automount Command

This command installs autofs mount points and associates the information in the automaster files with each mount point. The syntax of the command is as follows:

automount [ -t duration ] [ -v ]

-t duration sets the time, in seconds, that a file system is to remain mounted, and -v selects the verbose mode. Running this command in the verbose mode allows for easier troubleshooting.

If not specifically set, the value for duration is set to 5 minutes. In most circumstances, this value is good. However, on systems that have many automounted file systems, you might need to increase the duration value. In particular, if a server has many users active, checking the automounted file systems every 5 minutes can be inefficient. Checking the autofs file systems every 1800 seconds, which is 30 minutes, could be more optimal. By not unmounting the file systems every 5 minutes, /etc/mnttab can become large. To reduce the output when df checks each entry in /etc/mnttab, you can filter the output from df by using the -F option (see the df(1M) man page) or by using egrep.

You should consider that adjusting the duration also changes how quickly changes to the automounter maps are reflected. Changes cannot be seen until the file system is unmounted. Refer to Modifying the Maps for instructions on how to modify automounter maps.