Puppet install multiple packages using zypper command - packages names got concatenated

Question

I would like to install multiple packages by using the command zypper with puppet. I created my own repository and dumped some bacula packages in there. My manifest is as follows:

#cat manifests/init.pp 
class bacula()
{
$baculas = [ "bacula-dir", "bacula-fd", "bacula-bat", "bacula-bconsole", "bacula-  catalog-postgresql", "bacula-libs", "bacula-postgresql", "bacula-sd", "bacula-sql", "bacula-tools", "bacula-updatedb" ]

package { $baculas: ensure => "installed" }

exec { 'install_bacula':
provider => shell,
path => [ "/bin/", "/usr/bin", "/sbin" ],
command => "/usr/bin/zypper -n in $baculas;",
logoutput => on_failure,
}
}

While the packages got installed fine, there is an error in the output. It seems like the packages' names got concatenated and puppet returned an error for not being able to find such a lengthy package name. Output below:

# puppet agent --test
info: Caching catalog for otoyas
info: Applying configuration version '1418720157'
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-dir]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-sd]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-fd]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Exec[install_bacula]/returns: Loading repository data...
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Exec[install_bacula]/returns: Reading installed packages...
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Exec[install_bacula]/returns: 'bacula-dirbacula-fdbacula-batbacula-bconsolebacula-catalog-postgresqlbacula-libsbacula-postgresqlbacula-sdbacula-sqlbacula-toolsbacula-updatedb' not found in package names. Trying capabilities.
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Exec[install_bacula]/returns: No provider of 'bacula-dirbacula-fdbacula-batbacula-bconsolebacula-catalog-postgresqlbacula-libsbacula-postgresqlbacula-sdbacula-sqlbacula-toolsbacula-updatedb' found.
err: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Exec[install_bacula]/returns: change from notrun to 0 failed: /usr/bin/zypper -n in bacula-dirbacula-fdbacula-batbacula-bconsolebacula-catalog-postgresqlbacula-libsbacula-postgresqlbacula-sdbacula-sqlbacula-toolsbacula-updatedb; returned 104 instead of one of [0] at /etc/puppet/modules/bacula/manifests/init.pp:12
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-bat]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-updatedb]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Vsftpd/Exec[install_vsftpd]/returns: executed successfully
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-tools]/ensure: created
notice: /Stage[main]/Bacula/Package[bacula-postgresql]/ensure: created
notice: Finished catalog run in 6.28 seconds

How do I fix this? If there is a better way to perform this task, I am open for suggestions since I am new to puppet.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes, your approach is flawed.

You should leave the gory details of how to invoke zypper to Puppet. Don't use the exec type unless it is absolutely necessary. For packages, use package instead.

package {
    $baculas:
        ensure   => 'installed',
        provider => 'zypper',
}

Actually, Puppet should pick the zypper provider on its own, if you're on a SUSE system. Just dropping the exec might do the trick already.

Answer 2

Think about to check the default provider in your system.

https://docs.puppetlabs.com/guides/provider_development.html https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/blob/master/lib/puppet/provider/package/zypper.rb

  commands :zypper => "/usr/bin/zypper"

  defaultfor :operatingsystem => [:suse, :sles, :sled, :opensuse]
  confine    :operatingsystem => [:suse, :sles, :sled, :opensuse]

After you set correctly, you needn't the exec part, the package part is enough.