Bug#620072: /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server uses unsupported "/dev/tcp" bashism

["Patrick Näf" <herzbube@herzbube.ch>]

Package: nfs-kernel-server
Version: 1:1.2.2-5


I casually tried to set up an NFS server, just to see if I can get it
working. I installed nfs-kernel-server via aptitude, edited /etc/exports,
and finally tried to start the NFS server daemon.

This is the output of the startup command (slightly edited for privacy):

foobar:/etc#  /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server start
Exporting directories for NFS kernel daemon...exportfs: /etc/exports [1]:
Neither 'subtree_check' or 'no_subtree_check' specified for export
"foobar".
  Assuming default behaviour ('no_subtree_check').
  NOTE: this default has changed since nfs-utils version 1.0.x

.
Starting NFS kernel daemon: nfsd
Not starting: portmap daemon is not running (warning).


OK, I then check about portmap:

foobar:/etc# ps aux | grep [p]ortmap
daemon   19692  0.0  0.1   1796   548 ?        Ss   19:39   0:00
/sbin/portmap


Seems to be running. I then have a look at /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server:

[...]
# See if portmap or rpcbind are running
(cat </dev/null >/dev/tcp/localhost/111) 2>/dev/null
RET=$?
if [ $RET != 0 ]; then
    echo
    log_warning_msg "Not starting: portmap daemon is not running"
    exit 0
fi
[...]


What is this "/dev/tcp/localhost/111"? After some googling I find that
this is a bashism, but the init-script is marked as a bash script at the
top:

!/bin/bash


I then consult "man bash" and find the following line:

NOTE: Bash, as packaged for Debian, does not support using the /dev/tcp
and /dev/udp files.



If my analysis is correct, please modify /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server so
that it checks for portmap presence in a portable (or Debian) way.

Thanks
Patrick