# Question about using rclone as systemd mount helper

**URL:** <https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208>\
**Category:** Help and Support\
**Created:** [September 3, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208 "2026-09-03T21:56:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnlgalt](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/johnlgalt/32/1712_2.png) [@johnlgalt](https://forum.rclone.org/u/johnlgalt)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208/1 "2026-09-03T21:56:12Z")

</div>

#### What is the problem you are having with rclone?

I've got a decently working solution for mounting 3x Google Drive shares at once using information from my [previous post](https://forum.rclone.org/t/guidance-req-mount-flags-for-gdrive-remotes-to-emulate-windows-gdrive-client-behavior/54109) that I want help with to set up as a systemd mount (and then, automount).

The config that seems to work well:

```auto
rclone mount gdrives: /mnt/clouds/gdrive --cache-dir /var/cache/rclone.gdrives 
--vfs-cache-mode full 
--dir-cache-time 8760h 
--vfs-cache-max-age 24h 
--vfs-read-chunk-size 16M 
--vfs-read-chunk-size-limit 2G 
--vfs-refresh 
--allow-other 
--allow-root 
--allow-non-empty 
--async-read=true 
--buffer-size 32M 
--rc

```

The documentation that I'm reading is confusing (to me) in attempting to set this up. Referencing the `rclone mount` help section [Rclone as a Unix mount helper](https://rclone.org/commands/rclone_mount/#rclone-as-unix-mount-helper) as well as @Animosity022's gh page [rclone mount helper script](https://github.com/rclone/rclone/wiki/rclone-mount-helper-script) I see some things that I'm (probably) confusing myself on.

Both help and that gh post show one of the options, `--allow-other` in my working mount, written as `allow_other`, but then another option also used in my setup, `--vfs-cache-mode=full` gets rendered in the files as `vfs-cache-mode=full` (though the example uses `writes`, it's the same option nonetheless).

My confusion stems from one option changing `-` to `_` but the other not. Is this because of their placement relative to the `args2env` option? If so, could I place all these options after `args2env` and avoid having to change `-` to `_`?

Or, is it because the options after `args2env` all contain values, and the preceding ones are just direct use arguments?

Also, as a side note, the example systemd .mount files (in both places) reference `/var/rclone` for cache, but the fstab entry references `/var/cache/rclone` instead for `cache-dir`, not that that makes any sort of issue, just pointing it out for consistency (unless this was written intentionally?).

#### Run the command 'rclone version' and share the full output of the command.

```auto
rclone v1.75.0
- os/version: gentoo 2.18 (64 bit)
- os/kernel: 7.2.2-gentoo-dist-bin (x86_64)
- os/type: linux
- os/arch: amd64
- go/version: go1.26.5
- go/linking: static
- go/tags: none

```

#### Which cloud storage system are you using? (eg Google Drive)

Google Drive, 3s separate personal accounts, merged into a single mount

#### The command you were trying to run (eg `rclone copy /tmp remote:tmp`)

```auto
Recreating this template:

# /etc/systemd/system/mnt-data.mount
[Unit]
Description=Mount for /mnt/data
[Mount]
Type=rclone
What=sftp1:subdir
Where=/mnt/data
Options=rw,_netdev,allow_other,args2env,vfs-cache-mode=writes,config=/etc/rclone.conf,cache-dir=/var/rclone

for my setup as such:

# /etc/systemd/system/mnt-data.mount
[Unit]
Description=Mount for Google Drives
After=network-online.target
[Mount]
Type=rclone
What=gdrives:
Where=/mnt/clouds/gdrive
Options=rw,allow_other,allow_root,allow_non_empty,async_read=true,buffer_size=32M,args2env,vfs-cache-mode=full,dir-cache-time=8760h,vfs-cache-max-age=24h,vfs-read-chunk-size=16M,vfs-read-chunk-size-limit=2G,vfs-refresh,config=/etc/rclone.conf,cache-dir=/var/cache/rclone.gdrive

```

#### Please run 'rclone config redacted' and share the full output. If you get command not found, please make sure to update rclone.

```auto
[gdrive-1]
type = drive
client_id = XXX
client_secret = XXX
scope = drive
token = XXX
team_drive =

[gdrive-2]
type = drive
client_id = XXX
client_secret = XXX
scope = drive
token = XXX
team_drive =

[gdrive-3]
type = drive
scope = drive
client_id = XXX
client_secret = XXX
token = XXX
team_drive =

[gdrives]
type = combine
upstreams = 1=gdrive-1: 2=gdrive-2: 3=gdrive-3:
description = Combined Google Drive remotes

```

#### A log from the command that you were trying to run with the `-vv` flag

```auto
No log - asking a setup question

```

So, yeah, that's it. Trying to figure out if there is a particular way I should include the options, and if my supposition about the - to \_ thing is real, or just in my head.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nite\_route](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/nite_route/32/21758_2.png) [@nite\_route](https://forum.rclone.org/u/nite_route)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208/2 "2026-09-04T00:38:50Z")

</div>

yeah the underscore vs hyphen thing tripped me up too when i first did mount helpers.

from what i've seen:

- stuff like `allow_other` / `allow_root` is fuse option syntax (fstab/mount style), so those want underscores
- 
  - rclone's own flags after `args2env` stay rclone-shaped, so `vfs-cache-mode=full` with hyphens is expected there

- 
  - so its less "all dashes become underscores" and more "fuse opts vs rclone opts"  
personally i've had fewer headaches just using a normal systemd service (`Type=notify`, `ExecStart=/usr/bin/rclone mount ...`, `ExecStop=/bin/fusermount -uz ...`) with an EnvironmentFile for the long flag list, then a matching `.automount` if i want on-demand. the mount-helper path works, but the docs read like two dialects glued together.

if you paste the `.mount` unit you're drafting i can sanity check the args2env split before you let it loose on three gdrives

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnlgalt](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/johnlgalt/32/1712_2.png) [@johnlgalt](https://forum.rclone.org/u/johnlgalt)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 4:15am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208/3 "2026-09-04T04:15:26Z")

</div>

That sounds like a plan - and thanks for the distinction of fuse v. rclone flags, that makes sense.

I'll get that working in the AM and post back a working draft.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://forum.rclone.org/uploads/default/original/2X/3/39ad3235f6ffec76ccd0c81616bd55697b4c300d.png) [@system](https://forum.rclone.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:16am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/question-about-using-rclone-as-systemd-mount-helper/54208/4 "2026-10-04T04:16:15Z")

</div>

Closed on October 4, 2026, 4:16am UTC

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