4.8.2. Configuring the Fileserver
The fileserver configuration on the puppet master needs to have at least these three sections:
Facts to be synchronized between the master and all the clients. The path is usually /var/lib/puppet/facts/.
Files to conditionally distribute amongst the clients. The conditions to distribute are defined in the manifests applicable to the client. The files are usually located in /var/lib/puppet/files
The [modules] section is a special fileserver mount. It does not have a path, since the
modulepath
is set in /etc/puppet/puppet.conf.
The [private] fileserver mount is used as a special [files] mount where you override the configuration files distributed amongst the clients from those shipped with the modules (/var/lib/puppet/modules/<module-name>/files/), and those applicable to all clients -regardless of their domain- from /var/lib/puppet/files/, or [files] fileserver mount. If you have multiple domains but want to manage them as one, create a symbolic link between /var/lib/puppet/private/$domain1 and /var/lib/puppet/private/$domain2. Of course that applies to as many domains as you like, but then again if you manage all of your machines as one while they are in separate domains, you'd rather use [files].
See also: Section 4.6, “Setting Up puppetmanaged.org Modules”