External nodes always returns an environment value based on the system's status

[jude]

I recently upgraded to 2.4.0 and ran into an issue with how cobbler is now passing down an environment value to puppet through /usr/bin/cobbler-ext-nodes

It looks like this was added with 925295f#L1R269

The problem is on the puppet side, I'm using environment=something in the [agent] section of the machine's /etc/puppet/puppet.conf file. However puppet is never reading this value because /usr/bin/cobbler-ext-nodes is always passing back the system's status as the environment.

It would be good if the status field had a 'None' option, and /usr/bin/cobbler-ext-nodes wouldn't include the environment in its output if the status was set to 'None'. This way puppet wouldn't get an environment value back from /usr/bin/cobbler-ext-nodes, and it fall back on getting the environment settings from puppet.conf.

It might also be useful to mention the new environment/system setting mapping on the http://www.cobblerd.org/manuals/2.4.0/1/2_-_Whats_New.html

Also the http://www.cobblerd.org/manuals/2.4.0/5/3_-_Configuration_Management.html section should also include the 'environment:' in the external node output example.

[jmaas]

Yes this is an annoying issue. Your suggestion seems valid. I will implement and document this as you suggested. This is another small step in better Puppet integration.

[jmaas]

I think a global configuration file setting is also a nice addition.

[jmaas]

Quick fix

[root@cobbler cobbler]# cobbler system edit --name=test3 --status=""
[root@cobbler cobbler]# cobbler-ext-nodes test3
classes:
  foo::bar::agent: {}
  foo::bar::server: {}
parameters:
  from_cobbler: 1
  tree: http://@@http_server@@/cblr/links/ubuntu-14.04-x86_64

[root@cobbler cobbler]# cobbler system edit --name=test3 --status=production
[root@cobbler cobbler]# cobbler-ext-nodes test3
classes:
  foo::bar::agent: {}
  foo::bar::server: {}
environment: production
parameters:
  from_cobbler: 1
  tree: http://@@http_server@@/cblr/links/ubuntu-14.04-x86_64

[jmaas]

This is in master and release26, so it will be included in 2.6.4.

This shall not be cherry-picked into the release24 branch, please consider upgrading if you haven't done so already.