Puppet users - Mar 2007 - Using changes in a symlink target as a trigger for an ''exec''

Hi,

Was trying today to set up the following (not at work, so don''t have
exact code, can provide that tomorrow if needed):

softlink A points to file B

Developer does a build, repoints soft link A to file C

This triggers an exec action to clean up old build directories

I set up something like this

class apps_files {

    file {
      ''/path/to/link'':
        checksum => md5,
   }

   exec {
       ''code to execute on change'':,
       path => ''/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'',
       subscribe => file[''/path/to/link''],
       refreshonly => true
   }

}

I changed the soft link on one of the clients this affects, nothing
happened.  Looked in the /var/puppet/state/state.yaml file and saw
something like this

[File /path/to/link]:
  checksum: {}

  synced: Date....

No checksum on the link, no ''last checked'' time either.  I
then tried adding in

ensure => present

But that had the same behavior .. tried changing md5 to timestamp, same issue.

Anyone know how to configure puppet so that it just watches the target
of a soft link without caring about what it points to so that
''subscribe'' works properly for triggering an exec?

Verified the client had the configuration in
/etc/puppet/localconfig.yaml and was getting the changes as I changed
the server-side configs throughout the process.

Fell back to setting this all up as a daily task using
''schedule,''
would definitely rather have it done just when the link changes :).

Thanks!

- Max

On Mar 8, 2007, at 9:04 PM, Max wrote:
>
>     file {
>       ''/path/to/link'':
>         checksum => md5,
>    }
Try ''links => follow''.

  --
  When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit
  that some things are much more nearly certain than others.
              -- Bertrand Russell
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  Luke Kanies | http://reductivelabs.com | http://madstop.com

Luke,

My apologies, I did not read the type documentation for File clearly enough.

Works like a charm :), I see that uses a time ''checksum'' so
all that
is needed now is

file {
    ''/path/to/link'':
    links => follow
}

Just posting that in case someone else fails to see the
''links''
parameter documentation (as I did by not reading it carefully enough).

Appreciate the help and my apologies for not RTFM''ing carefully enough.

- Max

On 3/9/07, Luke Kanies <luke@madstop.com> wrote:
> On Mar 8, 2007, at 9:04 PM, Max wrote:
> >
> >     file {
> >       ''/path/to/link'':
> >         checksum => md5,
> >    }
>
> Try ''links => follow''.
>
>   --
>   When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit
>   that some things are much more nearly certain than others.
>               -- Bertrand Russell
>   ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>   Luke Kanies | http://reductivelabs.com | http://madstop.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Puppet-users mailing list
> Puppet-users@madstop.com
> https://mail.madstop.com/mailman/listinfo/puppet-users
>

On Mar 9, 2007, at 10:54 AM, Max wrote:
> Luke,
>
> My apologies, I did not read the type documentation for File  
> clearly enough.
>
> Works like a charm :), I see that uses a time ''checksum''
so all that
> is needed now is
Glad to hear it.
> Appreciate the help and my apologies for not RTFM''ing carefully  
> enough.
I don''t think it''s a very commonly used feature, so
it''s not
surprising you hadn''t come across it.

Any recommendations on how to make things like this more prominent  
would be useful.

  --
  Morgan''s Second Law:
     To a first approximation all appointments are canceled.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  Luke Kanies | http://reductivelabs.com | http://madstop.com