puppet_file_manipulation_approaches.md

File Manipulation Approaches

Full configurations

Static content

• Software/script => have you considered packaging it?
• binary/large data file => add metadata (git + vcsrepo type, maybe even git-annex or git-lfs?)
• Puppet >= 3.7:

file { 'foo':
  content => file('<module>/<file>')
}

• Puppet < 3.7:

file { 'foo':
  source => 'puppet:///modules/<module>/<file>'
}

Dynamic content

• there exists a Puppet purgeable type for the format (host, mailalias, augeasproviders, etc.) => use it with purge:

host { 'foo':
  ensure => present,
}
resources { 'host':
  purge => true
}

• content from one scope:

file { 'foo':
  content => template(),
}

• content from various scopes:
  • the application supports conf.d directory/includes => conf.d/ directory + purge
  • otherwise => concat module (puppetlabs or theforeman)
• content from example file on the agent + modifications => augeas_file

Partial configurations

• there is a Puppet type for the format (host, mailalias, augeasproviders, etc.) => use it!
• the application supports conf.d directory/includes => conf.d/ directory with file resources
• it is an IniFile type of file => use ini_setting
• there is an Augeas lens for the format => use the augeas type
• are you actually trying to patch a script? => you should fork/patch/repackage it, really!
• you only want to modify one line of a file format nobody else knows about => file_line