How can I enable NFS?

What this is#

Nothing to enable and nothing to request: NFS works on Linux VPS out of the box. (Older versions of this article said to open a ticket, that's no longer necessary.)

Using it#

• Mount a share (client): install the client tools (apt install nfs-common on Debian/Ubuntu, dnf install nfs-utils on RHEL-family), then mount -t nfs otherhost:/export /mnt/share.
• Serve a share (server): apt install nfs-kernel-server, define exports in /etc/exports, and exportfs -ra.

Keep it private#

NFS's security model assumes a trusted network, so never export to the whole internet. Restrict exports to specific IPs in /etc/exports, firewall the NFS ports to just the machines that mount from you, and prefer tunneling over an encrypted overlay when crossing networks, the private networking guide sets one up in ten minutes.

Still need help?#

You can open a support ticket. So we can help on the first reply, it's worth mentioning:

• the VPS hostname or IP,
• whether you're mounting or serving, and the exact mount or export error.

Related questions#

• "How do I enable NFS on my VPS?"
• "Do I still need to open a ticket for NFS?"
• "Can I mount an NFS share on my VPS?"
• "Can my VPS act as an NFS server?"