[Puppet Users] Symbolic Link directory of files

[Allen]

Is there a way to symbolically link files from one directory into another
inside of Puppet? I did this:

"/opt/openerp/server/openerp/addons/":
owner => "openerp",
group => "admin",
links => "manage",
ensure => directory,
recurse => true,
mode => 775,
target => "/opt/openerp/web/addons/",
require => Vcsrepo["/opt/openerp/server", "/opt/openerp/web"];

But it seems it actually copies them over instead of symbolically linking
them. What I usuallly do, when I do it by hand is just run this command:
"ln -s /opt/openerp/web/addons/*" while inside of the
/opt/openerp/server/openerp/addons/ folder. Also, is there a way I can do
this to multiple directories? I need to link from another couple of places
into this directory and these are all from repositories so I'd rather
symbolically link them so in case they get updated, we can have them
already updated inside of the system inside of that folder.

[jcbollinger]

Post by Allen
Is there a way to symbolically link files from one directory into another
owner => "openerp",
group => "admin",
links => "manage",
ensure => directory,
recurse => true,
mode => 775,
target => "/opt/openerp/web/addons/",
require => Vcsrepo["/opt/openerp/server", "/opt/openerp/web"];
But it seems it actually copies them over instead of symbolically linking
"ln -s /opt/openerp/web/addons/*" while inside of the
/opt/openerp/server/openerp/addons/ folder.

The "target" property is documented only for when you use "ensure =>
link". It is then target of the (single) symbolic link the File resource
manages. I'm surprised that what you used copies anything, and, indeed,
that it does not provoke an error. There is definitely a bug there, though
perhaps it is merely a doc omission.

For a File with "ensure => directory" and "recurse => true" you should be
specifying the "source" parameter. It looks like Puppet is using your
"target" in its stead, and doing exactly what it would do if you had
specified that as the source.

Ultimately, the File resource does not provide the behavior you are looking
for. It will copy links or their targets, and it will create links that
you specify explicitly, but it will not recursively make links to the
contents of source directories.

Post by Allen
Also, is there a way I can do this to multiple directories? I need to link
from another couple of places into this directory and these are all from
repositories so I'd rather symbolically link them so in case they get
updated, we can have them already updated inside of the system inside of
that folder.

You have a few options, prominent among them:

- you could create a directory on the master containing all the wanted
symlinks, and source that directory. The links don't need to point to the
real files, and perhaps they can even be dangling
- you could use an Exec to manage your links
- you could just let Puppet make copies. When the source files change,
Puppet will copy the new versions on its next run.


John