NFS (Network File System) is a distributed file system protocol that allows you to share directories and files over a network. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to install and configure an NFS server on Debian 11.

Step 1: Update Your System

Start by ensuring your system is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install NFS Server

Install the NFS server package using the following command:

sudo apt install -y nfs-kernel-server

Step 3: Create a Directory to Share

Create a directory that you want to share over the network:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs_share

Add some test files to the shared directory:

echo "Hello NFS" | sudo tee /mnt/nfs_share/test.txt

Step 4: Configure Exports File

Edit the /etc/exports file to define the shared directory and its permissions:

sudo nano /etc/exports

Add the following line to the file:

/mnt/nfs_share *(rw,sync,no_root_squash)

This configuration allows all clients to mount the directory with read and write permissions.

Step 5: Start and Enable NFS Service

Start the NFS service and enable it to run at startup:

sudo systemctl start nfs-kernel-server
sudo systemctl enable nfs-kernel-server

Step 6: Configure Firewall (Optional)

If you have a firewall enabled, allow NFS traffic:

sudo ufw allow from /24 to any port nfs

Replace <client_IP> with the actual IP address of the client machine that will access the NFS share.

Step 7: Mount the NFS Share on the Client

On the client machine, install the NFS client package:

sudo apt install -y nfs-common

Create a mount point on the client machine:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs_client

Mount the NFS share using the following command:

sudo mount -t nfs :/mnt/nfs_share /mnt/nfs_client

Replace <server_IP> with the IP address of the NFS server.

Step 8: Verify the Mount

Check if the NFS share is mounted successfully:

df -h

You should see the NFS mount listed in the output.

Step 9: Configure Automatic Mounting (Optional)

To ensure the NFS share mounts automatically at boot, add the following line to the /etc/fstab file on the client machine:

<server_IP>:/mnt/nfs_share /mnt/nfs_client nfs defaults 0 0

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured an NFS server on Debian 11. This allows you to share files across your network easily.

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