puppet only exec when file does NOT exist

Solution 1:

Have you tried this?

onlyif => "test ! -f /usr/local/bin/papply"

Not sure if Puppet can use the '!' character

Perhaps a better alternaltive:

creates => '/usr/local/bin/papply'

even if i don't like the fact that the command doesn't really creates the file

Solution 2:

If you're on linux just do

unless => 'ls /somefile'

ls will return with a non-zero return code if the file does not exist and unless will only let the exec it is under execute if its test returns a non-zero return code.

---

Solution 3:

On linux and puppet >3.8 try:

exec { 'test':
   command => '/bin/echo HI',
   unless  => 'test -f /a/file.txt',
}

exec will not run if /a/file.txt exists.