NFSv4 for linux 2.6 kernels

Basic support for NFSv4 and for rpcsec_gss is included in recent 2.6 kernels. However, not all Linux distributions ship 2.6 kernels with NFSv4 turned on by default. Also, NFSv4 and rpcsec_gss require support from userland utilities, and that userland support is still in the process of being integrated into distributions and upstream sources.

Therefore we keep a snapshot of the current state of our kernel and userland development here. The intended audience is developers, distributors, and anyone interested in testing or giving early feedback on NFSv4 development.

Much of this code is work in progress, which may be only lightly tested before release.

The NFSv4 Client Priorities and NFSv4 Server Priorities gives an estimate of the progress of our effort.

CITI sources

In the case of code written for existing projects, we provide only patches, which must be applied to the upstream sources, with links below.

• linux-2.6.25-rc9-CITI_NFS4_ALL-1.dif (For developers, there is also a git repository; browse the repository here or available from git://linux-nfs.org/~bfields/linux.git). Older patches for older kernels also available.
• nfs4-acl-tools-0.3.2.tar.gz has commandline and GUI (pic) NFSv4 ACL tools, which deal directly with NFSv4 ACLs.
• acl-2.2.42-CITI_NFS4_ALL-2.dif. (For developers, there is also a git repository; browse the repository here or available from git://linux-nfs.org/~bfields/acl.git). This patches the standard posix acl tools so they can handle NFSv4 ACLs by translating between posix and NFSv4 ACLs. The translation is lossy, and the patches make fundamental utilities such as cp and ls depend on ldap and krb5 libraries (among others), so the above is preferred.
• SPKM-3 implementation. Updated 12/21/2005. To use this SPKM-3 implementation within NFSv4 requires a kernel patch (CITI_NFS4_ALL.dif does not yet contain the needed changes. Instead, try this patch). To compile SPKM-3, follow the instructions in the INSTALL file. It is recommended that you use the above provided version of libgssglue. To test out the userland SPKM-3 code, please use a simple client/server app provided in the tarball. If you have any questions, contact either Olga Kornievskaia or Andy Adamson

Note: Recent linux distributions have included NFSv4/rpcsec_gss support, which may be sufficient for your purposes; Building the following from source should only be necessary if you want to check for bugfixes or need new features in our very latest experimental code.)

Notes on building these can be found here.

• libgssglue-0.1.tar.gz
• librpcsecgss-0.18.tar.gz
• libnfsidmap-0.20.tar.gz with instructions for libnfsidmap use. For related information, follow the "NFSv4 in a Multi-Realm Environment" link below.
  (A beta version of the next release is also available libnfsidmap-0.21b1.tar.gz)
• nfs-utils-1.1.2-CITI_NFS4_ALL-1.dif (for developers, also available as separate patches, with comments).

Upstream sources

Unpatched tarballs to which the above patches apply:

• linux-2.6.25-rc9.tar.bz2
• nfs-utils-1.1.2.tar.gz (Also available from sourceforge)
• libevent
• acl_2.2.42-1.tar.gz
• (util-linux removed. Necessary changes are currently in most, if not all, distributions.)

Instructions

The following instructions are meant to be followed, in order, after downloading all of the sources above.

• Building and installing an nfsv4-enabled kernel
• Building and installing required userland components
• Setting up krb5
• Using NFSv4
• Using NFSv4 ACLs
• Using NFSv4 referrals
• NFSv4 in a Multi-Realm Environment with a Kerberos V cross-realm example.
• FAQ: troubleshooting tips and commonly asked questions.
• NFSv4 Development: brief advice for new developers.

Mailing list and irc

• Bug reports are appreciated; please report any problems to nfsv4@linux-nfs.org; before posting, you may wish to consult the public archives of that list for similar problems.
• You may subscribe to nfsv4@linux-nfs.org for discussion of the linux NFSv4 implementation.
• There is also a #linux-nfs irc channel on irc.oftc.net

Status

• We have a basic list of features supported by the current linux NFSv4 implementation.

NFSv4/linux work elsewhere

• Bull GNU/Linux NFSv4 Project: includes test results, administration tools, v6 support, NFS/IPv6 work, and more.
• OSDL's linux nfsv4 testing page.
• Learning NFSv4 with Fedora Core 2: Van Emery's detailed NFSv4 howto for FC2, the first distribution with built-in NFSv4 support.