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# automount - Unix, Linux Command

# NAME

automount - manage autofs mount points

# SYNOPSIS

automount [options] [master_map]

# DESCRIPTION

The automount program is used to manage mount points for autofs, the inlined Linux automounter. automount works by reading the auto.master(8) map and sets up mount points for each entry in the master map allowing them to be automatically mounted when accessed. The file systems are then automatically umounted after a period of inactivity.

# OPTIONS

Tag | Description
--- | ---
-h, --help
| Print brief help on program usage.
-p, --pid-file
| Write the pid of the daemon to the specified file.
-t, --timeout
| Set the global minimum timeout, in seconds, until directories are unmounted. The default is 10 minutes. Setting the timeout to zero disables umounts completely.
-n <seconds>, --negative-timeout <seconds>
| Set the default timeout for caching failed key lookups. The default is 60 seconds.
-v, --verbose
| Enables logging of general status and progress messages for all autofs managed mounts.
-d, --debug
| Enables logging of general status and progress messages as well as debuging messages for all autofs managed mounts.
-Dvariable=value
| Define a global macro substitution variable. Global definitions are over-ridden macro definitions of the same name specified in mount entries.
-f, --foreground
| Run the daemon in the forground and log to stderr instead of syslog."
-r, --random-multimount-selection
| Enables the use of ramdom selection when choosing a host from a list of replicated servers.
-O, --global-options
| Allows the specification of global mount options used for all master map entries. These options will either replace or be appened to options given in a master map entry depending on the APPEND_OPTIONS configuration setting.
-V, --version
| Display the version number, then exit.
-l, --set-log-priority priority path [path,...]
| Set the daemon log priority to the specified value. Valid values include the numbers 0-7, or the strings emerg, alert, crit, err, warning, notice, info, or debug. Log level debug will log everything, log levels info, warn (or warning), or notice with enable the daemon verbose logging. Any other level will set basic logging. Note that enabling debug or verbose logging in the autofs global configuration will override dynamic log level changes. For example, if verbose logging is set in the configuration then attempting to set logging to basic logging, by using alert, crit, err or emerg won’t stop the verbose logging. However, setting logging to debug will lead to everything (debug logging) being logged witch can then also be disabled, returning the daemon to verbose logging.

The path argument corresponds to the automounted path name as specified in the master map.

# ARGUMENTS

automount takes one optional argument, the name of the master map to use.

Tag | Description
--- | ---
master_map
| Location for autofs master map that defines autofs managed mount points and the mount maps they will use. The default is /etc/auto.master.

# NOTES

If the automount daemon catches a USR1 signal, it will umount all currently unused autofs managed mounted file systems and continue running (forced expire). If it catches the TERM signal it will umount all unused autofs managed mounted file systems and exit if there are no remaining busy file systems. If autofs has been compiled with the option to ignore busy mounts on exit it will exit leaving any busy mounts in place otherwise busy file systems will not be umounted and autofs will not exit. Alternatively, if autofs has been compiled with the option to enable forced shutdown then a USR2 signal to the daemon will cause all mounts to be umounted and any busy mounts to be forcibly umounted, including autofs mount point directories (summary execution). Note that the forced umount is an unlink operation and the actual umount will not happen in the kernel until active file handles are released. The daemon also responds to a HUP signal which triggers an update of the maps for each mount point.

If any autofs mount point directories are busy when the daemon is sent an exit signal the daemon will not exit. The exception to this is if autofs has been built with configure options to either ignore busy mounts at exit or force umount at exit. If the ignore busy mounts at exit option is used the filesystems will be left in a catatonic (non-functional) state and can be manually umounted when they become unused. If the force umount at exit option is used the filesystems will be umounted but the mount will not be released by the kernel until they are no longer in use by the processes that held them busy. If automount managed filesystems are found mounted when autofs is started they will be recoverd unless they are no longer present in the map in which case they need to umounted manually.

# SEE ALSO

- autofs (8)

- mount (8)

Don’t know, I’ve fixed everything I know about.

The documentation could be better.

Please report other bugs along with a detailed description to <autofs@linux.kernel.org>. For instructions on how to join the list and for archives visit http://linux.kernel.org/mailman/listinfo/autofs

# AUTHOR

H. Peter Anvin <hpa@transmeta.com> and Ian Kent <raven@themaw.net>.

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