puppetlabs/puppet

exec resource: path param should default to the path fact

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#9440 opened on Aug 3, 2024

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 (3 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)Ruby (7,854 stars) (2,214 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Use Case

For some operations, exec resources are still common. The majority of exec resources I see use hardcoded paths like:

exec { 'nftables_memory_state_check':
  command     => '/bin/echo "reloading nftables"',
  refreshonly => true,
}

This often leads to problems because some distributions use /bin or /usr/bin and others /usr/sbin/. That makes it hard to write the resources for multiple operating systems. because of that I now mostly see this:

exec { 'nftables_memory_state_check':
  command     => 'echo "reloading nftables"',
  refreshonly => true,
  path        => $facts['path'],
}

I think path => $facts['path'], is repeated a lot. Because of that I think the path attribute should default to $facts['path'] when the user does not overwrite it.

Describe the Solution You Would Like

Update path to default to $facts['path'].

Describe Alternatives You've Considered

Using absolute paths or always setting path => $facts['path'],.

Additional Context

Contributor guide

Tech stack
ruby
Domain
infrastructure
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of Puppet exec resourcesFamiliarity with facts
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Look at the Puppet exec resource type definition in lib/puppet/type/exec.rb. The path parameter is currently defined with a default value of nil or empty array. The change would set the default to Facter.value(:path) or use the facts['path'] variable. Review existing tests in spec/unit/type/exec spec.rb to understand expected behavior. Also check any related issues or PRs that might discuss this change.