SaltStack: In a watch statement, how do I specify a directory where all files should be watched?

Question

I would like the nginx service to restart whenever any file in the /etc/nginx/conf.d directory is created or modified.

There are a number of files in that directory, and rather than specifying particular files, I would like to watch for all changes.

I've tried this:

nginx:
  pkg.installed:
    - name: nginx
  service:
    - running
    - enable: True
    - restart: True
    - watch:
      - file: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      - file: /etc/nginx/conf.d
      - pkg: nginx

but the line - file: /etc/nginx/conf.d is not doing what I want.

This is the error:

      ID: nginx
Function: service.running
  Result: False
 Comment: The following requisites were not found:
                             watch:
                                 file: /etc/nginx/conf.d
 Changes:

I've also tried a number of variations including a trailing slash, but none of them work.

What should - file: /etc/nginx/conf.d/ be changed to?

I've never tried what you are doing, but I am curious what the exact mount options are for your target filesystem? `grep root /proc/mounts` — Dan Garthwaite, May 17 '14 at 23:28

nmadhok · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-22T16:32:47.683

26

I'm using a glob for matching:

file: /etc/nginx/conf.d/*

Here's the corrected snippet:

nginx:
  pkg.installed:
    - name: nginx
  service:
    - running
    - enable: True
    - restart: True
    - watch:
      - file: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      - file: /etc/nginx/conf.d/*
      - pkg: nginx

Also do note that salt can only watch other states that are already specified in your state file, so it will only watch files that are managed by salt itself.

If this doesn't work for you, then try to refer the following link for a different solution: http://intothesaltmine.org/blog/html/2012/12/18/using_watch_with_file_recurse.html

edited May 22 '14 at 16:32

answered May 22 '14 at 16:27

nmadhok

1,704
3
16
20

1

I'm in the same position as the OP, and for the same reason. And I'm using a solution just like the one you present. But it still isn't working right. In particular, `watch` only triggers a reload when a file in `conf.d` changes, not when the file is added to `conf.d`. I think. I'm still trying to debug this. – nomen Jul 24 '14 at 17:09

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 31 '14 at 19:37

2

According to issue 663 closed in February 2012, a watch on /path/* should watch recursively.

answered Oct 31 '14 at 19:37

Chris Martin

30,334
10
78
137

Or, as the link eventually decides: `/path*` (without the hanging forward slash) – Jason Holloway Jun 04 '19 at 16:30
1

@JasonHolloway either works. It's matching the names of salt states, not files. – OrangeDog May 07 '23 at 12:04
If you read to the end of the linked issue thread, it seems that as of 5 years ago that might not have been true! – Jason Holloway May 11 '23 at 18:42

SaltStack: In a watch statement, how do I specify a directory where all files should be watched?

2 Answers2