Docs: Installing Modules


Installing Modules

Installing Modules

Windows note The puppet module tool does not currently work on Windows.

  • Windows nodes which pull configurations from a Linux or Unix puppet master can use any Forge modules installed on the master. Continue reading to learn how to use the module tool on your puppet master.
  • On Windows nodes which compile their own catalogs, you can install a Forge module by downloading and extracting the module’s release tarball, renaming the module directory to remove the user name prefix, and moving it into place in Puppet’s modulepath.

The Puppet Forge is a repository of pre-existing modules, written and contributed by users. These modules solve a wide variety of problems so using them can save you time and effort.

The puppet module subcommand, which ships with Puppet, is a tool for finding and managing new modules from the Forge. Its interface is similar to several common package managers, and makes it easy to search for and install new modules from the command line.

  • Continue reading to learn how to install and manage modules from the Puppet Forge.
  • See “Module Fundamentals” to learn how to use and write Puppet modules.
  • See “Publishing Modules” to learn how to contribute your own modules to the Forge, including information about the puppet module tool’s build and generate actions.
  • See “Using Plugins” for how to arrange plugins (like custom facts and custom resource types) in modules and sync them to agent nodes.

Using the Module Tool

The puppet module subcommand has several actions. The main actions used for managing modules are:

install
Install a module from the Forge or a release archive. 
# puppet module install puppetlabs-apache --version 0.0.2
list
List installed modules. 
# puppet module list
search
Search the Forge for a module. 
# puppet module search apache
uninstall
Uninstall a puppet module. 
# puppet module uninstall puppetlabs-apache
upgrade
Upgrade a puppet module. 
# puppet module upgrade puppetlabs-apache --version 0.0.3

If you have used a command line package manager tool (like gem, apt-get, or yum) before, these actions will generally do what you expect. You can view a full description of each action with puppet man module or by viewing the man page here.

Installing Modules

The puppet module install action will install a module and all of its dependencies. By default, it will install into the first directory in Puppet’s modulepath.

  • Use the --version option to specify a version. You can use an exact version or a requirement string like >=1.0.3.
  • Use the --force option to forcibly re-install an existing module.
  • Use the --environment option to install into a different environment.
  • Use the --modulepath option to manually specify which directory to install into. Note: To avoid duplicating modules installed as dependencies, you may need to specify the modulepath as a list of directories; see the documentation for setting the modulepath for details.
  • Use the --ignore-dependencies option to skip installing any modules required by this module.

Installing From the Puppet Forge

To install a module from the Puppet Forge, simply identify the desired module by its full name. The full name of a Forge module is formatted as “username-modulename.”

# puppet module install puppetlabs-apache

Installing From Another Module Repository

The module tool can install modules from other repositories that mimic the Forge’s interface. To do this, change the module_repository setting in puppet.conf or specify a repository on the command line with the --module_repository option. The value of this setting should be the base URL of the repository; the default value, which uses the Forge, is http://forge.puppetlabs.com.

After setting the repository, follow the instructions above for installing from the Forge. 

# puppet module install --module_repository http://dev-forge.example.com puppetlabs-apache

Installing From a Release Tarball

At this time, the module subcommand cannot properly install from local tarball files. Follow issue #13542 for more details about the progress of this feature.

Finding Modules

Modules can be found by browsing the Forge’s web interface or by using the module tool’s search action. The search action accepts a single search term and returns a list of modules whose names, descriptions, or keywords match the search term. 

$ puppet module search apache
Searching http://forge.puppetlabs.com ...
NAME                           DESCRIPTION            AUTHOR          KEYWORDS  
puppetlabs-apache              This is a generic ...  @puppetlabs     apache web
puppetlabs-passenger           Module to manage P...  @puppetlabs     apache    
DavidSchmitt-apache            Manages apache, mo...  @DavidSchmitt   apache    
jamtur01-httpauth              Puppet HTTP Authen...  @jamtur01       apache    
jamtur01-apachemodules         Puppet Apache Modu...  @jamtur01       apache    
adobe-hadoop                   Puppet module to d...  @adobe          apache    
adobe-hbase                    Puppet module to d...  @adobe          apache    
adobe-zookeeper                Puppet module to d...  @adobe          apache    
adobe-highavailability         Puppet module to c...  @adobe          apache mon
adobe-mon                      Puppet module to d...  @adobe          apache mon
puppetmanaged-webserver        Apache webserver m...  @puppetmanaged  apache    
ghoneycutt-apache              Manages apache ser...  @ghoneycutt     apache web
ghoneycutt-sites               This module manage...  @ghoneycutt     apache web
fliplap-apache_modules_sles11  Exactly the same a...  @fliplap                  
mstanislav-puppet_yum          Puppet 2.              @mstanislav     apache    
mstanislav-apache_yum          Puppet 2.              @mstanislav     apache    
jonhadfield-wordpress          Puppet module to s...  @jonhadfield    apache php
saz-php                        Manage cli, apache...  @saz            apache php
pmtacceptance-apache           This is a dummy ap...  @pmtacceptance  apache php
pmtacceptance-php              This is a dummy ph...  @pmtacceptance  apache php

Once you’ve identified the module you need, you can install it by name as described above.

Managing Modules

Listing Installed Modules

Use the module tool’s list action to see which modules you have installed (and which directory they’re installed in).

  • Use the --tree option to view the modules arranged by dependency instead of by location on disk.

Upgrading Modules

Use the module tool’s upgrade action to upgrade an installed module to the latest version. The target module must be identified by its full name.

  • Use the --version option to specify a version.
  • Use the --ignore-dependencies option to skip upgrading any modules required by this module.

Uninstalling Modules

Use the module tool’s uninstall action to remove an installed module. The target module must be identified by its full name:

# puppet module uninstall apache
Error: Could not uninstall module 'apache':
  Module 'apache' is not installed
      You may have meant `puppet module uninstall puppetlabs-apache`
# puppet module uninstall puppetlabs-apache
Removed /etc/puppet/modules/apache (v0.0.3)

By default, the tool won’t uninstall a module which other modules depend on or whose files have been edited since it was installed.

  • Use the --force option to uninstall even if the module is depended on or has been manually edited.

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