Comment 1 for bug 711425

On my machine portmap is started/running anyhow (together with rpc.statd), also if no nfs share has been mounted ever. In Lucid I have just installed 'nfs-common' (not the kernel server!). It is only used when I temporarly mount some nfs3-exports from guests in VBox, or nfs4-exports from my nas (running Lenny-armel).

You need to install nfs-common also if you only want just the client - and that brings portmap and rpc.statd.
Amaizingly; stopping portmap also stops rpc.statd?

Portmap is not included in nfs-common, it's a separate package. But it is refereced by nfs-common as "required"!