This article explains how to set up an NFS server on Ubuntu 24.04.
Network File System (NFS) is a protocol that lets you share files and directories over a network. You can store files on a single server and have multiple clients access them.
With NFS, you can effectively manage permissions for users and groups, ensuring your files are securely shared and protected.
The following steps guide you through the process of setting up NFS on an Ubuntu machine.
Install NFS Server
To set up NFS server on Ubuntu, you must first install its packages.
Run the command below to install the [nfs-kernel-server] package.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server
After installation, please open the configuration file below and add your domain name.
sudo nano /etc/idmapd.conf
Uncomment and change the highlighted line to match your domain name.
[General]
Verbosity = 0
# set your own domain here, if it differs from FQDN minus hostname
Domain = example.com
[Mapping]
Nobody-User = nobody
Nobody-Group = nogroup
Save and exit the file.
Export NFS Share
Exporting an NFS share means making a directory or filesystem on a server accessible to other machines using the Network File System (NFS) protocol.
For this tutorial, we will be exporting a folder in our home directory [/home/nfsshare].
To do that, run the command below to open the NFS exports config file.
sudo nano /etc/exports
Then, add a line to export the directory mentioned.
# /etc/exports: the access control list for filesystems which may be exported
# Example for NFSv4:
# /srv/nfs4 gss/krb5i(rw,sync,fsid=0,crossmnt,no_subtree_check)
# /srv/nfs4/homes gss/krb5i(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)
#
#
/home/nfsshare 192.168.156.0/24(rw,no_root_squash)
Additional options one can use with NFS exports.
| Option | Description |
| no_root_squash | It will enable only read requests on a NFS volume. |
| rw | It allows both read and write requests on a NFS volume. |
| ro | It will enable only read requests on an NFS volume. |
| sync | It replies to requests only after the changes have been committed to stable storage. (Default) |
| root_squash | It maps requests from uid/gid 0 to the anonymous uid/gid. |
| async | This option allows the NFS server to violate the NFS protocol and reply to requests before any changes made by that request have been committed to stable storage. |
| secure | This option requires that requests originate on an Internet port less than IPPORT_RESERVED (1024). (Default) |
| insecure | This option accepts all ports. |
Please set up the NFS share as mentioned earlier, and then restart the NFS server services.
sudo mkdir /home/nfsshare
sudo systemctl restart nfs-server
Setup NFS Client
Now that the NFS server is installed and configured, you can set up a client to access the shares.
If you haven’t done so, run the command below to install the NFS server client packages on the client computer.
sudo apt install nfs-common
After installation, please open the configuration file below and add your domain name.
sudo nano /etc/idmapd.conf
Uncomment and change the highlighted line to match your domain name.
[General]
Verbosity = 0
# set your own domain here, if it differs from FQDN minus hostname
Domain = example.com
[Mapping]
Nobody-User = nobody
Nobody-Group = nogroup
Save and exit the file.
Mount NFS share on client
You can mount the NFS share created on the server with everything setup by running the command below.
sudo mount -t nfs srv1.example.com:/home/nfsshare /mnt
To view your file system, run the command below.
df -hT
You should see output similar to the one below.
Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs tmpfs 336M 2.1M 334M 1% /run
/dev/sda2 ext4 49G 9.5G 37G 21% /
tmpfs tmpfs 1.7G 0 1.7G 0% /dev/shm
tmpfs tmpfs 5.0M 8.0K 5.0M 1% /run/lock
srv1.example.com:/home/nfsshare nfs4 40G 9.8G 28G 27% /mnt
If you want to mount the NFS share automatically every time, open the /etc/fstab file.
sudo nano /etc/fstab
Add a new line at the end of the file.
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda2 during curtin installation
/dev/disk/by-uuid/3fe5d1b3-fd02-4c71-80df-eaf44cbec7d5 / ext4 defaults 0 1
/swap.img none swap sw 0 0
srv1.example.com:/home/nfsshare /mnt nfs defaults 0 0
Save and exit.
Mount with AutoFS
If you want to mount the NFS share automatically so everyone has access, use the AutoFS tool.
Run the command below to install the tool.
sudo apt install autofs
Once installed, open its master file.
sudo nano /etc/auto.master
Then, add a new line at the end of the file.
/- /etc/auto.mount
Save and exit.
Next, open the [auto.mount] config file.
sudo nano /etc/auto.mount
Then, add a new line to the file.
# [mount point] [option] [location]
/mnt -fstype=nfs,rw srv1.example.com:/home/nfsshare
Save and exit.
Restart AutoFS services.
sudo systemctl restart autofs
Verify the mount.
df -hT /mnt
You should see an output similar to the one below.
Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
srv1.example.com:/home/nfsshare nfs4 40G 9.8G 28G 27% /mnt
That should do it!
Conclusion:
In conclusion, setting up an NFS server on Ubuntu 24.04 enables efficient file sharing across a network. Following the outlined steps, you can successfully configure the server and client. Here are the key takeaways:
- NFS Overview: The network file system (NFS) allows files and directories to be shared over a network.
- Installation Steps: Use
sudo apt install nfs-kernel-serverto install the NFS server. - Configuration: Modify the
/etc/idmapd.conffile to set your domain name and manage user permissions effectively. - Exporting Shares: Edit the
/etc/exportsfile to export specific directories, controlling access with various options. - Client Setup: Install NFS client packages (
nfs-common) and configure the client to access the server shares. - Mounting NFS Shares: Use commands like
mountor modify/etc/fstabfor automatic mounting. - AutoFS Tool: For automatic mounts accessible to all users, install and configure AutoFS.
These steps ensure a secure and efficient NFS setup on your Ubuntu system.
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