SSHFS AUTOmount on Feisty

[leetcharmer]

admin@testBackupVM:/mnt$ mount vmware/
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on sshfs#admin@192.168.100.20:/vmfs/,
       missing codepage or other error
       In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
       dmesg | tail  or so

I get this error -- What do I do?

This is my fstab:

sshfs#admin:/vmfs/ /mnt/vmware fuse port=123,noauto,user 0 0

This is the normal command I use to connect:

sshfs admin@192.168.100.20:/vmfs vmware/

[Darwin Award Winner]

You haven't included the IP of the server in your fstab. Based on the command you type, your fstab should probably look like this:

sshfs#admin@192.168.100.20:/vmfs /mnt/vmware fuse port=123,noauto,user 0 0

Also, from your post, it looks like you are planning to use this to do backups of some sort. If so, you might not want to do things using sshfs. In my experience, transferring large amounts of data over sshfs is somewhat unreliable. I would look into using rsync instead. Rsync can operate over ssh, giving you all the security advantages that sshfs does.

[goodtimetribe]

I've found a nice addition to your fstab-entry.

If you plan zu use rsync to sync files from your local machine to your ssh-server, you need "workaround=rename"

Otherwise, you will not be able to update an older version of a file with a newer one. Without this option, you will be able to create files and folders and delete them, but you will get an error like this, if you try to update a file:

rsync: rename "/home/christian/Server/xxx/yyy/.index.html.Q3Btvn" -> "xxx/yyy/index.html": Operation not permitted (1)

Thanks for the heads up on this. So let me make sure I understand, if I'm using the command line I need to add a -o workaround=rename ?

thanks,

[goodtimetribe]

Thanks, it definitely mounts fine, but II can't get it to automount. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm using gutsy. Where do I begin to trouble shoot? I'm on a laptop so of course it's not on the network until after the wireless network manager for kubuntu launches.

thanks for any help

[Darwin Award Winner]

First you should verify that your fstab entries are ok. If you can mount the sshfs folder simply by typing

mount /path/to/folder

then your fstab is set up correctly.

Next, you should check that the mounting script works correctly when run manually in a terminal, first as yourself, then using sudo.

Let me know if both of those work.

[leetcharmer]

Also, from your post, it looks like you are planning to use this to do backups of some sort. If so, you might not want to do things using sshfs. In my experience, transferring large amounts of data over sshfs is somewhat unreliable. I would look into using rsync instead. Rsync can operate over ssh, giving you all the security advantages that sshfs does.

You're right; I've been planning on using a program called BackerUpper to backup the virtual machines once per week. So, it accesses the VM Server via ssh and then stores it to another Server with SSH (I could do SAMBA though). Do you still think rsync would be the best solution when I want to backup just a single folder? I don't know anything about rsync yet.

[goodtimetribe]

First you should verify that your fstab entries are ok. If you can mount the sshfs folder simply by typing

mount /path/to/folder

then your fstab is set up correctly.

Next, you should check that the mounting script works correctly when run manually in a terminal, first as yourself, then using sudo.

Let me know if both of those work.

both work... my script calls simply upon mount for it's function. I didn't try my script as sudo, but since it works as the active user i cant think of any reason why it would not as sudo. if you think it makes a difference i can try another time.

and if i'm correct on this, i should be able to simply test this by re-selecting my active network from the default kubuntu wifi manager to force it to restart. it doesnt seem like it launches my script, after i modified it to append to a logfile in ~/

still looking for a solution.

[Darwin Award Winner]

Ok, it sounds like the script itself is ok. First of all, are you using KNetworkManager, or some other wifi manager? This script is only tested with Network Manager. Specifically, the script that runs the scripts in the appropriate directories is located at /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/01ifupdown.

Another problem I can think of is that you may have made the scripts executable by you, but not by anyone else, or there may be some other odd permission problem.

[Darwin Award Winner]

Do you still think rsync would be the best solution when I want to backup just a single folder? I don't know anything about rsync yet.

Yes, rsync is ideal for that sort of thing. Rsync transfers over ssh by default, so you get the same security benefits as sshfs. However, rsync does not have the overhead associated with emulating a real filesystem over ssh, so it should be much faster and more relaiable. There is a nice GUI for rsync called GRsync, if you don't like the command line. Also, you may want to look into a tool called Unison, which synchronizes folders much like rsync, only bidirectionally. In any case, sshfs is not a good way to do folder synchronization.

[dittaeva]

Two zeroes "0 0" are needed in the end of the fstab entry in the tutorial, they are missing and needed.

Those familiar with fstab will remember to add them, but for those who follow the guide blindly it will pose a problem, at least it did for me in Ubuntu 8.10.