Users unable to create files/directories on NFSv3 mount, but can modify

Question

I've got two RHEL 6 servers, one is an NFS server (we'll call it nfs-server, say its IP is 10.1.1.1), and the other is a generic client for all intents and purposes (we'll call it nfs-client, say its IP is 10.0.0.1).

Both nfs-server and nfs-client are connected to the same centralised authentication system, so UIDs/GIDs are the same for a given user.

nfs-client is mounting an NFSv3 share from nfs-server:/shared_folder/cache to /shared_folder/cache.

The /shared_folder directory on nfs-server is in mode 755, owned by root:root, and the /shared_folder/cache directory is in mode 2775, owned by cache:cache (UID=20014, GID=20004).

I have a set of users who are all members of the cache group in LDAP, but they cannot create or delete anything in the /shared_folder/cache directory itself on nfs-client. However:

• If a file already exists in /shared_folder/cache that has the correct permissions (writable by group cache), the users can modify the file, but not delete it (e.g. if /shared_folder/cache/testfile exists, and is writable by the cache group, the users can modify the contents of the file, but they cannot delete it)
• If a subdirectory already exists in /shared_folder/cache that has the correct permissions (mode 2775, owned by cache:cache), the users can modify the directory as normal (e.g. if /shared_folder/cache/testdir/ exists in mode 2775 and owned by the cache group, the users can add/modify/delete files and directories in testdir, but cannot delete testdir itself)
• If I log in as one of the users on nfs-server, all of a sudden I am able to create/modify/delete files and directories as normal within /shared_folder/cache

How can I fix this NFS mount? Diagnostic info is below the horizontal rule.

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The output of id user1 on both nfs-server and nfs-client shows:

uid=8173(<username>) gid=8173(<username>) groups=20004(cache)

nfs-server has the following export configured in /etc/exports:

"/shared_folder/cache"        <nfs-client-IP>(rw)

The output of exportfs -v on nfs-server shows:

/shared_folder/cache
                   <nfs-client-IP>(rw,wdelay,root_squash,no_subtree_check,sec=sys,rw,root_squash,no_all_squash)

Answer 1

Deleting a file requires write privileges on the directory.

You have correctly set rw in the mount options, but something seems to be wrong on the NFS side (since you can delete files by logging in the server).

Some things I would do:

• Check the default umask.

• Check permissions on the files using lsattrand getfacl.

• Ensure no one else is accessing that file while you're trying to delete it (lsof).

• If SELinux is in enforcing mode, check the audit logs (preferably using audit2why).

• Try adding the sync mount option.

As a last resort workaround, delete and create again users and groups on the server and restart the NFS server.