Public bug reported: Binary package hint: util-linux
If you accidentally try to mount a regular file (rather than a directory), mount gives you the error message on the wrong file. See here: kitchen:/$ sudo mkdir /mnt/desk.swap kitchen:/$ sudo mount -t nfs4 desk.lan:/swap/kitchen /mnt/desk.swap/ mount.nfs4: mount point /mnt/desk.swap is not a directory kitchen:/$ ls -l mnt total 4 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2010-12-06 20:20 desk.swap kitchen:/$ So, /mnt/desk.swap really is a directory. But, on the other end, .../swap/kitchen is a regular file, *not* a directory. So the mount correctly fails, but it reports that the wrong file "is not a directory". The problem is not the file at this end, but the file at the other end. Really, it should say "Attempting to mount a file, rather than a directory". Possibly, this is an nfs4 problem rather than a problem with /sbin/mount . ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10 Package: mount 2.17.2-0ubuntu1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-23.41-generic 2.6.35.7 Uname: Linux 2.6.35-23-generic x86_64 Architecture: amd64 Date: Mon Dec 6 20:23:11 2010 InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100816.1) ProcEnviron: PATH=(custom, user) LANG=en_GB.utf8 SHELL=/bin/bash SourcePackage: util-linux ** Affects: nfs-utils (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New ** Tags: amd64 apport-bug maverick -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/686154 Title: misleading error message from mount -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs