sys

Table of Contents

System variables are derived from CFEngine's automated discovery of system values. They are provided as variables in order to make automatically adaptive rules for configuration.

    files:

      "$(sys.resolv)"

          create        => "true",
          edit_line     => doresolv("@(this.list1)","@(this.list2)"),
          edit_defaults => reconstruct;

sys.arch

The variable gives the kernel's short architecture description.

    # arch = x86_64

sys.bindir

The name of the directory where CFEngine looks for its binaries..

    # bindir = /var/cfengine/bin

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.cdate

The date of the system in canonical form, i.e. in the form of a class, from when the agent initialized.

    # cdate = Sun_Dec__7_10_39_53_2008_

sys.cf_promises

A variable containing the path to the CFEngine syntax analyzer cf-promises on the platform you are using.

    classes:

      "syntax_ok" expression => returnszero("$(sys.cf_promises)");

sys.cf_version

The variable gives the version of the running CFEngine Core.

    # cf_version = 3.0.5

sys.cf_version_major

The variable gives the major version of the running CFEngine Core.

    # cf_version = 3.0.5
    # cf_version_major = 3

History: Was introduced in 3.5.1, Enterprise 3.5.1.

sys.cf_version_minor

The variable gives the minor version of the running CFEngine Core.

    # cf_version = 3.0.5
    # cf_version_minor = 0

History: Was introduced in 3.5.1, Enterprise 3.5.1.

sys.cf_version_patch

The variable gives the patch version of the running CFEngine Core.

    # cf_version = 3.0.5
    # cf_version_patch = 5

History: Was introduced in 3.5.1, Enterprise 3.5.1.

sys.class

This variable contains the name of the hard-class category for this host (i.e. its top level operating system type classification).

    # class = linux

See also: sys.os

sys.cpus

A variable containing the number of CPU cores detected. On systems which provide virtual cores, it is set to the total number of virtual, not physical, cores. In addition, on a single-core system the class 1_cpu is set, and on multi-core systems the class n_cpus is set, where n is the number of cores identified.

    reports:

     "Number of CPUS = $(sys.cpus)";
     8_cpus::
       "This system has 8 processors.";

History: Was introduced in 3.3.0, Enterprise 2.2.0 (2012)

sys.crontab

The variable gives the location of the current users's master crontab directory.

    # crontab = /var/spool/crontab/root

sys.date

The date of the system as a text string, from when the agent initialized.

    # date = Sun Dec  7 10:39:53 2008

sys.doc_root

A scalar variable containing the default path for the document root of the standard web server package.

History: Was introduced in 3.1.0, Enterprise 2.0.

sys.domain

The domain name as discovered by CFEngine. If the DNS is in use, it could be possible to derive the domain name from its DNS registration, but in general there is no way to discover this value automatically. The common control body permits the ultimate specification of this value.

    # domain = example.org

sys.enterprise_version

The variable gives the version of the running CFEngine Enterprise Edition.

    # enterprise_version = 3.0.0

History: Was introduced in 3.5.0, Enterprise 3.0.0.

sys.expires

History:

  • Removed 3.5.0
  • Introduced in version 3.1.4, Enterprise 2.0.2 (2011).

sys.exports

The location of the system NFS exports file.

    # exports = /etc/exports
    # exports = /etc/dfs/dfstab

sys.failsafe_policy_path

The name of the failsafe policy file.

    # failsafe_policy_path = /var/cfengine/inputs/failsafe.cf

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.flavor, sys.flavour

A variable containing an operating system identification string that is used to determine the current release of the operating system in a form that can be used as a label in naming. This is used, for instance, to detect which package name to choose when updating software binaries for CFEngine.

These two variables are synonyms for each other.

History: Was introduced in 3.2.0, Enterprise 2.0

See also: sys.ostype

sys.fqhost

The fully qualified name of the host. In order to compute this value properly, the domain name must be defined.

    # fqhost = host.example.org

See also: sys.uqhost

sys.fstab

The location of the system filesystem (mount) table.

    # fstab = /etc/fstab

sys.hardware_addresses

This is a list variable containing a list of all known MAC addresses for system interfaces.

History: Was introduced in 3.3.0, Enterprise 2.2.0 (2011)

sys.hardware_mac[interface_name]

This contains the MAC address of the named interface. For example:

    reports:
        "Tell me $(sys.hardware_mac[eth0])";

History: Was introduced in 3.3.0, Enterprise 2.2.0 (2011)

sys.host

The name of the current host, according to the kernel. It is undefined whether this is qualified or unqualified with a domain name.

    # host = myhost

sys.inputdir

The name of the inputs directory where CFEngine looks for its policy files.

    # inputdir = /var/cfengine/inputs

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.interface

The assumed (default) name of the main system interface on this host.

    # interface = eth0

sys.interfaces

Displays a system list of configured interfaces currently active in use by the system. This list is detected at runtime and it passed in the variables report to the CFEngine Enterprise Database.

To use this list in a policy, you will need a local copy since only local variables can be iterated.

    bundle agent test
    {
    vars:

     # To iterate, we need a local copy

     "i1" slist => { @(sys.ip_addresses)} ;
     "i2" slist => { @(sys.interfaces)} ;

    reports:

        "Addresses: $(i1)";
        "Interfaces: $(i2)";
        "Addresses of the interfaces: $(sys.ipv4[$(i2)])";
    }

History: Was introduced in 3.3.0, Enterprise 2.2.0 (2011)

sys.interface_flags

Contains a space separated list of the flags of the named interface. e.g.

    reports:
        "eth0 flags: $(sys.interface_flags[eth0])";

Outputs:

R: eth0 flags: up broadcast running multicast

The following device flags are supported:

  • up
  • broadcast
  • debug
  • loopback
  • pointopoint
  • notrailers
  • running
  • noarp
  • promisc
  • allmulti
  • multicast

History: Was introduced in 3.5.0 (2013)

sys.ip_addresses

Displays a system list of IP addresses currently in use by the system. This list is detected at runtime and passed in the variables report to the CFEngine Enterprise Database.

To use this list in a policy, you will need a local copy since only local variables can be iterated.

    bundle agent test
    {
    vars:

     # To iterate, we need a local copy

     "i1" slist => { @(sys.ip_addresses)} ;
     "i2" slist => { @(sys.interfaces)} ;

    reports:

        "Addresses: $(i1)";
        "Interfaces: $(i2)";
        "Addresses of the interfaces: $(sys.ipv4[$(i2)])";
    }

History: Was introduced in 3.3.0, Enterprise 2.2.0 (2011)

sys.ipv4

All four octets of the IPv4 address of the first system interface.

Note:

If your system has a single ethernet interface, $(sys.ipv4) will contain your IPv4 address. However, if your system has multiple interfaces, then $(sys.ipv4) will simply be the IPv4 address of the first interface in the list that has an assigned address, Use $(sys.ipv4[interface_name]) for details on obtaining the IPv4 addresses of all interfaces on a system.

sys.ipv4[interface_name]

The full IPv4 address of the system interface named as the associative array index, e.g. $(ipv4[le0]) or $(ipv4[xr1]).

    # If the IPv4 address on the interfaces are
    #    le0 = 192.168.1.101
    #    xr1 = 10.12.7.254
    #
    # Then the octets of all interfaces are accessible as an associative array
    # ipv4_1[le0] = 192
    # ipv4_2[le0] = 192.168
    # ipv4_3[le0] = 192.168.1
    #   ipv4[le0] = 192.168.1.101
    # ipv4_1[xr1] = 10
    # ipv4_2[xr1] = 10.12
    # ipv4_3[xr1] = 10.12.7
    #   ipv4[xr1] = 10.12.7.254

Note:

The list of interfaces may be acquired with getindices("sys.ipv4") (or from any of the other associative arrays). Only those interfaces which are marked as "up" and have an IP address will be listed.

sys.ipv4_1[interface_name]

The first octet of the IPv4 address of the system interface named as the associative array index, e.g. $(ipv4_1[le0]) or $(ipv4_1[xr1]).

sys.ipv4_2[interface_name]

The first two octets of the IPv4 address of the system interface named as the associative array index, e.g. $(ipv4_2[le0]) or $(ipv4_2[xr1]).

sys.ipv4_3[interface_name]

The first three octets of the IPv4 address of the system interface named as the associative array index, e.g. $(ipv4_3[le0]) or $(ipv4_3[xr1]).

sys.key_digest

The digest of the host's cryptographic public key.

    # sys.key_digest = MD5=bc230448c9bec14b9123443e1608ac07

sys.last_policy_update

Timestamp when last policy change was seen by host

sys.libdir

The name of the directory where CFEngine looks for its libraries.

    # libdir = /var/cfengine/inputs/lib/3.6

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.local_libdir

The name of the directory where CFEngine looks for its libraries, without any prefixes.

    # local_libdir = lib/3.6

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.logdir

The name of the directory where CFEngine log files are saved

    # logdir = /var/cfengine/

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.license_owner

History:

  • Removed 3.5.0
  • Introduced in version 3.1.4, Enterprise 2.0.2 (2011).

sys.licenses_granted

History:

  • Removed 3.5.0
  • Was introduced in version 3.1.4, Enterprise 2.0.2 (2011).

sys.long_arch

The long architecture name for this system kernel. This name is sometimes quite unwieldy but can be useful for logging purposes.

    # long_arch = linux_x86_64_2_6_22_19_0_1_default__1_SMP_2008_10_14_22_17_43__0200

See also: sys.ostype

sys.maildir

The name of the system email spool directory.

    # maildir = /var/spool/mail

sys.masterdir

The name of the directory on the hub where CFEngine looks for inputs to be validated and copied into sys.inputdir.

    # masterdir = /var/cfengine/masterfiles

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.os

The name of the operating system according to the kernel.

    # os = linux

See also: sys.ostype

sys.ostype

Another name for the operating system.

    # ostype = linux_x86_64

See also: sys.class

sys.piddir

The name of the directory where CFEngine saves the daemon pid files.

    # piddir = /var/cfengine/

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.policy_hub

Hostname of the machine acting as the policy server. This value is set during bootstrap. In case bootstrap was not performed, it is set to undefined.

    reports:

     "Policy hub is $(sys.policy_hub)";

History: Was introduced in version 3.1.0b1,Enterprise 2.0.0b1 (2010). Available in Community since 3.2.0

sys.release

The kernel release of the operating system.

    # release = 2.6.22.19-0.1-default

sys.resolv

The location of the system resolver file.

    # resolv = /etc/resolv.conf

sys.statedir

The name of the state directory where CFEngine looks for its embedded database files.

    # statedir = /var/cfengine/state

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.7

sys.sysday

A variable containing the time since the UNIX Epoch (00:00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970), measured in days. It is equivalent to $(sys.systime) divided by the number of seconds in a day, expressed as an integer. No time zone conversion is performed, the direct result of the time() system call is used. This value is most commonly used in the /etc/shadow file.

   # sysday = 15656

   Corresponds to Monday, November 12, 2012.

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.systime

A variable containing the result of the time() system call, which is the time since the UNIX Epoch (00:00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970), measured in seconds. See also $(sys.sysday).

   # systime = 1352754900

   Corresponds to Mon Nov 12 21:15:00 2012 UTC.

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.update_policy_path

The name of the update policy file.

    # update_policy_path = /var/cfengine/inputs/update.cf

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.uptime

A variable containing the number of minutes which the system has been online. (Not implemented on the Windows platform.)

   # uptime = 69735

   Equivalent uptime command output:
    16:24:52 up 48 days, 10:15,  1 user,  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

History: Introduced in CFEngine 3.6

sys.uqhost

The unqualified name of the current host.

    # uqhost = myhost

See also: sys.fqhost

sys.version

The version of the running kernel. On Linux, this corresponds to the output of uname -v.

    # version = #55-Ubuntu SMP Mon Jan 10 23:42:43 UTC 2011

History: Was introduced in version 3.1.4,Enterprise 2.0.2 (2011)

sys.windir

On the Windows version of CFEngine Enterprise, this is the path to the Windows directory of this system.

    # windir = C:\WINDOWS

sys.winprogdir

On the Windows version of CFEngine Enterprise, this is the path to the program files directory of the system.

    # winprogdir = C:\Program Files

sys.winprogdir86

On 64 bit Windows versions of CFEngine Enterprise, this is the path to the 32 bit (x86) program files directory of the system.

    # winprogdir86 = C:\Program Files (x86)

sys.winsysdir

On the Windows version of CFEngine Enterprise, this is the path to the Windows system directory.

    # winsysdir = C:\WINDOWS\system32

sys.workdir

The location of the CFEngine work directory and cache. For the system privileged user this is normally:

    # workdir = /var/cfengine

For non-privileged users it is in the user's home directory:

    # workdir = /home/user/.cfagent

On the Windows version of CFEngine Enterprise, it is normally under program files (the directory name may change with the language of Windows):

    # workdir = C:\Program Files\CFEngine