err Failed to parse template base puppet conf erb Could not find value for puppetserver at etc puppet modules base manifests config pp 13 on node

Question

I'm new to puppet templates and in an attempt to create one using resources that are available online.Here's a miniscule part of the template located at base/templates/puppet.conf.erb

...
server=<% puppetserver %>

I'm getting the above mentioned error while using this template.

Apart from other necessary stuff there's a module named "base" at

/etc/puppet/modules/base/
    ./manifests
    ./manifests/service.pp
    ./manifests/init.pp
    ./manifests/params.pp
    ./manifests/config.pp
    ./manifests/install.pp
    ./templates
    ./templates/puppet.conf.erb

base/manifests/init.pp:

class base {
  include base::install, base::service, base::config, base::params
}

base/manifests/config.pp

class base::config {
  include base::params
  File {
    require => Class["base::install"],
    ensure => present,
    owner => root,
    group => root,
  }
  file { "/etc/puppet/puppet.conf":
    mode => 0644,
    content => template("base/puppet.conf.erb"),
    require => Class["base::install"],
    nofity => Service["puppet"],
  }

base/manifests/params.pp

class base::params {
  $puppetserver = "pup01.sdirect.lab"
}

I'm having a tough time identifying where exactly am i going wrong? Any idea where my $puppetserver should be defined?

Answer 1

For puppet to find the value of the template the name of the "puppetserver" should be completely qualified if defined in a different scope.

Since it is defined in base::params , it can be referred to simply as "puppetserver" in that scope but while evaluating the template from within base::config, you're in a different scope and so you can't refer to the variable simply by its short name. Although "include" adds the other class to the catalog, but the rules still remain the same.

And in order to access it you need to address it using the fully qualified class name: base::params::puppetserver. Within the manifest it would be $base::params::puppetserver. 

This process is slightly different while accessing the variable within the template,You need to use scope.lookupvar("base::params::puppetserver"). 

Your template should look something like this:

...
server=<%= scope.lookupvar("base::params::puppetserver") %>