FTP Mirrors and nfs module

root · 2012-06-11 18:37:05

My activity in the last few days concerning my Arch activity has given rise to some questions I hope you guys/gals don't mind to post them in one just one thread. Hopefully this is too the right place to ask them.

1) While performing some searches throughout the forums trying to find information in order to fix a nowadays struggle with Firefox I have seen quite a number of recommendations that addressed the OP to avoid ftp mirrors (fixing apparently library issues, changing mirrors). In my case since my early Debian days have always seen the ftp mirror, the pair to the http one that is, as a fallback mirror when the latter failed at some point, and viceversa. Therefore I usually have always commented out both the http and the ftp one. Did I do wrong all this time, even now in Arch?
If someone could enlighten me with regard to this 'avoid ftp mirros' recommendation I would appreciate it.

2) After one of the latest updates when processing the User modules I get the following message "Inserted module 'nfs' ". Since there was no notification during the update/upgrade process, even checked the pacman.log, am I supposed to add it manually in rc.conf as a user module or is it perfectly fine to leave it as it is?

Thanks in advance.

Trilby · 2012-06-11 18:49:32

I am also familiar with the advice to avoid FTP mirrors - and I have seen this advice solve many problems - but I cant contribute to the explanation why. However, I'm curious what you mean here:

root wrote:

Therefore I usually have always commented out both the http and the ftp one.

If you comment out all ftp and http, what's left? Surely you have mirrors uncommented.

Terminator · 2012-06-11 19:11:25

root wrote:

2) After one of the latest updates when processing the User modules I get the following message "Inserted module 'nfs' ". Since there was no notification during the update/upgrade process, even checked the pacman.log, am I supposed to add it manually in rc.conf as a user module or is it perfectly fine to leave it as it is?

Nfs stands for network file system I assume, so you don't need to add it in your rc.conf (unless you actually use nfs).

tomk · 2012-06-11 19:27:09

1) Here's one of many articles about why you should avoid ftp - google has plenty more: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/FtpMustDie

2) When exactly do you see that message? Is 'nfs' in the MODULES array in /etc/rc.conf?

cjpembo · 2012-06-12 12:47:34

I'm getting the message that the NFS module is loading at boot as well (something new in the past day or two). I've never used NFS and there is nothing in my rc.conf to require it. I only load the fuse and vboxdrv modules. Strange?

:: Loading User-specified Modules
Inserted module 'nfs'

Last edited by cjpembo (2012-06-12 13:40:55)

falconindy · 2012-06-12 14:01:23

It's being loaded from /usr/lib/modules-load.d/nfs-utils.conf. The output will be properly hidden next initscripts release.

Last edited by falconindy (2012-06-12 14:29:09)

cjpembo · 2012-06-12 14:57:19

Output hidden? I don't need the module loading at all. Are you saying that /usr/lib/modules-load.d/nfs-utils.conf will be removed completely, so the module will not load? Or still load and just do so silently?

falconindy · 2012-06-12 16:46:35

If you can't stand the idea of having one extra module loaded that might not be needed, you can mask it

# ln -s /dev/null /etc/modules-load.d/nfs-utils.conf

cjpembo · 2012-06-12 17:32:23

Not that it matters: but 6 modules get loaded when using the nfs module. I guess I don't see why we're loading the nfs module by default? I thought it was always up to the end user to determine which file system modules get loaded?

root · 2012-06-12 22:13:16

@Trilby

I think you got me all wrong there. My country is usually featured with two mirrors, one being http and the other a ftp one. It is those two that comment out. The rest of the mirrors obviously stay commented

@Terminator

The thing I wonder about is why it inserts itself in the User specified modules when I am not using nfs. Just because nfs-utils is installed even if it is not set up as far as I have checked? If I needed it, or any other user I would expect the user to add it him/herself instead of this automatized way I guess.

@tomk

Thanks for the link. But, honestly speaking, after reading the information you provided I still don't see a concrete reason of why to avoid ftp mirrors. I must confess that I am trying to figure out if the use of a ftp mirror together with the http one might have lead to the problems I am experiencing these days.

The notification appears just like #5 says.

@falconindy

The only reason for this module to be inserted automatically is to have the nfs-utils installed even if nfs is not set up at this time?

falconindy · 2012-06-12 22:40:46

If you.don't need nfs-utils then don't install it. We package software so that generally it just works. The rc.d script loads modules and does a lot of things behind the user's back. As the systemd service is broken out (properly I might add) into the individual RPCs and not to do anything else, we include this file so that nfs just works.

root · 2012-06-12 22:48:06

@falconindy

Thanks for the clarification. Sorry if I bothered you.

cjpembo · 2012-06-14 14:03:46

I've been gone a few days. Thanks for the clarification regarding nfs, falconindy. I always install every package in the core repo: so have a few questions. If I blacklist the nfs module, will this cause any errors in the newer init scripts you're working on? I assume there will be a setting in /etc/rc.conf to enable nfs-utils - the arch 'keep it simple' principal will mean it will be disabled by default?

root · 2012-06-14 20:57:52

Regarding the FTP mirrors which is still the issue pending on my behalf, no one else is able to be more specific with regard to the advice/recommendation of avoiding them?

Arch Linux

#1 2012-06-11 18:37:05

FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#2 2012-06-11 18:49:32

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#3 2012-06-11 19:11:25

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#4 2012-06-11 19:27:09

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#5 2012-06-12 12:47:34

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#6 2012-06-12 14:01:23

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#7 2012-06-12 14:57:19

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#8 2012-06-12 16:46:35

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#9 2012-06-12 17:32:23

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#10 2012-06-12 22:13:16

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#11 2012-06-12 22:40:46

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#12 2012-06-12 22:48:06

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#13 2012-06-14 14:03:46

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

#14 2012-06-14 20:57:52

Re: FTP Mirrors and nfs module

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