NFS Manager

Known Issues

There are currently no known issues for this product.

Release Notes

Some applications cannot process files on an NFS server if those files have not been created using the identical file service protocol: If you write a Macintosh file with Extended Attributes or forks to an NFS server using a different protocol (like SMB, or a different NFS standard like NFSv3 vs. NFSv4, or by creating this file directly on the server writing it to the local hard disk), you may later have problems opening this file. Each file sharing protocol uses different techniques to handle Extended Attributes. Those techniques are not compatible with each other, so you cannot write a file with attributes using one protocol but read it with a different protocol.

Workaround: You should avoid using different file server protocols at the same time when reading and writing Macintosh files with Extended Attributes. Even when you only use NFS, you must take care either not to allow simultaneous access via NFS3 and NFSv4, or to enforce matching options for the use of named attributes on all clients.

Client statistics for NFSv4.1 responses are shown in the wrong subsection: If you open the client response statistics at NFS Client > Statistics > Responses the counter values for NFS4.1 Responses and Errors will be shown nested as subitem of General Responses and Errors, not as separate section as it should be expected.

Workaround: This is a known defect of macOS 26 Tahoe. The operating system has organized the statistics in this way which is reflected “as is” by NFS Manager.

Apple’s approval feature for integrating security components is very immature: With macOS 13 Ventura, Apple introduced a new procedure that requires administrators to use System Settings to control whether to allow an application to install login items on the system or to let a program launch a privilege separation utility at the same time when the main application starts. These functions are immature and are affected by numerous technical defects. This can have influence on NFS Manager, since for security reasons, it always uses the most modern form of privilege separation that a macOS version dictates. Among other things, there are the following issues:

(A) Apple incorrectly suggests that NFS Manager would use an always-running background service: In the System Settings application, Apple states that permissions for App Background Activity are required for background items that apps add “run in the background after you close them to perform tasks such as checking for updates.” This description is incorrect or incomplete. Permission is also required for programs like NFS Manager that increase security through privilege separation by running a helper program only when the main program is open.

Workaround: We have notified Apple of this bug and hope it will be fixed in future versions of macOS.

(B) Network administrators cannot grant the necessary permission at the start of the program, but only via System Settings: When starting NFS Manager for the first time, macOS shows a notification that allows administrators to permit NFS Manager to run a privilege separation utility. This must be confirmed with an administrator’s password. However, password entry only works for locally set-up administrator accounts, not for network administrator accounts.

Workaround: We have notified Apple of this bug and hope it will be fixed in future versions of macOS. As a workaround, grant permission via System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > App Background Activity and not via the notification.

(C) If you store multiple copies of NFS Manager on your computer in an unusual way, macOS service management may be overwhelmed: Current versions of macOS are not designed to handle situations where multiple copies of NFS Manager can be found on your computer. (Copies in Time Machine backups do not count.)

Workaround: Only store one copy of NFS Manager on your computer.

The privacy feature of macOS that grants NFS Manager access to the full disk may fail if you have multiple copies of NFS Manager on your computer: As noted in the chapter The Security Policy of NFS Manager, you have to approve that NFS Manager has permission for Full Disk Access before you can use all features of the application. When you store multiple copies of NFS Manager on your Mac however, this approval may fail unexpectedly. NFS Manager may indicate that it does not have the necessary approval although it was given previously.

Workaround: This is a known design flaw of the Privacy feature of macOS. The protection feature can be confused when working with multiple copies of the same application. Use the following steps to ensure that macOS grants permission to the intended copy of the software:

  1. Identify all copies of NFS Manager of your computer, e.g. by using Spotlight.
  2. Delete all superfluous copies, keeping the correct one.
  3. In System Settings, go to Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, authorize as administrator, and remove the entry for NFS Manager if available.
  4. Re-add the entry for NFS Manager.

Note that you can always keep backup copies of NFS Manager on your Time Machine disks. This may not work when using third-party backup applications, however.