Bug#4330: amd hangs system

[Tim Wadsworth <Tim.Wadsworth@brunel.ac.uk>]

Package: amd
Version: upl102-3

Hi,

I am running the amd ("The 4.4BSD automounter") under Debian Linux
to mount users' home directories (and other shared filesystems).

The problem is that certain filesystems cause amd to lock up the
system, whereas mounting them using "mount" works fine. Other
filesystems work without any problems.

Amd appears to fork - presumably the child process attempts to perform 
the mount. Killing the "login" process, and the child "amd" process 
allows the system to run normally again, but attempting to access the 
same automount point again causes the behaviour to be repeated.
Any attempt to access any automount points from a shell just hangs the
shell (CTRL-C doesn't even get the prompt back).

The log messages do not shed any light on the problem. Eventually a
"fileserver xxx not responding still trying" appears, but the
fileserver itself is actually fine.

I'm using Debian 1.1, 2.0.0 kernel, libc.so.5.2.18

Amd is also used here on SunOS 4.1.3 and Solaris, and works without
this problem. I am using a direct copy of the map files.

The same problem occurs using Slackware and RedHat Linux and on 
different hardware. 

TIm.