KeyError: u'ret' when targeting non-exist host with --static option

[4815162342lost]

Hello,

salt-master 2018.3.0 (Oxygen)
salt-minion 2017.7.4 (Nitrogen)

vodka@vodka-PC:~/PycharmProjects/get_security_updates_debian$ salt --versions-report
Salt Version:
           Salt: 2018.3.0
 
Dependency Versions:
           cffi: Not Installed
       cherrypy: Not Installed
       dateutil: 2.6.0
      docker-py: Not Installed
          gitdb: 2.0.2
      gitpython: 2.1.5
          ioflo: Not Installed
         Jinja2: 2.9.6
        libgit2: Not Installed
        libnacl: Not Installed
       M2Crypto: Not Installed
           Mako: 1.0.7
   msgpack-pure: Not Installed
 msgpack-python: 0.4.8
   mysql-python: Not Installed
      pycparser: Not Installed
       pycrypto: 2.6.1
   pycryptodome: Not Installed
         pygit2: Not Installed
         Python: 2.7.14 (default, Sep 23 2017, 22:06:14)
   python-gnupg: Not Installed
         PyYAML: 3.12
          PyZMQ: 16.0.2
           RAET: Not Installed
          smmap: 2.0.3
        timelib: Not Installed
        Tornado: 4.5.1
            ZMQ: 4.2.1
 
System Versions:
           dist: Ubuntu 17.10 artful
         locale: UTF-8
        machine: x86_64
        release: 4.13.0-38-generic
         system: Linux
        version: Ubuntu 17.10 artful

I am running this command:
sudo salt -L 'cent_os,ppp' pkg.list_upgrades refresh=True --output=json --static --hide-timeout

minion ppp does not exist, but instead of 'No minions matched the target. No command was sent, no jid was assigned' i received python exception:

vodka@vodka-PC:~/PycharmProjects/get_security_updates_debian$ sudo salt -L  'cent_os,ppp' pkg.list_upgrades refresh=True --static  --hide-timeout
[ERROR   ] An un-handled exception was caught by salt's global exception handler:
KeyError: u'ret'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/salt", line 10, in <module>
    salt_main()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/scripts.py", line 485, in salt_main
    client.run()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/salt.py", line 65, in run
    self._run_batch()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/salt.py", line 269, in _run_batch
    for res in batch.run():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/batch.py", line 262, in run
    ret[minion] = data['ret']
KeyError: u'ret'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/salt", line 10, in <module>
    salt_main()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/scripts.py", line 485, in salt_main
    client.run()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/salt.py", line 65, in run
    self._run_batch()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/salt.py", line 269, in _run_batch
    for res in batch.run():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/salt/cli/batch.py", line 262, in run
    ret[minion] = data['ret']
KeyError: u'ret'

[garethgreenaway]

@4815162342lost Thanks for the report. This makes sense since the non-existing minion never returns. We should handle this better though.

[VipuSharma]

@garethgreenaway Facing the same issue wherein i am running the command:
salt '*' test.ping --output=json --static
And it throws me the similar error. I understand the reason because of which it throws the error but i have many minions, so can you please suggest me a way to make it run and identify which minion among all is causing it to occur. I am using the same versions for master and minion as specified by @4815162342lost in the above post.