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I'm just starting to deploy SaltStack to my servers. So, I have the following file /srv/salt/postfix/init.sls:

# Ensure postfix installed and set to autostart on boot
postfix:
  pkg.installed: []
  service.running:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
    - enable: True

# Restart on change to main.cf or any of the *.db files
postfix.restart:
  service.running:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
    - name: postfix
    - watch:
      - file: "/etc/postfix/main.cf"
      - file: "/etc/postfix/*.db"

# Without this, first watch above fails
/etc/postfix/main.cf:
  file.exists: []

/etc/postfix/canonical:
  file.managed:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
    - source: salt://postfix/canonical
    - template: jinja

/etc/postfix/canonical.db:
  cmd.wait:
    - name: /usr/sbin/postmap /etc/postfix/canonical
    - watch:
      - file: /etc/postfix/canonical

Basically, I want to restart Postfix whenever the /etc/postfix/canonical.db file changes.

But whenever I run this state, I always get an error for the postfix.restart state:

          ID: postfix.restart
    Function: service.running
        Name: postfix
      Result: False
     Comment: The following requisites were not found:
                                 watch:
                                     file: /etc/postfix/*.db
     Started:
    Duration:
     Changes:

Other states run perfectly.

I'm a beginner w.r.t. SaltStack, so please kindly assist me in finding out where did I go wrong... and if I actually have written a 'proper' SaltStack formula.

Thank you!

PS: salt --version returns salt 2015.5.0 (Lithium), and I'm on Ubuntu.

PPS: Changing from *.db to canonical.db does not change the result: Still error on that watch: requisite.

PPPS: I originally put the cmd.wait stanza under the /etc/postfix/canonical job, and separated it into a different job because I thought the error was due to watch: not finding the job.

UPDATE: EPILOGUE

I have given up the original strategy, and use a strategy based on GNU make instead.

Reference: http://www.unixwiz.net/techtips/postfix-makefiles.html

So the init.sls now looks like this:

postfix:
  pkg.installed: []
  service.running:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
    - enable: True

make:
  pkg.installed: []

/etc/postfix/Makefile:
  file.managed:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
      - pkg: make
    - source: salt://postfix/Makefile

refresh_db:
  cmd.run:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
      - pkg: make
    - name: make
    - cwd: /etc/postfix
    - order: last  ## IMPORTANT! This will force this particular job to run at the very last

/etc/postfix/canonical:
  file.managed:
    - require:
      - pkg: postfix
    - source: salt://postfix/canonical
    - template: jinja

Thank you for trying to answer my question!

pepoluan
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1 Answers1

4

The watch: file: requisite doesn't refer to a file change on the filesystem, but to a change in your defined states during their execution.

In this case, you have to watch the state:

- watch:
  - cmd: "/etc/postfix/canonical.db"

If you want to react on an external change on the *.db files, you must use another way. You may have a look at the Reactor system: https://docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/topics/reactor/index.html. I don't know much about it but I think it can be used to react on filesystem changes.

Christophe Drevet
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  • Also didn't work if I use specific name. I've given up and modified the state completely. – pepoluan Jun 26 '15 at 05:50
  • Well, my bad, your state was not a `file` state but a `cmd` state. So your requisite should have been: ` - cmd: "/etc/postfix/canonical.db"` but it would execute every time, as the `cmd` state is always reporting changes, if it succeeds. – Christophe Drevet Jun 26 '15 at 11:53
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    Ah, maybe you're right! But in any case, I've approached the problem differently now. Anyways, thanks for the insight! – pepoluan Jun 26 '15 at 20:39