Puppet Preseed Module

The Puppet Preseed module, puppet-preseed, helps APT package installation using debconf preseeding and copying static configuration files. The code has been tested on Ubuntu Server 12.04 64bit.

Quick usage example

preseed::package { 'ntp':
  ensure => installed,
}

service { 'ntp':
  ensure => running,
}

preseed::config { 'ntp':
  path => '/etc/ntp.conf',
}

Initializing the client

The preseed::setup class initializes the client by creating a working directory where to store the preseeding files. It uses the default ${::puppet_vardir}/preseed location.

The class accepts the following parameters:

• preseed_dir: client directory where to hold the preseeding files

Installing a package

Installing and preseeding a package can be done with two parameters

• content: specifying the preseeding file content (allows for templates)
• source: by specifying the PuppetMaster source file

If either parameter is set, then the module will search for the preseeding file in the following source locations, whichever one happens first

• puppet:///files/${::fqdn}/${name}.preseed
• puppet:///files/${name}.preseed
• puppet:///modules/preseed/empty.preseed (no preseeding)

The following example installs a package without preseeding (if no proper preseed file is found in the default locations, using the empty.preseed file).

  preseed::package { 'ntp':
    ensure => installed,
  }

This example installs a package with the content from a template

  preseed::package { 'slapd':
    ensure => installed,
    content => template('ldap/slapd.preseed.erb'),
  }

This example installs a package with a static preseed file

  preseed::package { 'slapd':
    ensure => installed,
    content => 'puppet:///files/mycompany/global_slapd_config.preseed',
  }

This example installs a package with a static preseed file, using the default locations in the PuppetMaster tree. In order to get the client's default location, the ${::fqdn} is used. The preseed file should be named like ${package}.preseed.

/etc/puppet/files
├── test.example.com
│   └── slapd.preseed  (automatic preseed file)
└── slapd.preseed  (fallback preseed file)

  preseed::package { 'slapd':
    ensure => installed,
  }

Configuring a package

Configuring a package with static files is done by calling the preseed::config defined type, as many times as needed. As with preseeding, it will look in the Puppet Master tree and copy recursively the config files from there.

The permissions applied to the copied files are the ones set by the package installation, or if the file did not previously existed, root.root rw-r--r--

The default locations are under the ${::fqdn}/config/${package} directory and then the config/${package} directory.

/etc/puppet/files
├── config
│   └── ntp
│       └── etc
│           └── ntp.conf
└── test.example.com
    └── config
        └── ntp
            └── etc
                └── ntp.conf

preseed::config { 'ntp':
  path => '/etc/ntp.conf',
  service => 'ntp',
}

The service parameter allows to notify the service about modifications in the configuration files.

Known Issues

• No uninstallation of packages yet
• Better file permission handling of the config files, maybe use of exclude patterns
• Missing documentation as 13. Puppet Doc style guide
• 11.9 Class parameter defaults style guide conformance

License

This software is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or any later version.

Copyright

Copyright (C) 2012 Juan Fernandez-Rebollos