Linux – how to pass parameters to puppet modules

aptconfiguration-managementdebianlinuxpuppet

What is the best practice for configuration of puppet modules? I have puppet 2.7.11. I find this way quite messy, it looks like using global variables.

node default {
   $always_apt_update = true
   include apt
}

Should I create class which would inherit most of configuration from the original? The documentation seems to have too many versions and I'm not sure which one applies for me.

UPDATE:

when I try this:

  class { 'apt': 
    always_update => 'true',
  }

I get an error:

Error 400 on SERVER: Invalid parameter always_update at /etc/puppet/manifests/nodes.pp:32

Best Answer

You should use Parametrized classes instead of global variables.

For example:

node default {
  class {'apt': 
    always_update =>true 
  }
}
class apt ($always_update = true ) {
  // code 
}

node 'example.com' { 
  class { bar: }
}

See puppet documentation for more information:

Related Solutions

Linux – Adding an existing user to a group with puppet

If you declare users as virtual resources , you can then use 'realize' or the collection syntax ( User <| ... |>). Here's an example:

@user { 'foo':
  groups     => ['somegroup'],
  membership => minimum,
}

Then realize that virtual user with then collection syntax:

User <| title == foo |>

And elsewhere you can add to the parameters for that virtual resource using plusignment:

User <| title == foo |> { groups +> "svn" }

How to redefine parameters in subclass

Answer the meta question of how do you make this work, If you're using Passenger to run your Puppet master, which you should if you've a system of any size, there is a simple workaround to the madness that is the puppetlabs module. You simply drop a new file called /etc/puppet/puppetmaster.conf and maybe some other bits of config in a new module called puppetmaster and also add this line to the config.ru

ARGV << "--config=/etc/puppet/puppetmaster.conf"

You can use some of the logic inside the puppetlabs module, but it might be simpler to just push a file or less complex template if you don't care about having every single bit of config as a parameter. Then include puppetmaster on the nodes that are masters and you're set. You can also modify the existing puppetlabs to do the above.

Addressing the original question, Hiera might be the simplest solution. Use this in the init.pp

$master                   = hiera('puppet_master','false'),

and then set puppet_master: true for the machines that need it. Personally my preference is for the first method.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Linux – Adding an existing user to a group with puppet

How to redefine parameters in subclass

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