Mac OS X: Using the Finder to Mount NFS Exports

Follow these steps to use the Mac OS X Finder to access files that have been shared by an NFS-based computer (also referred to as "mounting an NFS export"):

Step 1

With the Finder active, choose Connect to Server from the Go menu; the Connect to Server window appears.

Step 2

In the Address text box, enter   nfs://   followed by the hostname or IP address of the server and the full path to the export. See the example in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Connect to Server window

Step 3

Click Connect; the Connect to Server window closes. With Mac OS X 10.1 or later the NFS exports will mount on the desktop (unless you've turned that feature off on the server, then the export will only appear in the Finder window). If your computer has Mac OS X 10.0 through 10.0.4, continue with steps 4 and 5.

Step 4

Choose Go to Folder from the Go menu; the Go to Folder dialog box appears.

Step 5

In the text box, enter   /Volumes/   followed by the hostname or IP address of the server and click Go. See the example in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Go to Folder dialog box

If you need to use more sophisticated options when mounting an NFS server, use the Terminal application to issue commands. See the man pages for mount and mount_nfs.