Accessing Your UniFi Drive from Linux Desktop Using NFS
Accessing your UniFi Drive from your Linux desktop is simple with NFS (Network File System). This guide walks you through the steps to mount your UniFi Drive, allowing seamless access to your files without needing the UniFi web application.
Prerequisites
Before proceeding, ensure the following:
- Enable NFS on UniFi Drive: Navigate to UniFi Drive > Settings > Services and enable NFS connectivity.
- Configure an NFS Squash Mode: For each Shared Drive, choose one of the following NFS squash modes.
- Collaborative Mode (All Squash): (Recommended) All remote users are mapped to an anonymous user when accessing the Shared Drive.
- Isolated Mode (No Root Squash): Remote root users retain root privileges on the NAS. Intended for advanced use cases, such as Proxmox Backup Server, VMware datastores, and other applications that require root-level access.
- Important: Before enabling Isolated Mode, review the following limitations.
- This setting cannot be changed back to All Squash.
- The Shared Drive will no longer be accessible through the Drive user interface or SMB.
- NFS becomes the only supported access method.
- SMB Trash and SMB Encryption will be disabled for the Shared Drive.
- Storage quotas cannot be configured for the Shared Drive.
- Important: Before enabling Isolated Mode, review the following limitations.
- Network Connection: Both your desktop and UniFi NAS must be on the same network. Ensure both devices have network access to each other.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open the Terminal on your Linux desktop.
- Install NFS packages.
- Depending on your Linux distribution, install the necessary NFS packages to enable mounting. Run the following commands:
- Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install nfs-common - CentOS/Red Hat/Fedora:
sudo yum install nfs-utils
- Ubuntu/Debian:
- These packages are essential for NFS client support on your Linux system.
- Depending on your Linux distribution, install the necessary NFS packages to enable mounting. Run the following commands:
- Mount the UniFi Drive.
- Use the mount command to link your UniFi Drive to your desktop. Replace the placeholders with your UniFi NAS IP and the appropriate mount paths:
sudo mount -t nfs [UNAS IP address]:/var/nfs/shared/[Shared_Drive_Name] [local mount point]- Example:
sudo mount -t nfs 192.168.x.x:/var/nfs/shared/Shared_Drive /mnt
- Example:
- Explanation: The mount command connects your Linux system to the UniFi Drive, allowing you to access the files as if they were stored locally. Ensure the IP address and paths are correct to avoid errors.
- Use the mount command to link your UniFi Drive to your desktop. Replace the placeholders with your UniFi NAS IP and the appropriate mount paths:
- Unmount the UniFi Drive.
- Use the unmount command when you no longer need access to the network share or need to disconnect before rebooting:
sudo umount [local mount point]- Example:
sudo umount /mnt
- Example:
- Use the unmount command when you no longer need access to the network share or need to disconnect before rebooting:
FAQs
Why does my Shared Drive show incorrect storage capacity over NFS?
- Description: When a storage quota is set for a Shared Drive on your NAS, remote clients connecting via NFS (such as Proxmox Backup Server, VMware, or Linux clients) may display the total capacity of the entire storage pool instead of the configured quota limit.
- Cause: This is expected behavior of the NFS protocol and the Btrfs file system. While the NAS enforces the quota during write operations, NFS reports the total available space of the underlying storage pool rather than the quota assigned to a specific Shared Drive.
- What this means: Even if the remote client shows more available space than expected, the quota you configured is still enforced. Once the quota limit is reached, no additional data can be written.
- Recommended action: To accurately monitor storage usage and remaining capacity for each Shared Drive, please refer to the UniFi Drive Dashboard, which reflects the actual quota limits and usage.