How to handle apt-get -f install -y with Puppet

[Yves Fauser]

Hi All,

I'm trying to install packages using the dpkg provider on Ubuntu that leave the package unconfigured because of missing dependencies. After installing all packages, I need to run "apt-get -f install -y" to fix the dependencies. Now with puppet I did not find a way to do so yet. 

I'm trying to do the following:

......

package { "mypackage":

    provider => dpkg,

    ensure => installed,

    source => "/tmp/mypkg/mypackage.deb",

    before => Exec['apt-get fix'],

  }

  exec { "apt-get fix":

    command => "/usr/bin/apt-get -f install -y",

  }

......

But dpkg exits with a failure, and therefore the exec of "apt-get -f install -y" is skipped because of failed (puppet) dependencies.

Error: /Stage[main]/mymodule::mypkg/Package[mypackage]/ensure: change from absent to present failed: Execution of '/usr/bin/dpkg --force-confold -i /tmp/mypkg/mypackage.deb' returned 1: (Reading database ... 84559 files and directories currently installed.)

Preparing to replace ..... (using .../mypackage.deb) ...

Unpacking replacement mypackage ...

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ....: etc

.....

Warning: /Stage[main]/Vswitch::Mypkg/Exec[apt-get fix]: Skipping because of failed dependencies

Any ideas on how I can make this work? can I somehow ignore the return code? Is there an great elegant way to work around this?

Many thanks! Any help is really appreciated.

Yves

[Andy Coates]

Just come across this post after needing to do the exact same thing.  I can get it to run independently by making the exec a require of the package, but then it will always run itself as well and I only want to run this exec after the package (but as you said the package fails due to the dependancies).

[Bryce Catlin]

I ran into this too, and I think this is working for me:

  exec { 'apt-get-fix':

    command => "/usr/bin/apt-get -f -y install",

    unless  => "/usr/bin/apt-get check",

  }

I'm still testing, but it's looking good right now.

Bryce