Script to mount /Users with nfs instead of vboxsf in boot2docker

boot2docker-use-nfs.sh

#!/bin/bash

#
# This script will mount /Users in the boot2docker VM using NFS (instead of the
# default vboxsf). It's probably not a good idea to run it while there are
# Docker containers running in boot2docker.
#
# Usage: sudo ./boot2docker-use-nfs.sh
#

if [ "$USER" != "root" ]
then
  echo "This script must be run with sudo: sudo ${0}"
  exit -1
fi

# Run command as non root http://stackoverflow.com/a/10220200/96855
B2D_IP=$(sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} boot2docker ip &> /dev/null)

if [ "$?" != "0" ]
then
  sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} boot2docker up
  $(sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} boot2docker shellinit)
  B2D_IP=$(sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} boot2docker ip &> /dev/null)
  #echo "You need to start boot2docker first: boot2docker up && \$(boot2docker shellinit) "
  #exit -1
fi

OSX_IP=$(ifconfig en0 | grep --word-regexp inet | awk '{print $2}')
MAP_USER=${SUDO_USER}
MAP_GROUP=$(sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} id -n -g)
RESTART_NFSD=0

EXPORTS_LINE="/Users -mapall=${MAP_USER}:${MAP_GROUP} ${OSX_IP}"
grep "$EXPORTS_LINE" /etc/exports > /dev/null
if [ "$?" != "0" ]
then
  RESTART_NFSD=1
  # Backup exports file
  $(cp -n /etc/exports /etc/exports.bak) && \
    echo "Backed up /etc/exports to /etc/exports.bak"
  # Delete previously generated line if it exists
  grep -v '^/Users ' /etc/exports > /etc/exports
  # We are using the OS X IP because the b2d VM is behind NAT
  echo "$EXPORTS_LINE" >> /etc/exports
fi

NFSD_LINE="nfs.server.mount.require_resv_port = 0"
grep "$NFSD_LINE" /etc/nfs.conf > /dev/null
if [ "$?" != "0" ]
then
  RESTART_NFSD=1
  # Backup /etc/nfs.conf file
  $(cp -n /etc/nfs.conf /etc/nfs.conf.bak) && \
      echo "Backed up /etc/nfs.conf to /etc/nfs.conf.bak"
  echo "nfs.server.mount.require_resv_port = 0" >> /etc/nfs.conf
fi

if [ "$RESTART_NFSD" == "1" ]
then
  echo "Restarting nfsd"
  nfsd update 2> /dev/null || (nfsd start && sleep 5)
fi

sudo -u ${SUDO_USER} boot2docker ssh << EOF
  mount | grep nfs > /dev/null && \
    echo "/Users already mounted with NFS" && \
    exit
  echo "Unmounting /Users"
  sudo umount /Users 2> /dev/null
  echo "Starting nfs-client"
  sudo /usr/local/etc/init.d/nfs-client start 2> /dev/null
  echo "Mounting /Users"
  sudo mount $OSX_IP:/Users /Users -o rw,async,noatime,rsize=32768,wsize=32768,proto=tcp,nfsvers=3
  echo "Mounted /Users:"
  ls -al /Users
  exit
EOF

Thanks very much for this. I made a minor update (see my forked version) which was mentioned my kpsmith in a different Gist.

This just resolves the following error:

mount: RPC: Authentication error; why = Client credential too weak

@neilbartley: I hit the same error and your forked script fixed it for me. Thanks for that.

Unfortunately, even with NFS, mounted drives are still unusably slow with Docker and Boot2Docker. I'm still looking for a solution, so if anyone has any ideas, let me know :)

Should be fixed in latest revision.

In case it's useful to anyone else, i use this to determine the correct local ip instead of always using en0 (on line #29) :

OSX_IP=$(ifconfig -m `route get 8.8.8.8 | awk '{if ($1 ~ /interface:/){print $2}}'` | awk 'sub(/inet /,""){print $1}')

I just updated the script to make it faster (e.g. won't wait 10s if nfsd already running or /Users already mounted with nfs).

Thanks @DavidStaron. OSX_IP wasn't been set, but your suggestion works great

+1 @DavidStaron

I ported this script to docker-machine in case anyone wants to switch: https://gist.github.com/olalonde/74de9d053448b977f77e

Great script! Here is my take on it; it uses a little know fact that if you mount a volume on a preexisting folder with subfolders the new mount takes precedence. So the boot2docker guest still have access to required volumes under /Users.

The changes persist between reboots of the boot2docker guest as long as VirtualBox keeps the ip (have never changed for me, but a possibility).

I have also successfully tested this while using folders other then /Users/~/. The script shares the current folder with the boot2docker guest so if you need multiple folders just run it in a parent folder.

https://gist.github.com/KeremTubluk/cf6a5fffa39aca3431b0