Ubuntu Linux: NFS Client Configuration To Mount NFS Share

NFS (Network File System) client allows you to access shared directory from Linux client. The computer sharing the directory is called the NFS server (it can be NAS server too) and the computers or devices connecting to that server are called clients. The clients need to use the mount command to access the shared directory.

Ubuntu NFS

You need to install nfs-command package as follows (open terminal and type the following command):

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install nfs-common

Sample outputs:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libgssglue1 libnfsidmap2 librpcsecgss3 portmap
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libgssglue1 libnfsidmap2 librpcsecgss3 nfs-common portmap
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 333kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,126kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main libgssglue1 0.1-4 [22.4kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main libnfsidmap2 0.23-2 [29.1kB]
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main librpcsecgss3 0.19-2 [33.1kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main portmap 6.0.0-1ubuntu2 [37.2kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main nfs-common 1:1.2.0-4ubuntu4 [212kB]
Fetched 333kB in 3s (95.3kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package libgssglue1.
(Reading database ... 161647 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libgssglue1 (from .../libgssglue1_0.1-4_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libnfsidmap2.
Unpacking libnfsidmap2 (from .../libnfsidmap2_0.23-2_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package librpcsecgss3.
Unpacking librpcsecgss3 (from .../librpcsecgss3_0.19-2_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package portmap.
Unpacking portmap (from .../portmap_6.0.0-1ubuntu2_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package nfs-common.
Unpacking nfs-common (from .../nfs-common_1%3a1.2.0-4ubuntu4_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
Setting up libgssglue1 (0.1-4) ...

Setting up libnfsidmap2 (0.23-2) ...

Setting up librpcsecgss3 (0.19-2) ...

Setting up portmap (6.0.0-1ubuntu2) ...
portmap start/running, process 4193

Setting up nfs-common (1:1.2.0-4ubuntu4) ...

Creating config file /etc/idmapd.conf with new version

Creating config file /etc/default/nfs-common with new version
Adding system user `statd' (UID 116) ...
Adding new user `statd' (UID 116) with group `nogroup' ...
Not creating home directory `/var/lib/nfs'.
statd start/running, process 4416
gssd stop/pre-start, process 4441
idmapd stop/pre-start, process 4469

Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

Task: See The List Of All Shared Directories

Type the following command:

$ showmount -e server-Ip-address
$ showmount -e 192.168.1.1

Sample outputs from my 192.168.1.1 NFS server:

Export list for 192.168.1.1:
/viveks
/Web
/Usb
/Recordings
/Public
/Network Recycle Bin 1
/Multimedia
/Download

Task: Mount Shared Directory

Now mount /viveks directory as follows>:

$ sudo mkdir /nfs
$ sudo mount -o soft,intr,rsize=8192,wsize=8192 192.168.1.1:/viveks /nfs
$ df -h

Sample outputs:

/dev/sda5              477G    25G   428G   6% /
none                   4.2G   398k   4.2G   1% /dev
none                   4.2G   377k   4.2G   1% /dev/shm
none                   4.2G   230k   4.2G   1% /var/run
none                   4.2G      0   4.2G   0% /var/lock
none                   4.2G      0   4.2G   0% /lib/init/rw
192.168.1.1:/viveks    491G   208M   491G   1% /nfs

How do I Access My Files Using NFS?

Just go to mount point i.e. /nfs directory with the cd command:

cd /nfs
ls
gedit file.c

How Do I Mount NFS Automatically After Reboot?

Edit /etc/fstab, enter:

$ sudo vi /etc/fstab

OR use gui text editor such as gedit:

$ sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Append the following line:

192.168.1.1:/viveks  /nfs  nfs   soft,intr,rsize=8192,wsize=8192

Save and close the file.

How Do I Remove Mounted NFS Directory (unmount NFS)?

Type the following command:

$ cd
$ sudo umount /nfs
$ df -H

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