Mastering NFS on Linux: Installation, Configuration, and Troubleshooting Guide

Comprehensive NFS Guide

1. Installation

yum install nfs-utils -y

2. Configuration

Main configuration file: /etc/exports Example entry:

/nfsfile 192.168.10.*(rw,sync,root_squash)

/nfsfile

– shared directory; ensure proper permissions (e.g., 777). 192.168.10.* – allowed client IPs; use * for any. (rw,sync,root_squash) – options; see meanings below.

Option meanings:

ro : read‑only.

rw : read‑write.

root_squash : map root client requests to anonymous UID/GID.

no_root_squash : preserve root identity.

all_squash : map all client users to anonymous.

sync : write synchronously to disk.

async : write asynchronously for performance.

anonuid : anonymous user ID.

anongid : anonymous group ID.

NFS Specified Port

# View RPC services
rpcinfo -p localhost
# Set mountd port
grep "PORT" /etc/sysconfig/nfs
# Example ports
LOCKD_TCPPORT=32803
LOCKD_UDPPORT=32769
MOUNTD_PORT=892
STATD_PORT=662
STATD_OUTGOING_PORT=2020
# Open firewall ports
firewall-cmd --add-port={111/tcp,111/udp,2049/tcp,2049/udp,32769/udp,2020/tcp,662/tcp,892/tcp,32803/tcp} --permanent
firewall-cmd --reload
systemctl restart nfs-server
rpcinfo -p

Some guides suggest adding RQUOTAD_PORT in /etc/sysconfig/nfs , but it worked without it on CentOS 7.4 with nfs-utils‑1.3.0‑0.61.el7.x86_64.

3. Start and Enable at Boot

Before using NFS, start and enable rpcbind and nfs-server:

systemctl restart rpcbind
systemctl enable rpcbind
systemctl restart nfs-server
systemctl enable nfs-server

4. NFS Client Mount

Use showmount to list exports:

showmount -e 192.168.10.10
Export list for 192.168.10.10:
/nfsfile 192.168.10.*

Create a local mount point and mount the share:

mkdir /nfsfile
mount -t nfs 192.168.10.10:/nfsfile /nfsfile

Persist the mount by adding to /etc/fstab:

192.168.10.10:/nfsfile /nfsfile nfs defaults 0 0

5. Errors and Solutions

5.1 NFS root mount but regular users lack write permission

Set anonuid=0, anongid=0 and all_squash in /etc/exports so all client accesses map to root, granting write rights.

If client and server share the same UID, you can set anonuid to that UID to preserve ownership.

5.2 Network error 53 – add insecure option

For Windows 2008 Server clients, include insecure in the export options.

5.3 Network error 53 – use no_root_squash

Ensure no_root_squash is set in /etc/exports and restart the NFS server.

systemctl start nfs-server

5.4 Network error 53 – set shared directory permissions to 777

5.5 Network error 53 – correct mount path syntax

For multi‑level directories, use forward slashes ( /) instead of backslashes.

mount \\192.168.1.23\home X:
mount \\192.168.1.23\home/test X:

5.6 Network error 53 – choose an unused drive letter (e.g., X, Y, W) when mapping to a local disk

6. Installing NFS Client on Windows

Windows Server 2008

Via Server Manager, add the “File Services” role, then install the “Services for Network File System” feature. After installation, start the “Client for NFS” service.

Windows 10

Enable the “Client for NFS” feature in “Turn Windows features on or off”.