cdist-type__file - Man Page

This cdist type allows you to create files, remove files and set file attributes on the target.

If the file already exists on the target, then if it is a:

regular file, and state is:

present

replace it with the source file if they are not equal

exists

do nothing

symlink

replace it with the source file

directory

replace it with the source file

One exception is that when state is pre-exists, an error is raised if the file would have been created otherwise (e.g. it is not present or not a regular file).

In any case, make sure that the file attributes are as specified.

None.

state

'present', 'absent', 'exists' or 'pre-exists', defaults to 'present' where:

present

the file is exactly the one from source

absent

the file does not exist

exists

the file from source but only if it doesn't already exist

pre-exists

check that the file exists and is a regular file, but do not create or modify it

group

Group to chgrp to. Defaults to root.

mode

Unix permissions, suitable for chmod. Defaults to a very secure 0600.

owner

User to chown to. Defaults to root.

source

If supplied, copy this file from the host running cdist to the target. If not supplied, an empty file or directory will be created. If source is '-' (dash), take what was written to stdin as the file content.

onchange

The code to run if file is modified.

chgrp <group>

Changed group membership

chown <owner>

Changed owner

chmod <mode>

Changed mode

create

Empty file was created (no --source specified)

remove

File exists, but state is absent, file will be removed by generated code.

upload

File was uploaded

# Create  /etc/cdist-configured as an empty file
__file /etc/cdist-configured
# The same thing
__file /etc/cdist-configured --state present
# Use __file from another type
__file /etc/issue --source "$__type/files/archlinux" --state present
# Delete existing file
__file /etc/cdist-configured --state absent
# Supply some more settings
__file /etc/shadow --source "$__type/files/shadow" \
   --owner root --group shadow --mode 0640 \
   --state present
# Provide a default file, but let the user change it
__file /home/frodo/.bashrc --source "/etc/skel/.bashrc" \
   --state exists \
   --owner frodo --mode 0600
# Check that the file is present, show an error when it is not
__file /etc/somefile --state pre-exists
# Take file content from stdin
__file /tmp/whatever --owner root --group root --mode 644 --source - << DONE
    Here goes the content for /tmp/whatever
DONE

Nico Schottelius <nico-cdist--@--schottelius.org>

Copyright (C) 2011-2013 Nico Schottelius. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

ungleich GmbH 2021

cdist-type__apt_pin(7), cdist-type__config_file(7), cdist-type__dot_file(7), cdist-type__staged_file(7).