[solved] very newbie question: My first nfs mount hangs

jamapii · l33t Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 637

Hi,

this is a very simple common case. Suppose you install a new box, and want to make a quick temporary NFS commection.

The NFS server (gentoo) makes its first NFS export ever, and the NFS client (Ubuntu) is just getting its NFS software installed.

I export / in the most insecure way. I use NFSv3 to avoid any hassle.

On the client:

mount oldbox:/ /disks/oldbox/ -o vers=3

I make sure to start /etc/init.d/{nfs,rpcbind,rpc.statd,rpc.idmapd} on the server and /etc/init.d/{nfs-common,rpcbind} on the client, because that's all I find.

No error messages in any logs, but the mount command does not complete, or continue, but it can be ^C interrupted. This is completely expected, it was, is, and will always be that way. There's just one more service that must be started (maybe it must be installed first). No problem, just do it.

Only this time, I forgot what it is.

So the question: What is it, that is always missing, when trying NFS for the first time?

thanks, I think it would be useful for everyone, it could be attached to an NFS documentation thread or page.

alamahant · Advocate Joined: 23 Mar 2019 Posts: 3879

jamapii · l33t Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 637

Testing the client with an existing working NFS server:

It works. That server is running /etc/init.d/{nfs,rpcbind,rpc.statd,rpc.idmapd,rpc.pipefs} like the temporary server.

However, a twist: the necessary network interface (on the temporary server) wasn't up. And when it was up, it came with an nftables rule.

And that solved it.

The interface needed to be up, and the nftables rule bypassed (iptables -I INPUT -i enp57s0u1u2 -j ACCEPT). See the first post for the necessary services to start. Hope it helps.

I didn't see the reply, sorry.

My first try with "oldbox" was also wrong, it involved going through a VPN, which would have involved inefficient routing which could almost have worked, but didn't. So I replaced it with direct IP address.