DOKK / manpages / debian 11 / cdist / cdist-type__key_value.7.en
CDIST-TYPE__KEY_VALUE(7) cdist CDIST-TYPE__KEY_VALUE(7)

cdist-type__key_value - Change property values in files

This cdist type allows you to change values in a key value based config file.

The file to operate on.
The delimiter which separates the key from the value.

present or absent, defaults to present. If present, sets the key to value, if absent, removes the key from the file.
The key to change. Defaults to object_id.
The value for the key. Optional if state=absent, required otherwise.
If supplied, the value will be inserted before the line with the key, but only if the key or value must be changed. You need to ensure yourself that the line is prefixed with the correct comment sign. (for example # or ; or wathever ..)
The code to run if the key or value changes (i.e. is inserted, removed or replaced).

If supplied, treat additional whitespaces between key, delimiter and value as wrong value.

Removed existing key and value
Added key and value
Changed value of existing key
A new line was inserted in a new file

# Set the maximum system user id
__key_value SYS_UID_MAX --file /etc/login.defs --value 666 --delimiter ' '
# Same with fancy id
__key_value my-fancy-id --file /etc/login.defs --key SYS_UID_MAX --value 666 \


   --delimiter ' '
# Enable packet forwarding
__key_value net.ipv4.ip_forward --file /etc/sysctl.conf --value 1 \


   --delimiter ' = ' --comment '# my linux kernel should act as a router'
# Remove existing key/value
__key_value LEGACY_KEY --file /etc/somefile --state absent --delimiter '='


This type try to handle as many values as possible, so it doesn't use regexes. So you need to exactly specify the key and delimiter. Delimiter can be of any length.

Steven Armstrong <steven-cdist--@--armstrong.cc>

Copyright (C) 2011 Steven Armstrong. 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.

ungleich GmbH 2020

February 7, 2021 6.9.4