---
name: "autofs"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "autofs"
version: "5.1.9-1.2+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/autofs"
---

# autofs(8)

Service control for the automounter

## NAME

autofs - Service control for the automounter

## SYNOPSIS

If a SysV init script system is being used:\
 **/etc/init.d/autofs** *start\|stop\|restart\|reload\|status*

or if the systemd init system is being used:\
 **systemctl** *start\|stop\|restart\|reload\|status* **autofs.service**

## DESCRIPTION

**autofs** controls the operation of the [**automount**(8)](/automount/8.md) daemon(s) running on the Linux system. Usually **autofs** is invoked at system boot time with the *start* parameter and at shutdown time with the *stop* parameter. Service control actions can also be manually invoked by the system administrator to shut down, restart, reload or obtain service status.

## OPERATION

**autofs** will consult a configuration file */etc/auto.master* (see [**auto.master**(5)](/auto.master/5.md)) by default to find mount points on the system. For each of those mount points [**automount**(8)](/automount/8.md) will mount and start a thread, with the appropriate parameters, to manage the mount point.

**/etc/init.d/autofs reload** or **systemctl autofs.service reload** will check the current auto.master map against the current automount managed mounts. It will terminate those daemons or threads (depending on **autofs** version) whose entries have been removed, re-read the automount maps for entries that have changed and start new daemons or threads for entries that have been added.

If an indirect map is modified then the change will become effective immediately. If an indirect map uses the **browse** option, the master map contains direct mount maps or the *auto.master* map is modified then the **autofs** service control reload action must be rerun to activate the changes.

However, if a map entry has offsets and is currently in use the offset mounts cannot be updated due to potential mount dependencies. In this case the map entry offsets will not be updated until after the map entry has expired.

**/etc/init.d/autofs status** or **systemctl status autofs.service** will display the status of, [**automount**(8)](/automount/8.md), running or not. When using the systemd init system the status output includes somewhat more information related to the service status.

**[systemctl(1)](/systemctl/1.md)** has more functions than the actions mentioned here, see **[systemctl(1)](/systemctl/1.md)** for more information.

## SEE ALSO

[**automount**(8)](/automount/8.md), [**autofs**(5)](/autofs/5.md), [**autofs.conf**(5)](/autofs.conf/5.md), [**auto.master**(5)](/auto.master/5.md), [**autofs\_ldap\_auth.conf**(5)](/autofs_ldap_auth.conf/5.md), **[systemctl(1)](/systemctl/1.md).**

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Christoph Lameter \<chris@waterf.org\>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system.  Edited by H. Peter Anvin \<hpa@transmeta.com\> and Ian Kent \<raven@themaw.net\>.