9IMPORT(4)

📦 version 0_git20260208, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable

💅 9IMPORT — section 4 of the Kernel Interfaces Manual, bestie 💅

okay so first things first: this is 9import from the Kernel Interfaces Manual, section 4. Cute. Iconic. Let's get into it 💖

✨ NAME ✨

9import — import a name space from a remote system 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

9import [ options ] system file [ mountpoint ]

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

okay so the 9import tool lets you take an arbitrary file on a remote system — one that's got the whole "can run the Plan 9 exportfs(4) service" thing going for it — and import it straight into your local name space. lowkey magic. ✨

usually file is a directory, which means the complete file tree under that directory is made available to you. the whole thing. every last file. it's giving "you get a file, you get a file" 🫶

here's the vibe: a process gets started on the remote machine, with the authority of the user of 9import, to do work for the local machine using the exportfs(4) service. teamwork fr fr 🤝

the default port used is TCP 17007. remember that number, it's important. 💅

and if mountpoint is omitted? no worries bestie, 9import just uses the name of the remote file as the local mount point. convenient, honestly 👑

💖 OPTIONS 💖

the options are:

  • -A — skip the authentication protocol. this one's for connecting to foreign systems like Inferno. no cap, super useful 🙈
  • -k keypattern — use keypattern to select a key to authenticate to the remote side (see auth(2)). pick your key wisely 🗝️
  • -p — push the aan(8) filter onto the connection to protect against temporary network outages. network said "not today" and this filter said "actually yes today" 💀
  • -s name — post the connection's mountable file descriptor as /srv/name. very main character of it ⭐

🧚 SOURCE 🧚

/src/cmd/9import.c

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

srv(4), aan(8), listen1(8), cs in ndb(7)

go read them, iykyk 📚

💀 BUGS 💀

Encryption is not implemented. 🚨

so like… don't count on it for the secret stuff. literally just not there. 🙈

and that's the whole page bestie!! 🍓 this was 9IMPORT(4) from the Kernel Interfaces Manual, section 4 — mwah, slay, periodt 💜🎀

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