A

AFS is extremely hard to set up.

Has Narrower
AFS requires a special dedicated drive partition (at least one) running a virtual file system on top.
AFS requires setting up Kerberos.
Other
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

AFS is extremely slow.

Other
AFS requires a special dedicated drive partition (at least one) running a virtual file system on top.
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

AFS is highly durable; you can close your laptop and take it somewhere else, and it works when you reconnect.

Other
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

AFS requires a special dedicated drive partition (at least one) running a virtual file system on top.

Has Broader
AFS is extremely hard to set up.
Other
AFS is extremely slow.

AFS requires setting up Kerberos.

Has Broader
AFS is extremely hard to set up.

AFS supports symbolic links.

Other
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

AFS traffic is encrypted.

Other
That said, AFS traffic is not encrypted very well.
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

AFS uses a single global namespace which makes it easy to locate a share.

Other
Use AFS (Andrew File System).

H

Having to `sudo kinit` as yourself obviates the point of non-root user mounts: why not just `sudo mount /nfs/share` instead?

Other
Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.

Historically NFS has been a tremendous pain to set up due to the need to match user UIDs/GIDs across all systems in the network.

Other
Use NFS (Network File System).
Use NFSv4 and `rpc.idmapd` that ships with it to get around the problem of normalizing all UIDs/GIDs.

However, the ticket expected by the system is not the principal associated with root, but the non-root user.

Other
Turns out that the mounting infrastructure is looking for a ticket owned by root rather than the non-root user doing the mount.
Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.

I

If the Samba server goes down, the client (Mac) goes into an unrecoverable state and has to be hard power-cycled.

Other
Use Samba (CIFS).

K

Keep files consolidated among multiple devices on home network.

Other
Make one machine the authoritative file server and just write to it from the others over the network.

M

Make one machine the authoritative file server and just write to it from the others over the network.

Other
Keep files consolidated among multiple devices on home network.
Which remote filesystem protocol should we use?

`mount` complains of a missing service principal.

Other
Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.
Run `rpc.gssd` with the `-n` flag to force the use of user principals.

N

NFS is easy to set up and manage (certainly relative to AFS).

Other
Use NFS (Network File System).
Why are we using NFS in the first place?

NFS is much, much faster than AFS.

Other
Use NFS (Network File System).
Why are we using NFS in the first place?

NFS supports symbolic links.

Other
Use NFS (Network File System).
Why are we using NFS in the first place?

Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.

Other
Non-root users should be able to mount any entry in the `/etc/fstab` as long as there is a `user` option set.
Use the Kerberos setup left over from AFS (and testing environment for client work).
Why are we using NFS in the first place?
Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.
`mount` complains of a missing service principal.

Non-root users should be able to mount any entry in the `/etc/fstab` as long as there is a `user` option set.

Other
Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.

O

The only way NFSv4 traffic can be encrypted is with Kerberos.

Other
Use NFSv4 and `rpc.idmapd` that ships with it to get around the problem of normalizing all UIDs/GIDs.
Use the Kerberos setup left over from AFS (and testing environment for client work).

R

Root's ticket expires which causes NFS to freeze in a really ugly way.

Has Broader
You need to have two tickets; one for the non-root user and the other for root as the non-root user.
Other
Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.

Run `rpc.gssd` with the `-n` flag to force the use of user principals.

Other
The user still can't mount the share even with `rpc.gssd -n`.
`mount` complains of a missing service principal.

S

Samba has no symbolic links.

Other
Use Samba (CIFS).

Samba is relatively simple to set up.

Other
Use Samba (CIFS).

Samba is widely supported across multiple operating systems.

Other
Use Samba (CIFS).

Samba traffic is encrypted.

Other
Use Samba (CIFS).

T

That said, AFS traffic is not encrypted very well.

Other
AFS traffic is encrypted.

Turns out that the mounting infrastructure is looking for a ticket owned by root rather than the non-root user doing the mount.

Other
However, the ticket expected by the system is not the principal associated with root, but the non-root user.
The user still can't mount the share even with `rpc.gssd -n`.

U

The user still can't mount the share even with `rpc.gssd -n`.

Other
Run `rpc.gssd` with the `-n` flag to force the use of user principals.
Turns out that the mounting infrastructure is looking for a ticket owned by root rather than the non-root user doing the mount.

Use AFS (Andrew File System).

Other
AFS is extremely hard to set up.
AFS is extremely slow.
AFS is highly durable; you can close your laptop and take it somewhere else, and it works when you reconnect.
AFS supports symbolic links.
AFS traffic is encrypted.
AFS uses a single global namespace which makes it easy to locate a share.
Which remote filesystem protocol should we use?

Use NFS (Network File System).

Has Narrower
Use NFSv4 and `rpc.idmapd` that ships with it to get around the problem of normalizing all UIDs/GIDs.
Other
Historically NFS has been a tremendous pain to set up due to the need to match user UIDs/GIDs across all systems in the network.
NFS is easy to set up and manage (certainly relative to AFS).
NFS is much, much faster than AFS.
NFS supports symbolic links.
Which remote filesystem protocol should we use?

Use NFSv4 and `rpc.idmapd` that ships with it to get around the problem of normalizing all UIDs/GIDs.

Has Broader
Use NFS (Network File System).
Has Narrower
Use the Kerberos setup left over from AFS (and testing environment for client work).
Other
Historically NFS has been a tremendous pain to set up due to the need to match user UIDs/GIDs across all systems in the network.
The only way NFSv4 traffic can be encrypted is with Kerberos.

Use Samba (CIFS).

Other
If the Samba server goes down, the client (Mac) goes into an unrecoverable state and has to be hard power-cycled.
Samba has no symbolic links.
Samba is relatively simple to set up.
Samba is widely supported across multiple operating systems.
Samba traffic is encrypted.
Which remote filesystem protocol should we use?

Use the Kerberos setup left over from AFS (and testing environment for client work).

Has Broader
Use NFSv4 and `rpc.idmapd` that ships with it to get around the problem of normalizing all UIDs/GIDs.
Other
Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.
The only way NFSv4 traffic can be encrypted is with Kerberos.

W

Which remote filesystem protocol should we use?

Other
Make one machine the authoritative file server and just write to it from the others over the network.
Use AFS (Andrew File System).
Use NFS (Network File System).
Use Samba (CIFS).

Why are we using NFS in the first place?

Other
NFS is easy to set up and manage (certainly relative to AFS).
NFS is much, much faster than AFS.
NFS supports symbolic links.
Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.

Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.

Other
Having to `sudo kinit` as yourself obviates the point of non-root user mounts: why not just `sudo mount /nfs/share` instead?
However, the ticket expected by the system is not the principal associated with root, but the non-root user.
Non-root user can't mount a kerberized NFSv4 share.
Root's ticket expires which causes NFS to freeze in a really ugly way.
You need to have two tickets; one for the non-root user and the other for root as the non-root user.

Y

You need to have two tickets; one for the non-root user and the other for root as the non-root user.

Has Narrower
Root's ticket expires which causes NFS to freeze in a really ugly way.
Other
Workaround: have root `kinit` as the non-root principal.