2 NFS4ERR_NOENT
https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8881#err_NOENT
15.1.4.8. NFS4ERR_NOENT (Error Code 2)
Indicates no such file or directory. The file or directory name specified does not exist.
1. What is NFS4ERR_NOENT?
NFS4ERR_NOENT means:
“The named file or directory does not exist.”
It is the NFSv4 equivalent of the POSIX error:
ENOENT (No such file or directory)
2. Where NFS4ERR_NOENT can occur
NFS4ERR_NOENT is returned by path-based or name-based operations, most commonly:
LOOKUP
LOOKUPP
REMOVE
RENAME
OPEN (when using a filename)
CREATE
READDIR (for stale directory entries)
It is not returned by pure filehandle-based operations like READ or WRITE.
3. NFS4ERR_NOENT and LOOKUP (most common)
Example
Client sends:
PUTFH <directory fh>
LOOKUP "foo"
Server response:
LOOKUP → NFS4ERR_NOENT
Meaning:
The directory exists, but "foo" is not present in it.
4. Common real-world causes
① File was deleted by another client
Another client removed or renamed the file
Client cache still references the old name
② Race conditions (TOCTOU)
Typical pattern:
LOOKUP
NVERIFY
OPEN
Between operations:
File gets removed
LOOKUP or OPEN returns NFS4ERR_NOENT
③ Negative dentry cache mismatch
Client believes a name exists
Server metadata has already changed
Common in:
high-churn directories
multi-client workloads
④ Wrong directory filehandle
PUTFH points to the wrong directory
Path traversal bug or stale FH logic
Result: expected name not found
⑤ Case sensitivity differences
NFS is case-sensitive
Foo ≠ foo
Very common when Windows/macOS expectations leak in
5. Difference between NOENT and related errors
Status Meaning
NFS4ERR_NOENT Name does not exist
NFS4ERR_NOTDIR Path component is not a directory
NFS4ERR_EXIST Name already exists
NFS4ERR_STALE Filehandle is invalid
NFS4ERR_BADHANDLE Malformed FH
6. NOENT vs STALE (important distinction)
This is often misunderstood:
NOENT
→ name lookup failed
STALE
→ filehandle refers to an object that no longer exists
So:
LOOKUP "foo" → NOENT
READ <old fh> → STALE
Both can occur in the same workload.
7. In COMPOUND operations
If any operation in a COMPOUND fails:
The COMPOUND stops
That operation’s status is returned
Example:
PUTFH
LOOKUP "foo" → NFS4ERR_NOENT
GETATTR (not executed)
8. Is NFS4ERR_NOENT an error?
Protocol perspective
✔️ Correct and expected
Application perspective
Often normal
Especially in:
build systems
temporary file workflows
lockfile creation
Why NFS4ERR_NOENT can be returned by CREATE
This is a common point of confusion because people assume:
“CREATE should always create the file if it doesn’t exist.”
That assumption is incorrect in NFSv4.
Key rule: CREATE requires an existing parent directory
The object being created may not exist — that’s normal.
But the parent directory MUST exist.
If it does not, the server returns:
NFS4ERR_NOENT