I am trying to install Slackware 9.1 via network, however I cannot get any NFS fileshares working. I tried to do this a while ago with Mandrake (using completely different PCs), but it didn't work then and in the end I gave up and found a way around. This time there is no workaround. Note: I have never got an NFS fileshare working.

I have a T20 (laptop) with Slackware 9.1 installed and working- this is the PC I want to share files from. I have read the manpages and the NFS howto and followed the information found there. I have added the services and specific IPs to /etc/hosts.allow. /etc/hosts.deny is empty. I added the option 'insecure' to /etc/exports- just to be sure (I'll make it more secure when it actually works). Everything is set up correctly, both here and on the client PCs (one of which already has slackware installed and working- a 166 waiting to become a server), but the client PCs cannot get access. OK, can the T20 access its own share? NO?!?!? Adding the network IP of the T20 and 127.0.0.1 to hosts.allow made no difference either.

NFS is started on boot, but as recommended by the NFS howto I did 'rpcinfo -p' to check that the required services are running.
rpcinfo: can't contact portmapper: RPC: Remote system error - Connection refused
refused by itself!?!?!? (I am running as root)

OK, can I share something on the 166 and access it from the T20?
mount: RPC: Program not registered.
Can the server access its own share?
mount: RPC: Program not registered.
'rpcinfo -p'?
-bash: rpcinfo: command not found.

What is going on???

There are 2 things to check - do you have portmap started? Do you have any firewalls running on that machine?

How do I check that portmap is started?

There are no firewalls involved here.

ARRGGHHHH!!!
I feel very stupid now- portmap wasn't started- on reboot it realised that I wanted to share some files on NFS and started all the needed services- how nice