---
name: "make-fai-nfsroot"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "fai-server"
version: "4.3.1+deb8u1"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fai-make-nfsroot"
---

# make-fai-nfsroot(8)

create the FAI nfsroot directory

Part of [fai-make-nfsroot(8)](/fai-make-nfsroot/8.md).

## NAME

fai-make-nfsroot - create the FAI nfsroot directory

## SYNOPSIS

**fai-make-nfsroot** \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Create the FAI nfsroot directory as pointed by $NFSROOT in the config\_file.  This directory is necessary for the installation of Debian on remote clients using the FAI package. The config\_file location is discussed in the OPTIONS below.

The exit code returned is 0 if all commands to build the root directory exited successfully and \>0 if an error occurs.

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Adjust a generic nfsroot. Add resolv.conf, add host entries, set the root password.

- **-B BASETGZ**

  Use specified BASETGZ file as base.tgz (or base.tar.gz, base.tar.xz, base.txz) for the nfsroot. This avoids calling debootstrap and therefore reduces the buildtime for the nfsroot.

- **-C CFDIR**

  Use CFDIR as configuration directory. Default is /etc/fai. You can also set the environment variable FAI\_ETC\_DIR.

- **-f**

  Force overwriting an existing nfsroot. By default fai-make-nfsroot aborts if the configuration variable NFSROOT points to a directory which already exists. To force overwriting (and therefore rebuilding) the existing nfsroot use this option. This option is supported starting with FAI 4.0. Note: To update and therefore preserve an existing nfsroot see option -k.

- **-g**

  Create a generic nfsroot. Remove most install server specific data from nfsroot. See also -a.

- **-K**

  Remove all kernels from NFSROOT. This is the same as calling aptitude purge ~nlinux-image inside the nfsroot.

- **-k**

  Install additional packages defined in /etc/fai/NFSROOT into the nfsroot. Also copies all kernels from the nfsroot to the directory $TFTPROOT.

- **-l**

  Create a nfsroot using live/filesystem.dir subdirectory. This is needed if the initrd of the kernel is created by the live-boot package.

- **-p**

  Preserve ssh keys. This will preserve the whole .ssh directory of the root account inside the nfsroot.

- **-v**

  Create verbose output on stdout.

- **-h**

  Show simple help.

## NOTES

If you do not use NFS, you may still use the NFSROOT directory as a staging point for building the base installation tarball.

## SEE ALSO

[*exports*(5)](/exports/5.md), [*nfsd*(8)](/nfsd/8.md), [*fai-setup*(8)](/fai-setup/8.md)

This program is part of FAI (Fully Automatic Installation).  See the FAI manual for more information on how to use fai-make-nfsroot. The FAI homepage is http://fai-project.org.

## FILES

- */etc/fai/fai.conf*

  The FAI configuration file.

- */etc/fai/nfsroot.conf*

  The configuration file for fai-make-nfsroot.

- */etc/fai/nfsroot-hooks/*

  Directory containing shell scripts to be sourced at the end of fai-make-nfsroot for additional configuration of the nfsroot. Can be changed with NFSROOT\_HOOKS.

- */etc/fai/apt/sources.list*

  Copy this file to the NFSROOT.

- */etc/fai/apt/keys/\*.asc*

  Repository keys in .asc format found here will be installed into the NFSROOT.

## AUTHOR

Thomas Lange \<lange@informatik.uni-koeln.de\>