How to setup an NFS share in Linux

Network File System (NFS) allows you to share directories between multiple systems over a network. It is useful for sharing files in a local network or across remote servers. In this guide, we will walk through the process of setting up an NFS server on Ubuntu and mounting the shared directory on a remote Ubuntu machine.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Install NFS Server on the Host Machine

To set up an NFS server, you need to install the nfs-kernel-server package.

Update the system package list: sudo apt update
Install NFS server: sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server -y

Step 2: Create and Configure the Shared Directory

Now, you need to create the directory that you want to share over the network.

Create the directory (for example, /mnt/nfs_share):

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs_share

Set appropriate permissions:

sudo chown nobody:nogroup /mnt/nfs_share sudo chmod 777 /mnt/nfs_share

These permissions allow any client to access and modify files. You can set more restrictive permissions based on your needs.
Edit the NFS exports file: Open the /etc/exports file:

sudo nano /etc/exports

Add the following line at the end:

/mnt/nfs_share 192.168.1.0/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)

Apply the changes:

sudo exportfs -a

Restart the NFS service:

sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server

Step 3: Configure Firewall (if applicable)

If UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) is enabled, allow NFS traffic.

sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.0/24 to any port nfs

Restart UFW:

sudo ufw reload

Step 4: Install NFS Client on the Remote Machine

Now, install the required packages on the client machine.

Update the package list:

sudo apt update

Install the NFS client package:

sudo apt install nfs-common -y

Step 5: Mount the NFS Share on the Remote Machine

Create a mount point (for example, /mnt/nfs_client):

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs_client

Mount the NFS share:

sudo mount 192.168.1.100:/mnt/nfs_share /mnt/nfs_client

Replace 192.168.1.100 with the actual IP address of your NFS server.
Verify the mount:

df -h

You should see the mounted NFS share in the list.

Step 6: Make the Mount Persistent

To ensure the NFS share is mounted automatically after a reboot:

Open the /etc/fstab file:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add the following line at the end:

192.168.1.100:/mnt/nfs_share /mnt/nfs_client nfs defaults 0 0

Save and exit the file.
Test the fstab configuration:

sudo mount -a

If there are no errors, the configuration is correct.

Conclusion

You have successfully set up an NFS server on Ubuntu and mounted it on a remote machine. This setup allows seamless file sharing between multiple systems. You can now access the shared directory from the remote machine as if it were a local directory.