---
name: "cdist-type__file"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "cdist"
version: "7.0.0-5"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cdist-type__file"
---

# cdist-type\_\_file(7)

Manage files.

## NAME

cdist-type\_\_file - Manage files.

## DESCRIPTION

This cdist type allows you to create files, remove files and set file attributes on the target.

If the file already exists on the target, then if it is a:

- **regular file, and state is:**

  - **present**

    replace it with the source file if they are not equal

  - **exists**

    do nothing

- **symlink**

  replace it with the source file

- **directory**

  replace it with the source file

One exception is that when state is pre-exists, an error is raised if the file would have been created otherwise (e.g. it is not present or not a regular file).

In any case, make sure that the file attributes are as specified.

## REQUIRED PARAMETERS

None.

## OPTIONAL PARAMETERS

- **state**

  'present', 'absent', 'exists' or 'pre-exists', defaults to 'present' where:

  - **present**

    the file is exactly the one from source

  - **absent**

    the file does not exist

  - **exists**

    the file from source but only if it doesn't already exist

  - **pre-exists**

    check that the file exists and is a regular file, but do not create or modify it

- **group**

  Group to chgrp to. Defaults to **root**.

- **mode**

  Unix permissions, suitable for chmod. Defaults to a very secure **0600**.

- **owner**

  User to chown to. Defaults to **root**.

- **source**

  If supplied, copy this file from the host running cdist to the target. If not supplied, an empty file or directory will be created. If source is '-' (dash), take what was written to stdin as the file content.

- **onchange**

  The code to run if file is modified.

## MESSAGES

- **chgrp \<group\>**

  Changed group membership

- **chown \<owner\>**

  Changed owner

- **chmod \<mode\>**

  Changed mode

- **create**

  Empty file was created (no --source specified)

- **remove**

  File exists, but state is absent, file will be removed by generated code.

- **upload**

  File was uploaded

## EXAMPLES

```
# Create  /etc/cdist-configured as an empty file
__file /etc/cdist-configured
# The same thing
__file /etc/cdist-configured --state present
# Use __file from another type
__file /etc/issue --source "$__type/files/archlinux" --state present
# Delete existing file
__file /etc/cdist-configured --state absent
# Supply some more settings
__file /etc/shadow --source "$__type/files/shadow" \
   --owner root --group shadow --mode 0640 \
   --state present
# Provide a default file, but let the user change it
__file /home/frodo/.bashrc --source "/etc/skel/.bashrc" \
   --state exists \
   --owner frodo --mode 0600
# Check that the file is present, show an error when it is not
__file /etc/somefile --state pre-exists
# Take file content from stdin
__file /tmp/whatever --owner root --group root --mode 644 --source - << DONE
    Here goes the content for /tmp/whatever
DONE
```

## AUTHORS

Nico Schottelius \<*nico-cdist--@--schottelius.org*\>

## COPYING

Copyright (C) 2011-2013 Nico Schottelius. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

## COPYRIGHT

ungleich GmbH 2021