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NFS server on Ubuntu

NFS (Network File System) shares folders between Linux/Unix machines with lower overhead than Samba — the standard choice when every client is Linux, such as sharing storage between a home server and a Proxmox/VM cluster.

Target: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS / 24.04 LTSfile-sharingNFSLinux-to-LinuxOfficial homepage ↗Official docs ↗
This guide is synthesized from NFS server on Ubuntu's own official documentation, linked above — always cross-check exact package/version names there before running these commands on a production server, since distro and project versions move over time.

  1. 1Install the NFS server

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install -y nfs-kernel-server
    sudo mkdir -p /srv/nfs/shared
    sudo chown nobody:nogroup /srv/nfs/shared

  2. 2Export the share

    Add an entry to /etc/exports naming the folder and which client IPs/subnets may mount it.

    echo '/srv/nfs/shared 192.168.1.0/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)' | sudo tee -a /etc/exports
    sudo exportfs -ra
    sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server

  3. 3Mount it from a Linux client

    sudo apt install -y nfs-common
    sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nfs-shared
    sudo mount server-ip:/srv/nfs/shared /mnt/nfs-shared

    Add an entry to /etc/fstab on the client to make the mount persist across reboots, rather than remounting it manually every time.