df hung on NFS file system

[Greg Lindholm]

I've gotten 3 replies so far:

1) It happens to me too.

2) Only solution is to reboot or get the other machine up so you
can do the unmount.

3) This happens with all unixes and it will timeout after a couple
of minutes (it doesn't).

Is there some sort of NFS configuration option to control when it will
timeout? I have seen it timeout on another unix, don't remember
which one.

Greg Lindholm
g...@netcom.com

: Please mail me any replies as I don't usually read this group.

[Greg Lindholm]

The following are the responses I've recieved. I've switched to
a "soft" mount but haven't tested to see if it really works.

----

In your /etc/filesystems stanza for the filesystem which is NFS mounted
on the client, try setting the following options:

options = soft,intr

What usually happens in cases where the df command hangs is that the NFS
filesystem becomes "usuable" or unmounted on the server.

----

When specifying mount type in SMIT use 'soft' rather that 'hard'. This will
allow such hung commands to be interrupted. Note also the sue of the intr
flag in the example /etc/filesystems below.

/u36/aei/dec2:
dev = /usr3/u36
vfs = nfs
nodename = ultrix
mount = false
options = bg,soft,intr
----

You've probably received other mail on this, but what you want to do
is set up your nfs with "soft interrupts" in generic unix and on aix
boxes you can set up "hard" mounts that allow keyboard interrupts.
See smit change/show attributes of a mounted file system.

--
Greg Lindholm
Glendale CA
g...@netcom.com