---
title: How to Set Up Network File System (NFS) on a Linux Server
description: "### Overview of NFS Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file system protocol that allows you to share directories and files with other Linux clients over a network. It’s often used for centralized storage where files need to be…"
url: "https://truehost.com/support/knowledge-base/how-to-set-up-network-file-system-nfs-on-a-linux-server/"
updated: "2024-11-02"
category: Cloud servers in Kenya
---

# How to Set Up Network File System (NFS) on a Linux Server

### Overview of NFS

Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file system protocol that allows you to share directories and files with other Linux clients over a network. It’s often used for centralized storage where files need to be accessed across different systems.

### Prerequisites

1. **Two Linux systems**:
   - **NFS Server**: The server that hosts the shared directory.
   - **NFS Client**: The system that will access the shared directory.
2. **Root or sudo access** on both the server and client systems.
3. **Firewall configuration** (if needed) to allow NFS traffic.

### Step 1: Install NFS on the Server

1. **Update the package index**:

```
sudo apt update # On Debian/Ubuntusudo yum update # On CentOS/RHEL
```

2. **Install the NFS server package**:

```
sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server    # On Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum install nfs-utils            # On CentOS/RHEL
```

3. **Enable and start the NFS service**:

```
sudo systemctl enable nfs-server
sudo systemctl start nfs-server
```

### Step 2: Create a Shared Directory

Choose a directory on the server to share. Here, we’ll use `/srv/nfs_share`.

1. **Create the directory**:

```
sudo mkdir -p /srv/nfs_share
```

2. **Set permissions** on the directory (adjust permissions as needed):

```
sudo chown -R nobody:nogroup /srv/nfs_share   # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo chown -R nfsnobody:nfsnobody /srv/nfs_share   # CentOS/RHEL
```

3. **Add files** to the directory (optional, for testing):

```
echo "NFS Test File" | sudo tee /srv/nfs_share/test.txt
```

### Step 3: Configure NFS Exports

1. **Open the exports file**:

```
sudo nano /etc/exports
```

2. **Add the export entry** for your directory and client IP. The syntax is:

```
/path/to/share client_IP(options)
```

For example, to share `/srv/nfs_share` with a client at IP `192.168.1.100` with read-write access:

```
/srv/nfs_share 192.168.1.100(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)
```

**Explanation of Options**:

- `rw`: Allows read and write access.
- `sync`: Writes changes to disk before confirming.
- `no_subtree_check`: Prevents subtree checking for better performance.

3. **Save and close** the file.

4. **Apply the changes** by exporting the shared directories:

```
sudo exportfs -a
```

5. Verify the NFS share

```
sudo exportfs -v
```

### Step 4: Configure the Firewall (if applicable)

If you have a firewall enabled, allow NFS service traffic.

1. **Open NFS ports**:

```
sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.0/24 to any port nfs # On Debian/Ubuntu with UFWsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=nfs # On CentOS/RHEL with Firewalldsudo firewall-cmd --reload
```

### Step 5: Mount the NFS Share on the Client

Now that the server is configured, set up the client to access the shared directory.

1. **Install NFS client** packages:

```
sudo apt install nfs-common     # On Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum install nfs-utils      # On CentOS/RHEL
```

2. **Create a mount point** on the client:

```
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs_share
```

3. **Mount the NFS share** to the client’s mount point:

```
sudo mount -t nfs 192.168.1.10:/srv/nfs_share /mnt/nfs_share
```

- Replace `192.168.1.10` with the IP of your NFS server.

4. **Verify the mount**:

```
df -h | grep nfs_share
```

5. **Access the shared directory**:

```
ls /mnt/nfs_sharecat /mnt/nfs_share/test.txt
```

### Step 6: Auto-mount the NFS Share at Boot (Optional)

To automatically mount the NFS share at boot, add it to the `/etc/fstab` file on the client.

1. **Open the fstab file**:

```
sudo vi /etc/fstab
```

2. Add the following entry at the end of the file:

```
192.168.1.10:/srv/nfs_share  /mnt/nfs_share  nfs  defaults  0  0
```

3. **Save and close the file**.

4. **Test the fstab entry**:

```
sudo mount -a
```

### Step 7: Manage and Troubleshoot NFS

#### 1. **To unmount the NFS share**:

```
sudo umount /mnt/nfs_share
```

2. **To restart the NFS service** on the server

```
sudo systemctl restart nfs-server
```

3. **To check NFS logs** for troubleshooting:

```
sudo tail -f /var/log/syslog # On Debian/Ubuntusudo tail -f /var/log/messages # On CentOS/RHEL
```

### Final word

You’ve now set up an NFS server to share directories with Linux clients over a network. This setup allows easy access to shared files, making it ideal for environments that need centralized file storage.