Version: (using KDE 4.4.0) Installed from: Ubuntu Packages We are running approximately 3200 diskless workstations with kde3.5. I would like to upgrade to kde4.x but in testing I've noticed the following bug: If I update any files on the main central server the kde4 client workstations do not see the update. If I create or delete a file on the client workstation only the client workstation sees the change (probably inotify). On our kde3.5 systems the changes on the server are picked up in kde by gamin. /etc/gamin/gaminrc fsset nfs poll 10 But this doesn't work in kde4 series. Here is what I've tried so far: * Started testing with a fresh kubuntu 9.10 install. * Upgraded to kde4.4 from kubuntu ppa. * Tried switching from gamin to fam. * Tried on a non-diskless computer kde4.4.0 mounting a folder over nfs - same problem. * Tried manually running /usr/lib/gamin/gam_server Here is how to duplicate the problem: server: aptitude install nfs-kernel-server portmap server: /etc/exports /home CLIENT_IP(rw,no_root_squash,async,subtree_check) server: /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server reload client: aptitude install portmap nfs-common client: mount SERVER_IP:/var /mnt client: # open up a kde app like Dolphin and browse to /mnt server: touch that client: # you will not see "that" file in Dolphin unless you manually press the reload/refresh button. == Again in kde3.5 i could install a software program on the server and kde would see the change (/usr/share/applications/WHATEVER.desktop) and immediately add it to the menu. We could create a file in the home folder and all users would immediately see it. This functionality appears to be broken in kde4.x.x. For reference here is the Forum posting regarding the same issue: http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=85866
> client: mount SERVER_IP:/var /mnt typo... should be... client: mount SERVER_IP:/home /mnt
It sounds to me like the problem is that KDirWatch now defaults to inotify, while it defaulted to FAM in kde 3.x. So the first thing to try, would be to force KDirWatch to use FAM/gamin: edit ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals for one user, or $KDEDIR/share/config/kdeglobals or /etc/kde4rc, and add [DirWatch] PreferredMethod=Fam nfsPreferredMethod=Fam This is probably related to bug 177892 (which is the one that made us add the support for the above configuration keys). I'm not sure why we made inotify the default for nfsPreferredMethod, maybe that one should be Fam...
So it turns out that for some reason debian/kubuntu stopped building with build-dep on libfam-dev which in turn breaks diskless/nfs-mounted home folders. dmonty@acer:~$ zgrep fam /usr/share/doc/kdelibs-bin/changelog.Debian.gz - no build-dep on libfam-dev - no build-dep on libfam-dev - Remove build-dep on libfam-dev - Don't build-dep on libfam-dev * Don't build-dep on libfam-dev * kdelibs5-dev doesn't depend on fam So I: * Ensured libgamin-dev was installed (fam.h) * recompiled kdelibs-bin; apt-get builddep kdelibs-bin; apt-get source kdelibs-bin; build/install packages etc. This did not fix it at first... However I've not yet tried what is noted above... /etc/kde4rc: [DirWatch] PreferredMethod=Fam nfsPreferredMethod=Fam I'll get back to you on this one...
I just fixed the FAM support in KDirWatch for kdelibs-4.6, and made it default for nfs-mounted directories. This should fix this bug, please reopen if it still happens with KDE-4.6.