To run an NFS server, the portmap service must be running. To verify that portmap is active, type the following command as root:

         /sbin/service portmap status 
      

If the portmap service is running, then the nfs service can be started. To start an NFS server, as root type:

         /sbin/service nfs start 
      

To stop the server, as root, type:

         /sbin/service nfs stop 
      

The restart option is a shorthand way of stopping and then starting NFS. This is the most efficient way to make configuration changes take effect after editing the configuration file for NFS.

To restart the server, as root, type:

         /sbin/service nfs restart 
      

The condrestart (conditional restart) option only starts nfs if it is currently running. This option is useful for scripts, because it does not start the daemon if it is not running.

To conditionally restart the server, as root, type:

         /sbin/service nfs condrestart 
      

To reload the NFS server configuration file without restarting the service, as root, type:

         /sbin/service nfs reload 
      

By default, the nfs service does not start automatically at boot time. To configure the NFS to start up at boot time, use an initscript utility, such as /sbin/chkconfig, /usr/sbin/ntsysv, or the Services Configuration Tool program. Refer to the chapter titled Controlling Access to Services in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux System Administration Guide for more information regarding these tools.