The dread "Stale NFS file handle" (was Unkillable processes? )

[Michael ODonnell]

I have a devious, wave-the-dead-chicken voodoo hack that
will sometimes save the day when you're suffering the dread
"Stale NFS file handle" error.  It only unwedges NFS clients,
and only sometimes, but when you're foaming at the mouth with
frustration it's a good trick to know.  ( Hey, Paul - you may
be amused to know that I developed this while working at MCLX
around the time you were managing the NFS servers...    ;->  )


 The following explanation is presented from my perspective where
 I'm trying to regain access to my NFS mounted home directory
 but should be applicable in other contexts if you tweak the
 appropriate things:

 ASSUME:
  - Home directory resides on serverBox:/aaa/bbb/ccc/modonnell
  - Home directory normally mounted on client system(s) locally
    as: /h/modonnell
  - serverBox has suffered some fault leading to the dread
    "Stale NFS file handle" error, preventing access to my
    home directory but also preventing unmount/remount ops.

 HACK:
  - Create new directory on client machine /tmp/staleHack
  - mount serverBox:/aaa/bbb/ccc/modonnel  /tmp/staleHack
  - ls -la                                 /tmp/staleHack
  - ls -la                                 /h/modonnel
  - umount                                 /tmp/staleHack
  - rmdir                                  /tmp/staleHack

 Home directory /h/modonnel should once again be accessible.