[Buadhai]

In preparation for switching from Snow Leopard to Lion I'm trying to get my MacMini to work as an NFS server that can be accessed by XBMC running on a MacMini, an AppleTV1 and an AppleTV2.

I have the NFS server running fine on the MacMini:

Code:

Bleach:etc mnewman$ showmount -e
Exports list on localhost:
/Volumes/Media                      192.168.0.0

I can mount this share on:

A MacMini (SnowLeopard) via the Finder
A MacBook (SL) via the Finder
A MacMini (SL) via the command line [mount_nfs 192.168.0.75:/Volumes/Media mnt]
A Linux box (Ubuntu 11.04) via the command line
An ATV1 using the command line

But, I cannot get any of the three XBMC installations to mount the NFS share. I always see errors like this in the log files:

Code:

08:17:52 T:2684407808 M:  9666560   DEBUG: SECTION:LoadDLL(libnfs.1.0.0.dylib)
08:17:52 T:2684407808 M:  9666560   DEBUG: Loading: /Applications/XBMC.app/Contents/Frameworks/libnfs.1.0.0.dylib
08:17:52 T:2684407808 M:  9560064   ERROR: NFS: Failed to mount nfs share: (null)
08:17:52 T:2684407808 M:  9564160   ERROR: GetDirectory - Error getting nfs://192.168.0.75:2049/Volumes/Media

SMB is working fine on all three XBMC installations.

Following are the XBMC versions for each machine:

MacMini pre-11: 61bdb05
ATV1 pre-11: 5bbc9c2
ATV2 pre-11: b2f2a7

My /etc/exports file consists of one line:

Code:

/Volumes/Media -alldirs -mapall=-2:-2 -network 192.168.0.0 -mask 255.255.0.0

What am I doing wrong?

[Buadhai]

Let me add one thing. After a restart of my machine, it appeared that nfsd was not running. The following command simply sat there:

Code:

Bleach:mnt mnewman$ showmount -e
^C

But when I tried to start nfsd, I got this:

Code:

Bleach:mnt mnewman$ sudo nfsd enable
Password:
The nfsd service is already enabled.
Bleach:mnt mnewman$ showmount -e
Exports list on localhost:
/Volumes/Media                      192.168.0.0

If the nfsd service was already enabled, then why didn't the showmount command work?

[Buadhai]

So, none of you vocal open source advocates have any idea how to make this work?

I guess I'll have to stick with SAMBA...

[darkscout]

What does mapall=-2:-2 do? Remove 2 from the uid? Pretty sure UID is an unsigned int.

What reason did you put them there?

[Buadhai]

What does mapall=-2:-2 do? Remove 2 from the uid? Pretty sure UID is an unsigned int.

I have no idea.

What reason did you put them there?

It was generated by a Mac program called NFS Manager.

I tried mapall=501, but that didn't work either. It seems to me that since the owner of the NFS share is user 501 and since XBMC is running as user 501 there should be no need for a the mapall parameter, but leaving it out didn't work either.

Frankly, I don't understand the mapall parameter at all. After reading the Network Filesystem (NFS) Wiki, I'm more confused than ever. Who is "nobody"?

Please keep in mind that the NFS share is working perfectly, except from within XBMC. I can mount it via the command line from any Mac or Linux box in the subnet. l can mount it via the Finder from any Mac in the subnet. The only place it doesn't work is from within XBMC.

[darkscout]

And the versions you do have were compiled with libnfs support?

[Buadhai]

And the versions you do have were compiled with libnfs support?

No idea. Where to I go to find that out?

[Buadhai]

Please put yourself in my position for a moment. I am an old, retired guy who just wants to watch some videos. But, then I became a victim of geeks. The geeks at Apple decided to write a new CIFS server for Lion. Unfortunately, the CIFS client that the geeks at XBMC wrote is incompatible with the new Apple version. So, after installing Lion my lovely little home entertainment network got borked.

Who's left to fix this? Me.

It was suggested by several users that I use NFS instead of SMB. But, that suggestion should have come with a bold-faced caveat:

If you are a unix geek and if you have a thorough understanding of users, groups, permissions. Mac System Daemon plist files, and have a working relationship with a user named "nobody", you might think about giving NFS a try.

With all due respect to Memphis, his NFS wiki just doesn't cut it for users like me. I don't understand mapall, or nobody. And, it's probably been 40 years since I had to think about unsigned integers.

[darkscout]

1) Start a Debug Log
2) Open Debug log
3) Check for libnfs.
-
Like davila said. No one told you to upgrade to Lion. When you upgrade stuff, expect stuff to break. Nothing works straight out of the box all the time.

Second, NFS is a highly unstable, beta feature. A LOT of XBMC features expect you to know something about unix systems. The Wiki is perfectly suitable for people with a base understanding. If you don't understand it, sorry. Google. Everything is out there (and more) about NFS.
-
I have a better caveat:

If it's working. Don't touch it. Don't update it. Don't upgrade it. Don't change settings.

It worked before, you changed to Lion. There were no guarantees to Lion and XBMC. Don't go pointing the finger at XBMC. Don't go pointing it at Apple. (They just obliged to the SAMBA project's GPLv3).

Next time you go to the gas station, don't put diesel in your fuel tank. No guarantees that it'll work. Stick to what works: RON89 (unless you have a TDI, then reverse).

[Buadhai]

I stand humbly scolded.

[Buadhai]

However, in my defense I'd like to point out the first sentence in the OP:

In preparation for switching from Snow Leopard to Lion I'm trying to get my MacMini to work as an NFS server that can be accessed by XBMC running on a MacMini, an AppleTV1 and an AppleTV2.

I am still running Snow Leopard. My XBMC installations all still work. (Yes, I did a trial installation of Lion which is how I discovered the SMB problem.)

I am simply doing due diligence in trying to get either NFS or SAMBA3 to work before I commit to Lion.

However, as darkscout has pointed out, I lack the judgement, intelligence and knowledge required to use NFS, so I will abandon that effort and stick to SAMBA.

[darkscout]

Knowledge: Yes.
Intelligence: No.

Like I said, everything about NFS is written about 10 fold on google.

[Buadhai]

I've spent the last few hours reading everything I can find on NFS. I've read most of it before. Nothing I've read explains to me why I can ssh into my AppleTV1 and mount the NFS share:

Code:

-bash-2.05b$ mount_nfs 192.168.0.75:/Volumes/Media /mnt/Media/nfs1
-bash-2.05b$ cd nfs1
-bash-2.05b$ ls
Install Mac OS X Lion.app    Pictures
Movies                TV

But not from within XBMC:

Code:

12:02:26 T:2684407808 M: 15761408   DEBUG: SECTION:LoadDLL(libnfs.1.0.0.dylib)
12:02:26 T:2684407808 M: 15761408   DEBUG: Loading: /Applications/XBMC.app/Contents/Frameworks/libnfs.1.0.0.dylib
12:02:27 T:2684407808 M: 15740928   ERROR: NFS: Failed to mount nfs share: RPC error: Mount failed with error MNT3ERR_ACCES(13) Permission denied(13)

1 - I'm assuming that the above means that this version of XBMC was complied with libnfs

2 - I've searched for the error above (MNT3ERR_ACCES(13) Permission denied(13)). I don't understand. I thought XBMC ran as user frontrow (UID=501). If I can mount the NFS share as user frontrow from the command line, then why can't I mount it from within XBMC?

Here's what /etc/exports looks like now:

Code:

/Volumes/Media -alldirs -maproot=root -network 192.168.0.0 -mask 255.255.0.0

[Memphiz]

dude ... i've already given you your answer in the ios thread ... so would you just change the plist file that i mentioned, restart your nfs server and be happy.

[Buadhai]

dude ... i've already given you your answer in the ios thread ... so would you just change the plist file that i mentioned, restart your nfs server and be happy.

I changed the plist file a week ago; right when I first started experimenting with NFS:

Code:

<string><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.apple.nfsd</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/sbin/nfsd</string>
        <string>-N</string>
    </array>
    <key>QueueDirectories</key>
    <array/>
    <key>WatchPaths</key>
    <array/>
</dict>
</plist>