systemd configuration for nfs-client (only) does not work properly

[bdubbs@…]

nfs-utils configuration in systemd book:

If the nfs-server unit is not installed (even though the sever is not needed), then there is a 1 minute delay in bringing up nfs-client. This is because the rpcbind process is not started before rpc.statd.

I could not figure out all the weird stuff in systemd about what and how the appropriate .target, .service, .unit, .socket, .timer, .mount, .slice, .wants, and/or .path files need to be modified to make this work without nfs-server.

[bdubbs@…]

I ran into another problem at boot time. I did not have nfsd in the kernel and was getting some warnings in the boot sequence. The book does say to enable nfsd if you want the server, but if you only wast the client, it is better to fix the nfs-client service to start rpc.statd.

This may not be necessary when we update to nfs-utils 2.3.1, In the NEWS file:

• /sbin/{u,}mount.nfs{,4} are now installed so 'mount' will use these to mount nfs filesystems instead of internal code.
  • mount.nfs will check for 'statd' to be running when mounting a filesystem which requires it. If it is not running it will run "/usr/sbin/start-statd" to try to start it. If statd is not running and cannot be started, mount.nfs will refuse to mount the filesystem and will suggest the 'nolock' option.

[bdubbs@…]

Installing nfs-utils 2.3.1 did fix the problem. We still need to update the BLFS page to:

mv /sbin/start-statd /usr/sbin

after install. The start-statd program is a fairly simple shell script and is systemd aware.

[ken@…]

Replying to bdubbs@…:

Installing nfs-utils 2.3.1 did fix the problem. We still need to update the BLFS page to:

mv /sbin/start-statd /usr/sbin

after install. The start-statd program is a fairly simple shell script and is systemd aware.

A quick test on sysv and 2.3.1 with that change, and rebooting, shows statd still starts, so we should be able to keep the books the same for that part.

[ken@…]

I'm about to update nfs-utils, I'll move start-statd in the same commit.

[ken@…]

If I've understood correctly, upgrading to nfs-utils-2.3.1 and moving start-statd will solve this. Fixed in r19643.