4

I have a file that I'd like to reuse for a few different purposes. The file is 90% the same across uses, just slight differences. I'd rather not replicate the content across multiple files in puppet, so is there a way to do something like

file { "/tmp/file1" :
  content => template("module/template.erb")
}

file { "/tmp/file2" :
  content => template("module/template.erb")
}

And in the template:

Jack
John
James
<% if file == "/tmp/file2" %>
Jim
<% end %>
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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

You should use a define or a parametrized class, that way you can get name to what you like (IMHO, should be a define):

define filename($template = "mytemplate.erb") {
  file { $name:
    content => template($template)
  }
}

node 'host' {

  filename { "/tmp/file1": }
  filename { "/tmp/file2": }
}

And correct your template to:

Jack
John
James
<% if name == "/tmp/file2" %>
Jim
<% end %>
Improve this answer
4
  • Unfortunately "name" evaluates to the hostname of the server (from facter)
    – Noodles
    Sep 25, 2012 at 2:57
  • You are absolutely right. I missed the part where that should go on a define(), so you can get name to the actual path of the file. I corrected the answer.
    – Torian
    Sep 25, 2012 at 3:38
  • 1
    wouldnt it be better to use a variable of something like "filepath" rather than mask a facter variable in this way ? Seems to me like obscurity without gain ?
    – Sirex
    Sep 25, 2012 at 3:42
  • 1
    The problem to that, is that you cannot redefine a variable in the same context. That means that if you want to call file { $a: ... } and later, in the same node definition (or class or whatever) you want the same file { $a: ... } but with a previous redefine of $a you'll get a manifest compilation error.
    – Torian
    Sep 25, 2012 at 3:55
0

It sounds like you want to build a config file from fragments ?

http://projects.puppetlabs.com/projects/puppet/wiki/Generating_a_config_file_from_fragments

I've not tried this yet, but I want to. Let me know how it goes if you try this.

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2
  • Might be a bit of an overkill for such a small file
    – Noodles
    Sep 25, 2012 at 3:00
  • 1
    There's no such thing as overkill ?! Seriously though, I thought that the first time i ran into this issue, and 4-5 times now I've avoided it when I should just take the plunge.
    – Sirex
    Sep 25, 2012 at 3:35

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