NFS-LAN

Overview

NFS-LAN - plugin for Nautilus file manager (GNOME environment default file manager), that allows to share and browse NFS network (NFS - Network File System). It's missing functionality in Gnome.

There are two branches exist now.

• 1.x - for Gnome3/Nautilus3 (Ubuntu 12.04 for example)
• 0.x - for Gnome2/Nautilus2 (Ubuntu 10.04 for example)

Technical summary

It based on such technologies and packages :

• Python. All code written on Python.
• python-gtk for GUI
• python-nautilus for Nautilus python plugin
• nfs-client and nfs-server for NFS support
• autofs for auto mounting
• avahi-browse (avahi-utils) and avahi-daemon for computers' list
• showmount - to get only computers with shares

Installation

Just install *.deb package. Autofs package is in the dependecies, but you have to configure it by yourself, if you want to browse NFS shares automatically. Please edit /etc/auto.master and uncomment this line:

/net -hosts

You can add --timeout parameter (in this case you have a problems with unmounting shares which going down):

/net -hosts --timeout=60

Then restart autofs:

sudo service autofs restart

Usage

NFS sharing

To share folder in Nautilus, just right-click on folder and choose "Share this folder through NFS...". Then setup sharing options and click Ok.

Behind the scene: NFS-LAN modify /etc/exports file and restarts NFS server

NFS browsing

Go to /net folder in Nautilus. When you open /net folder first time in the session, NFS-LAN do Refresh action. NFS-LAN search for remote computers with avahi daemon activated (in Ubuntu avahi daemon activated by default). If your remote PC doesn't have avavi you can:

• use Computer name or ip area
• or just go to URI: /net/your_computer_name_or_ip

Behind the scene. When you first time open /net folder or press Refresh button in the top panel, NFS-LAN search for remote PCs with avahi-daemon activated, then search for shares on these PCs. And then just do command 'cd /net/computer_name'. Autofs do the rest.