Mount NFS share from WSL in Windows 10

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a compatibility layer that allows you to run a Linux environment directly on your Windows 10 machine. It provides a way to use Linux command-line tools and utilities without the need for a virtual machine or dual-booting.

One common task when working with WSL is to access files and directories that are stored on a Network File System (NFS) share. NFS allows you to share files and folders between computers over a network, making it a convenient way to access and share data.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of mounting an NFS share from WSL in Windows 10.

Step 1: Install NFS Client

The first step is to ensure that the NFS client is installed on your Windows 10 machine. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Windows Start menu.
2. Click on "Programs" and then "Turn Windows features on or off".
3. In the Windows Features window, scroll down and locate "Services for NFS".
4. Check the box next to "Services for NFS" and click "OK".
5. Wait for the installation to complete, and then restart your computer.

Step 2: Set Up the NFS Share

Before you can mount the NFS share, you need to ensure that it is set up correctly on the remote server. You will need the following information:

• The IP address or hostname of the NFS server.
• The path to the shared directory on the NFS server.

Contact your system administrator or refer to the documentation of the NFS server for assistance in obtaining this information.

Step 3: Mount the NFS Share

Once you have the necessary information, follow these steps to mount the NFS share:

1. Open the WSL terminal by searching for "WSL" in the Windows Start menu.
2. In the terminal, use the cd command to navigate to the directory where you want to mount the NFS share.
3. Run the following command, replacing server_ip with the IP address or hostname of the NFS server, and shared_directory with the path to the shared directory on the NFS server:

For example, if the NFS server IP address is 192.168.1.100 and the shared directory is /data, the command would be:

After running the command, the NFS share will be mounted to the specified directory (/mnt/nfs in this example).

Step 4: Access the NFS Share

Now that the NFS share is mounted, you can access its contents from within WSL. Simply use the cd command to navigate to the mount point directory (/mnt/nfs in this example) and you will be able to view and manipulate the files and directories on the NFS share.

Remember to unmount the NFS share when you no longer need to access it. To do this, use the following command:

That's it! You have successfully mounted an NFS share from WSL in Windows 10. Now you can easily access and work with files and directories stored on the NFS server.

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