On 4/26/07, Douglas Maus <dmaus@speakeasy.net> wrote:
quoted text
> > On Thu, Apr 26, 2007 at 03:33:47AM +0000, Douglas Maus wrote:
> > > Is it possible for users (non-root) to mount NFS exports?
>
> Mike Erdely responded:
> > From mount_nfs(8):
> > HISTORY
> >      The -P flag historically informed the kernel to use a reserved port
> >      when communicating with clients.  In OpenBSD, a reserved port is
> >      always used.
> >
> > This means to me that you will always have to be root to use mount_nfs.
> > Unless I'm missing something.
>
> Alright, I'm confused - if you cannot use a reserved port unless you are root,
> thus you have to be root to use mount_nfs, then why is there a mountd option -P
> to tell the kernel to use a reserved port? Unless even root needs to tell the kernel
> not to use a default unreserved port, but rather use a reserved one.

Well, read what you quoted:
"The -P flag historically [...]"

It's there for compatibility.