puppet

Declarative configuration management tool

TLDR

Apply manifest locally

$ puppet apply [manifest.pp]

Check manifest syntax

$ puppet parser validate [manifest.pp]

Run puppet agent in test mode

$ puppet agent --test

Run puppet agent in dry-run mode

$ puppet agent --test --noop

List available modules

$ puppet module list

Install a module from Puppet Forge

$ puppet module install [author-module]

Inspect a resource on the system

$ puppet resource [user] [root]

View or set a configuration value

$ puppet config print [server]

puppet is a configuration management tool that automates the provisioning and management of infrastructure using a declarative language. Administrators describe the desired state of systems through manifests written in Puppet's DSL, and the tool ensures machines converge to that state by installing packages, managing files, configuring services, and handling users.Puppet operates in two modes: a client-server architecture where agents pull catalogs from a Puppet server, and a standalone mode using puppet apply for local manifest execution. The resource abstraction layer handles platform differences automatically, so the same manifest can manage packages across Debian, Red Hat, and other distributions without modification.The ecosystem includes a module system for sharing reusable configuration code through Puppet Forge, Facter for gathering system facts, and Hiera for separating data from code. Puppet supports environments for testing changes before production rollout and provides detailed reporting on configuration drift and enforcement actions.

PARAMETERS

apply

Compile and apply a Puppet manifest locally.

agent

Request a catalog from a Puppet server and enforce it.

parser

Validate Puppet manifest syntax.

module

Install, list, upgrade, and manage Puppet modules.

resource

Inspect and manipulate resources on the system.

config

View and change Puppet configuration settings.

ssl

Manage SSL keys and certificates.

help

Display help for subcommands.

--test

Run the agent once in the foreground with verbose output.

--noop

Simulate changes without applying them (dry run).

--verbose

Enable verbose logging.

--debug

Enable full debug logging.

--environment env

Select a specific Puppet environment.

CONFIGURATION

/etc/puppetlabs/puppet/puppet.conf

Main configuration file controlling server address, environment, run interval, certificate settings, and module paths.

/etc/puppetlabs/code/environments/production/manifests/

Default location for site manifests that define node configurations in the production environment.

/etc/puppetlabs/code/environments/production/modules/

Module directory containing reusable Puppet modules with classes, defined types, and templates.

FACTERLIB

Environment variable specifying additional directories to search for custom Facter facts.

CAVEATS

Requires Puppet installation. Master-agent or standalone. The --test flag combines --onetime, --verbose, --no-daemonize, and a non-zero exit code on failures.

HISTORY

Puppet was created by Puppet Labs (now Perforce) for IT automation.