Distributing directory trees

Puppet's file resource has another trick. It can deploy not just a single file, but a whole directory; in fact, a whole tree of files, directories, subdirectories, and so on, all with just one parameter, recurse.

How to do it…

Here's how to use the recurse parameter with file resources:

1. Create a suitable directory tree in the Puppet repo:

   ubuntu@cookbook:~/puppet$ mkdir -p modules/admin/files/tree/a/b/c/d/e/f
   

2. Modify your manifests/nodes.pp file as follows:

   node 'cookbook' {
     file { '/tmp/tree':
       source  => 'puppet:///modules/admin/tree',
       recurse => true,
     }
   }

3. Run Puppet:

   ubuntu@cookbook:~/puppet$ papply
   Notice: /Stage[main]//Node[cookbook]/File[/tmp/tree]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a/b]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a/b/c]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a/b/c/d]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a/b/c/d/e]/ensure: created
   Notice: /File[/tmp/tree/a/b/c/d/e/f]/ensure: created...