The VMTools salt integration script installs, removes, or checks the status of
a Salt minion (salt-minion) in a VMware controlled Virtual Machine environment.
This script operates as a BASH script in Linux environments and a PowerShell script in Windows environments.
The Salt minion is a Onedir architecture based Python 3 Salt minion leveraging relenv (https://github.com/saltstack/relenv) onedir option internally. The Salt minion is fully self-contained and requires no additional dependencies.
The script can install, remove, and check the status of an installed Salt minion either using a direct command line option or via VMware's use of Guest Variables, commonly referred to as guestVars.
In every two-step installation example, you would be well-served to verify against the SHA256
sum of the downloaded svtminion.sh file.
The SHA256 sum of the svtminion.sh file, per release, is:
- 2024.12.05:
dc6c2438d94a535067c871f8d84960ddbf4b77f204f6d9e91fd3baa021b93270 - 2024.12.04:
e7f4d7b242bd495c63e7b3240631411fbe65ac966ff2c1ef93399ceda9b5719f
If you're looking for a one-liner to install Salt Minion, please read below.
The latest versions of the svtminion scripts for Linux and Windows from the following https://github.com/saltstack/salt-vmtools/releases/latest/download/svtminion.sh and https://github.com/saltstack/salt-vmtools/releases/latest/download/svtminion.ps1
There are also .sha256 files for verifying against in the repo for the main branch. You can also get the correct sha256 sum for the tagged release from https://github.com/saltstack/salt-vmtools/releases/latest/download/svtminion.sh.sha256 and https://github.com/saltstack/salt-vmtools/releases/latest/download/svtminion.ps1.sha256
You can pass configuration to this script in 3 ways: guestVars, tools.conf and the command line. Each option has an order of precedence. The lowest being guestVars, followed by tools.conf, with the highest precedence being the command line. Each option is explained in the following sections.
VMware guestVars can contain the action this script performs as well as the
minion config options to be set by this script. The config values here will
override any config options defined in tools.conf with the same name.
The guestVars paths are as follows:
| Option | guestVars Location |
|---|---|
| Action | vmware.components.salt_minion |
| Config | vmware.components.salt_minion.args |
If set, the Action option will return a single word that is the action this
script will perform. If set, the Config option will return a space delimited
list of minion config options. For example: master=198.51.100.1 id=my_minion multiprocessing=false
These values are set on the host OS using the vmrun binary. For example:
# To set the Action to install the salt-minion
vmrun writeVariable "<path/to/vmx/file>" guestVar vmware.components.salt_minion "present"
# To set the Action to remove the salt-minion
vmrun writeVariable "<path/to/vmx/file>" guestVar vmware.components.salt_minion "absent"
# To set the Config Options
vmrun writeVariable "<path/to/vmx/file>" guestVar vmware.components.salt_minion.args "master=203.0.113.1"
They can be read on the guest OS using the vmtoolsd binary. For example:
# To read the Config Options
[root@fedora]# vmtoolsd --cmd "info-get guestinfo.vmware.components.salt_minion.args"
master=203.0.113.1
The tools.conf file contains the configurations for vmtools in an .ini format.
This tool looks for the salt_minion section and uses the configurations defined
under that section. This file is stored at:
| OS | Location |
|---|---|
| Linux | /etc/vmware-tools/tools.conf |
| Windows | C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\tools.conf |
Below is an example of the salt_minion section as it may be defined in
tools.conf:
[salt_minion]
master=203.0.113.1
conf_file=/etc/salt/minion
id=dev_minion
Note: Only minion config options are available in tools.conf. The desired
script action cannot be obtained from tools.conf.
Any input passed to the script on the command line will take precedence over:
- The action and config options set in guestVars
- Anything configured in
tools.confwith the same name.
Linux example:
[root@fedora]# svtminion.sh --install master=198.51.100.1
Windows example (note the single dash):
# Powershell
PS> svtminion.ps1 -install master=198.51.100.1
# cmd
C:\>powershell -file svtminion.ps1 -install master=198.51.100.1
Note: Higher preference configuration options will supersede lower
preference values. For example, in the configuration preference examples
outlined above, the final value for master is 198.51.100.1. Command line
option for master overrides the tools.conf value of 203.0.113.1 and the
guestVars value of 203.0.113.1 because the command line arguments have the
highest precedence.
Note:* On Windows, if the minion ID is not passed, the guest host name will be used. However, on Linux there is no guarantee that a host name will be set. Therefore, a minion ID is automatically generated for the Salt minion. In either case, the minion ID can be specified in any of the 3 config options. For example:
id=myminion
Note: At all times preference is given to actions presented on the command line over those available from guestVars.
For example, if the following is passed on the command line:
[root@fedora]# svtminion.sh --install
And the following is defined in guestVars:
[root@fedora]# vmtoolsd --cmd "info-get guestinfo.vmware.components.salt_minion"
remove
Preference is given to the command line argument and the Salt minion package will be installed.
This script creates a log file at the following location:
| OS | Location |
|---|---|
| Linux | /var/log |
| Windows | C:\Windows\temp |
The content of the log file depends on the LogLevel passed on the command
line. The default value is warning. Valid options are:
| Log Level | Description |
|---|---|
silent |
Suppresses displayed output but logs errors and warnings |
error |
Displays and logs only errors |
warning |
Displays and logs errors and warnings |
info |
Displays and logs errors, warnings, and info messages |
debug |
Displays and logs all messages |
The names of Log files are based on the action that the script is performing. The
action can be defined on the command line or by setting a value in guestVars.
Any logging that is unrelated to an action uses the keyword default. Valid
actions are as follows:
cleardependinstallreconfigremovestartstatusstop
For example, running the script without a defined action results in a log file with the following name:
# Linux
bash>svtminion.sh --version --loglevel debug
/etc/log/vmware-svtminion.sh-default-YYYYMMDDhhmmss.log
# Windows
PS>.\svtminion.ps1 -LogLevel debug
or
cmd>powershell -file .\svtminion.ps1 -LogLevel debug
C:\Windows\temp\vmware-svtminion-default-YYYYMMDDhhmmss.log
Only the 10 most recent log files for each action are maintained. Excess log files are removed. Log files are not removed when the salt-minion service is uninstalled.
On Linux systems, the install script is a bash script with the following pre-requisites:
- systemctl
- curl
- sha512sum
- vmtoolsd
- grep
- awk
- sed
- cut
- wget
- find
svtminion.sh --help shows the command line options
Usage for the script svtminion.sh
usage: ./svtminion.sh [-c|--clear] [-d|--depend] [-h|--help] [-i|--install]
[-j|--source] [-l|--loglevel] [-m|--minionversion]
[-n|--reconfig] [-q|--stop] [-p|--start]
[-r|--remove] [-s|--status] [-u|--upgrade]
[-v|--version]
-c, --clear clear previous minion identifer and keys,
and set specified identifer if present
-d, --depend check dependencies required to run this script exist
-h, --help this message
-i, --install install and activate the salt-minion
parameters key=value can also be passed on the CLI
-j, --source specify location to install Salt Minion from
default is repo.saltproject.io location
for example: url location
http://my_web_server.com/my_salt_onedir
https://my_web_server.com/my_salt_onedir
file://my_path/my_salt_onedir
//my_path/my_salt_onedir
if specific version of Salt Minion specified, -m
then its appended to source, default[latest]
-l, --loglevel set log level for logging, silent error warning debug info
default loglevel is warning
-m, --minionversion salt-minion version to install, default[latest]
-n, --reconfig salt-minion restarts after re-reading updated configuration
-q, --stop stop salt-minion
-p, --start start salt-minion (effectively restart salt-minion)
-r, --remove deactivate and remove the salt-minion
-s, --status return status for this script
-u, --upgrade upgrade when installing, used with --install
-v, --version version of this script
salt-minion vmtools integration script
example: ./svtminion.sh --status
Note: on Linux, the script does not support use of hostname as in file:///path1/path2
On Windows systems, the install script is a powershell script. The only
prerequisite for Windows is the vmtoolsd.exe binary, which is used to query
guestVars data. You can get help for this script by running svtminion.ps1 -h
or Get-Help svtminion.ps1:
NAME
.\svtminion.ps1
SYNOPSIS
VMware Tools script for managing the Salt minion on a Windows guest.
SYNTAX
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Install] [-Upgrade] [-MinionVersion <String>] [-Source <String>]
[[-ConfigOptions] <String[]>] [-LogLevel <String>] [-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version] [<CommonParameters>]
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Reconfig] [[-ConfigOptions] <String[]>] [-LogLevel <String>]
[-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version] [<CommonParameters>]
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Remove] [-LogLevel <String>] [-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version]
[<CommonParameters>]
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Clear] [-LogLevel <String>] [-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version]
[<CommonParameters>]
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Status] [-LogLevel <String>] [-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version]
[<CommonParameters>]
.\svtminion.ps1 [-Depend] [-LogLevel <String>] [-Stop] [-Start] [-Help] [-Version]
[<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
This script provides comprehensive management of the Salt minion on a Windows
guest. The minion is a OneDir build available at:
https://packages.broadcom.com/artifactory/saltproject-generic/onedir
With this script, you can install, remove, check dependencies, retrieve
installation status, and reset the Salt minion configuration.
When run without parameters, the script checks for an action in `guestVars`. If
no action is found, it exits with a `scriptFailed` (126) code.
If an action is passed via the CLI or found in `guestVars`, the script gathers
minion configuration options (e.g., `master=198.51.100.1`) from `guestVars`.
Additional configuration options are obtained from `tools.conf`, which overrides
any conflicting options from `guestVars`. CLI options take the highest
precedence, followed by `tools.conf`, and finally `guestVars`.
The script returns the following exit codes to indicate its status:
- 0 - `scriptSuccess`
- 126 - `scriptFailed`
- 130 - `scriptTerminated`
If the `-Status` option is passed, the exit code signals the Salt minion’s
installation status as follows:
- 100 - Installed (and running)
- 101 - Installing
- 102 - Not installed
- 103 - Installation failed
- 104 - Removing
- 105 - Removal failed
- 106 - External installation detected
- 107 - Installed but stopped
NOTE: This script must be executed with Administrator privileges.
PARAMETERS
-Install [<SwitchParameter>]
The Install action downloads, installs, and starts the salt-minion
service.
It exits with the `scriptFailed` exit code (126) under any of the
following conditions:
- Existing Standard Salt Installation detected
- Unknown status found
- Installation in progress
- Removal in progress
- Installation failed
- Missing script dependencies
It exits with the `scriptSuccess` exit code (0) under the following
conditions:
- Installed successfully
- Already installed
-Upgrade [<SwitchParameter>]
The Upgrade parameter upgrades an existing Salt installation in place,
leaving the minion configuration unchanged. guestVars and CLI values
are ignored during the upgrade. Use this option to switch between
different Salt versions.
Pass the Upgrade parameter with the Install action to upgrade to the
specified version. If Upgrade is not passed and Salt is already installed,
the script will exit with a `scriptSuccess` code (0) and a message
indicating that the minion is already installed.
-MinionVersion <String>
The MinionVersion parameter specifies the version of the Salt minion to
install. Use "latest" to install the most recent version available
(default is "latest"). Alternatively, you can specify a major version
number to install the latest release within that version series. For
example, to install the latest release in the 3006 series, pass "3006".
-Source <String>
The Source parameter specifies the URL or path to a repository containing
directories named after different Salt versions. Each directory should
include a zip file corresponding to the version indicated by the directory
name.
The directory structure should follow a layout similar to the default
repository:
https://packages.broadcom.com/artifactory/saltproject-generic/onedir
The Source parameter supports common protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP,
UNC paths, and local file paths.
-Reconfig [<SwitchParameter>]
The Reconfig action updates the Salt minion configuration using settings
provided via the command-line, `guestVars`, or `tools.conf`. After
updating, the minion will be restarted to apply the new configuration.
The following exit codes may occur:
- 102 - Salt minion not installed
- 106 - External installation of the Salt minion detected
-ConfigOptions <String[]>
This parameter accepts any number of minion configuration options,
specified as key/value pairs in the format `key=value`, as documented in
the Salt documentation. For example: master=localhost.
All keys will be automatically converted to lowercase and written to the
minion configuration.
-Remove [<SwitchParameter>]
The Remove action stops and uninstalls the salt-minion service. It exits
with the `scriptFailed` exit code (126) under the following conditions:
- Unknown status found
- Installation in progress
- Removal in progress
- Installation failed
- Missing script dependencies
It exits with the `scriptSuccess` exit code (0) under the following
conditions:
- Successfully removed
- Already removed
-Clear [<SwitchParameter>]
The Clear action resets the salt-minion by randomizing its minion ID and
removing the minion keys. The new minion ID will be the old minion ID
followed by an underscore and five random digits.
Exits with the `scriptFailed` exit code (126) under the following
conditions:
- Unknown status found
- Missing script dependencies
Exits with the `scriptSuccess` exit code (0) under the following
conditions:
- Successfully cleared
- Minion was not installed
-Status [<SwitchParameter>]
The Status action retrieves the current status of the Salt minion
installation. The exit code will correspond to one of the following status
codes:
100 - Installed (and running)
101 - Installing
102 - Not installed
103 - Installation failed
104 - Removing
105 - Removal failed
106 - External installation detected
107 - Installed but stopped
Exits with the `scriptFailed` exit code (126) under the following
conditions:
- Unknown status found
- Missing script dependencies
-Depend [<SwitchParameter>]
The Depend action checks that all required dependencies are available.
It exits with the `scriptFailed` exit code (126) if any dependencies are
missing.
It exits with the `scriptSuccess` exit code (0) if all dependencies are
present.
-LogLevel <String>
Sets the log level for display and logging. The default is "warning". The
"silent" level suppresses all logging output. Available options are:
- silent
- error
- warning
- info
- debug
Logs are stored in `C:\Windows\temp` and named according to the action the
script is performing, along with a timestamp. For example:
`vmware-svtminion-<action>-<timestamp>.log`
-Stop [<SwitchParameter>]
Stops the salt-minion service.
The following exit codes may occur:
102 - Salt minion not installed
106 - External installation of the Salt minion detected
-Start [<SwitchParameter>]
Starts or restarts the salt-minion service.
The following exit codes may occur:
102 - Salt minion not installed
106 - External install of the Salt minion found
-Help [<SwitchParameter>]
Displays help information for this script.
-Version [<SwitchParameter>]
Displays the current version of this script.
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Install
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Install -MinionVersion 3006.2 master=192.168.10.10 id=dev_box
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Install -Source https://my.domain.com/vmtools/salt
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Install -MinionVersion 3006.8 -Upgrade
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Clear
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Status
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 7 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Depend
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 8 --------------------------
PS>svtminion.ps1 -Remove -LogLevel debug
REMARKS
To see the examples, type: "get-help .\svtminion.ps1 -examples".
For more information, type: "get-help .\svtminion.ps1 -detailed".
For technical information, type: "get-help .\svtminion.ps1 -full".