# nfs: port mapper failure



## sehrguey (Jun 27, 2011)

Dear all,

There are 2 FreeBSD 7.4 boxes linked via ssh, pinging each other ok. All my tries to establish an nfs connection between them fell through. I faithfully followed the Handbook in their configuration:

Serverside /etc/rc.conf:

```
rpcbind_enable=â€YESâ€
nfs_server_enable=â€YESâ€
nfs_server_flags=â€ â€“u  -t -n  4 â€“h xxx.xxx.xxx.14â€
mountd_flags=â€-râ€
```
/etc/exports:

```
/usr/ports â€“maproot=root alldirs, quiet testbox
```
Clientside /etc/rc.conf:

```
nfs_client_enable=â€YESâ€
nfs_client_flags=â€-n 4â€
```
But when I try the command`
`mount  lab:/usr/ports /mnt`
the result is:

```
[udp] lab:/usr/ports:RPCPROG_NFS:RPC:Port mapper failure:Timed out
```
Serverside, *cat /var/log/messages* reveals:

```
canâ€™t bind udp addr xxx.xxx.xxx.14  Canâ€™t assign requested address
```

Help if you can, please.

sehrguey


----------



## SirDice (Jun 27, 2011)

Remove the *nfs_server_flags*


----------



## sehrguey (Jun 28, 2011)

Dear DutchDaemon,

Thank you dearly for editing my first post and pointing out the forum usage rules. Still I donâ€™t know what linkdumping or profile pages means nor do I care about the things, my only wish is to solve the nfs connection problem I'm scrambling with. Anyway and once again I do appreciate your kind cooperation.

Yours
sehrguey


----------



## sehrguey (Jun 28, 2011)

Dear SirDice,
Thank you for the attempted help.
Your tip was promptly used and now at rebooting  the server box does not complain about impossibility to assign the requested address to the client box. 
 All the rest remains unchanged

`# mount lab:/usr/ports /mnt`

```
[udp] lab:/usr/ports:RPCPROG_NFS:RPC:Port mapper failure:Timed out
```

Yours,
Sehrguey


----------



## SirDice (Jun 29, 2011)

Just ignore it. NFS will try to use TCP or UDP. The message just indicates it can't use UDP for some reason.


----------



## sehrguey (Jun 29, 2011)

SirDice said:
			
		

> Just ignore it. NFS will try to use TCP or UDP. The message just indicates it can't use UDP for some reason.



Dear SirDice,

Could you, please, be more specific about how long it is reasonable to ignore not getting the goodies promised by the holy Handbook?

The message

```
[udp] lab:/usr/ports:RPCPROG_NFS:RPC:Port mapper failure:Timed out
```
keeps repeating itself for hours.

Besides, trying to figure out what is what, I typed the following on the client box: 
`# rpcinfo`
and got the message:

```
rpcbind: Canâ€™t contact rpcbind: RPC: Port mapper failure â€“ RPC: Success
```

The same command on the server box results in a long, nice-looking table.

It makes me dizzy and I just do not know what to do â€“ to start another thread on rpcbind's â€œfailure-Successâ€, or to just ignore it too?

yours,
sehrguey


----------



## SirDice (Jun 29, 2011)

Here's what I have on my server:

```
rpcbind_enable="YES"
rpcbind_flags="-h 192.168.1.190 -h 2001:888:1c5b::190"
mountd_enable="YES"
mountd_flags="-h 192.168.1.190 -h 2001:888:1c5b::190"
nfs_server_enable="YES"
nfs_server_flags="-u -t -n 4 -h 192.168.1.190 -h 2001:888:1c5b::190"
```

Note the -h options are only there to bind the services to specific IP addresses.

On my client:

```
rpcbind_enable="YES"
```


----------



## sehrguey (Jun 30, 2011)

Dear SirDice,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Before I start making changes to my box's configuration would you kindly elucidate if any of the specific IP addresses in your server box's rpcbind_flags configuration is that of the server box itself?

Yours,
sehrguey


----------



## SirDice (Jun 30, 2011)

sehrguey said:
			
		

> Before I start making changes to my boxes configuration would you kindly illucidate
> if any of the specific IP addresses in your server box rpcbind_flags configuration is that of the server box itself?


Obviously.


```
ifconfig_re0="192.168.1.190  netmask 255.255.255.0"
ipv6_ifconfig_re0="2001:888:1c5b::190 prefixlen 64"
```


----------



## sehrguey (Jul 1, 2011)

Dear SirDice,

Enabling rpcbind in the client's rc.conf made its rpcinfo work ok, (though "Chapter 29.3 NFS" in the Handbook never mentioned it is needed on the client side). Then I copied your (working) server configuration into my server box's rc.conf, (substituting, of course, the IP addresses for the local ones), rebooted both boxes and had the same message:


```
[udp] lab:/usr/ports:RPCPROG_NFS:RPC:Port mapper failure:Timed out
```
going on and on and on.

Stumbling in an elementary stage is a discouraging experience, on the other hand it's not your job to put aright another guy's boxes, still and yet: what am I to do, sir SirDice?

I can't even imagine in what direction to dig.

Yours,
sehrguey


----------



## Zare (Jul 1, 2011)

Network details please. Are both in same LAN, if not, what's in between, VPN/firewalls. Start digging there.


----------



## SirDice (Jul 1, 2011)

It's probably a firewall that's blocking the UDP requests.


----------



## sehrguey (Jul 2, 2011)

Dear Zare and SirDice,

As I mentioned in the first post  the boxes have ssh connection.
They are not on the same LAN â€“ server box is at the ISPâ€™s headquarters and the client box at my home.

There is no firewall whatsoever   between them just patchcord, switch, modem, dish, another dish, another modem,  another switch, another patchcord.

Thanks for your attention.
sehrguey


----------

