folder pair and press ENTER
echo [e.g. Secret Files]
echo.

set /p pair=

echo.
echo.
echo.

echo %ininumber%µ%pair%µ%crypt%µ%decrypt%>>encfs.ini

:mount
cls
echo Mount   "%crypt%"   to   "%decrypt%"
if not exist "%crypt%" md "%crypt%"
rem If decrypt folder is a drive and encfs is on its first run decrypt folder is set to a temp folder
set lastchar=%decrypt:~-1%
if "%lastchar%"==":" (
  if not exist "%crypt%.encfs6.xml" (
    set decrypt="%temp%\decrypttemp"
    if not exist "%temp%\decrypttemp" md "%temp%\decrypttemp"
    echo.
    echo IMPORTANT
    echo After initialising encfs for the first time
    echo please close this window and start "encfs_mount" again
    echo.
    pause
    echo.
  )
) else (
  if not exist "%decrypt%" md "%decrypt%"
)

rem Mount encfs
set pathtoencfs=M:\kit\encfs4w\encfs4win\
set pathtolog=M:\kit\encfs4w\encfs4win\
set pathtowtee=M:\kit_util\
echo.
set ENCFS6_CONFIG=M:\test4.encfs6.xml
(%pathtoencfs%encfs -f -v -d "%crypt%" "%decrypt%")  2>&1 | %pathtowtee%wtee.exe -a %pathtolog%log.txt

echo.

so on this new pc %crypt%=m:\test1 and %decrypt%=j:

and here is the log file

20:57:27 (main.cpp:521) Root directory: m:\test1/
20:57:27 (main.cpp:522) Fuse arguments: (fg) (threaded) (keyCheck) M:\kit\encfs4w\encfs4win\encfs C:\Users\dabb\AppData\Local\Temp\decrypttemp -f -d -s -o use_ino -o default_permissions 
20:57:27 (FileUtils.cpp:177) version = 20
20:57:27 (FileUtils.cpp:181) found new serialization format
20:57:27 (FileUtils.cpp:199) subVersion = 20100713
20:57:27 (Interface.cpp:165) checking if ssl/aes(3:0:2) implements ssl/aes(3:0:0)
20:57:27 (SSL_Cipher.cpp:372) allocated cipher ssl/aes, keySize 24, ivlength 16
20:57:27 (Interface.cpp:165) checking if ssl/aes(3:0:2) implements ssl/aes(3:0:0)
20:57:27 (SSL_Cipher.cpp:372) allocated cipher ssl/aes, keySize 24, ivlength 16
20:57:27 (FileUtils.cpp:1621) useStdin: 0
EncFS Password: 20:57:31 (Interface.cpp:165) checking if ssl/aes(3:0:2) implements ssl/aes(3:0:0)
20:57:31 (SSL_Cipher.cpp:372) allocated cipher ssl/aes, keySize 24, ivlength 16
20:57:31 (openssl.cpp:49) Allocating 41 locks for OpenSSL
20:57:31 (FileUtils.cpp:1627) cipher key size = 44
20:57:31 (Interface.cpp:165) checking if nameio/block(3:0:1) implements nameio/block(3:0:0)

Dokan: debug mode on
Dokan: use stderr
device opened
mounted: C:\Users\dabb\AppData\Local\Temp\decrypttemp -> \Volume{i delete the guid}
DokanRemoveMountPoint C:\Users\dabb\AppData\Local\Temp\decrypttemp
DokanControl recieved DeviceName:\Volume{i delete the guid}
send release
^C

UPDATE3: woa i can't believe no one is having this problem with non-default locations for .encfs6.xml. Just to make it clear, despite the mounting done by DOKAN, the drive does not appear in my comp

UPDATE4: for now i found a workaround. Instead of storing the 'encfs6' file in a different location than the one where the encrypted files are, i store the encrypted content in a folder that is in another location.And i create a directory junction that points to the encrypted content, and store it in the folder with the 'encfs6' file.

So first i have

Encryptedfolder|--- .encfs6.xml  
               |--- file1 (scrambledname)  
               |--- file2 (scrambledname)  

then i create the folder

Encryptedfolder    |--- .encfs6.xml    
                    |--- file1 (scrambledname)  
                    |--- file2 (scrambledname)
                    |--- folder1 (scrambledname) 
                      

i move all content except for folder1 (scrambledname) to an external folder ( Dropbox )

Encryptedfolder|--- .encfs6.xml
               |--- folder1 (scrambledname) 
                      

afterwards i copy folder1(scrambledname)s name and i use it to create a directory junction to the dropbox wuala teamdriver etc. folder. Of course you have to delete folder1 before that, because the junction must take the folder's place and trick encfs4win.

Encryptedfolder|--- .encfs6.xml
               |--- folder1 (scrambledname; this a junction to dropbox folder) 
                      

i still want to solve the problem with ENCFS6_CONFIG

Answer 1

You should set ENCFS6_CONFIG with a relative path to Root directory. For example, ENCFS6_CONFIG=../../Directory1/.encfs6.xml

Answer 2

It seems the configuration file cannot be opened because enc4fs reads quoted file name from environment variable and passes it to configuration reader unchanged. So it tries to open

"c:/test1/.encfs6.xml"

instead of

c:/test1/.encfs6.xml

Digging a bit it looks like a boost problem. Hope somebody will contribute a fix.

Answer 3

I just tried it and set ENCFS6_CONFIG as a system variable in the system settings. I've set it to

d:\.encfs6.xml

and after removing the xml file from the encrypted directory it still mounts it. Solved the problem for me.