Install network file system

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Note

  • 22 Aug 2022: Client mount setting revised.
  • 17 Aug 2022: Client mount setting revised.

​​​​​​​Intro

NFS network file system enables sharing of directories on a Ubuntu server to another Ubuntu client computer.

Install on server computer

Install network file system:

$ sudo apt-get install nfs-kernel-server

Configure to specify the directory to be exported:

$ sudo gedit /etc/exports

Specify:

/<directory exported> <ip address of computer to export to> (rw, sync, no_root_squash)

where "rw" = read and write.

Start the server, required after any rebooting:

$ sudo systemctl start nfs-kernel-server
or
$ sudo service nfs-kernel-server start

Set up client computer

Install nfs-common on the client side:

$ sudo apt install nfs-common

Create a local directory:

$ sudo mkdir -p /media/<local directory>

Mount the remote directory temporarily:

$ sudo mount <ip address of NFS server>:/<directory exported from the NFS server> /media/<local directory>

but remounting required after every reboot.

To keep the mounting permanently unaffected by reboot, edit "fstab" file: 

$ sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Add a line:

<ip address of NFS server>:/<directory exported from the NFS server> /media/<local directory> nfs auto,vers=4.0 0 0

(revised 22 Aug 2022, "vers=4.0" added)

(revised 17 Aug 2018, "defaults" changed to "auto")

Mount again all devices as defined in the "fstab" file after changes:

$ sudo mount -a

Check devices actually mounted (this would show more than those defined in "fstab"):

$ sudo mount -l

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