Puppet agent fails with "Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: undefined method `exists?' for nil:NilClass"

Environment

• Red Hat Satellite v.6.5
• Red Hat Satellite v.6.4
• Red Hat Satellite v.6.3.x

Issue

• Puppet agent fails with below error, on client registered to Satellite 6.x.

Error: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: undefined method `exists?' for nil:NilClass
Error: Could not prepare for execution: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: undefined method `exists?' for nil:NilClass
undefined method `exists?' for nil:NilClass

Resolution

• Reset the file permission and ownership to default values, for the rpm shadow-utils.

# rpm --setugids shadow-utils
# rpm --setperms shadow-utils

• Verify the results, following output is expected.

# ll /usr/sbin/usermod 
-rwxr-x---. 1 root root 113856 Feb  1  2019 /usr/sbin/usermod

For more KB articles/solutions related to Red Hat Satellite 6.x Puppet Issues, please refer to the Red Hat Satellite Consolidated Troubleshooting Article for Red Hat Satellite 6.x Puppet Issues

Diagnostic Steps

• Analyze the debug output for puppet agent execution.

# puppet agent -t --trace --debug
Debug: Applying settings catalog for sections main, agent, ssl
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Evicting cache entry for environment 'production'
Debug: Deleted text domain :production: false
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Evicting cache entry for environment 'production'
Debug: Deleted text domain :production: false
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Evicting cache entry for environment 'production'
Debug: Deleted text domain :production: false
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Using settings: adding file resource 'confdir': 'File[/etc/puppetlabs/puppet]{:path=>"/etc/puppetlabs/puppet", :ensure=>:directory, :loglevel=>:debug, :links=>:follow, :backup=>false}'
Debug: Using settings: adding file resource 'codedir': 'File[/etc/puppetlabs/code]{:path=>"/etc/puppetlabs/code", :ensure=>:directory, :loglevel=>:debug, :links=>:follow, :backup=>false}'
Debug: Evicting cache entry for environment 'production'
Debug: Deleted text domain :production: false
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Evicting cache entry for environment 'production'
Debug: Deleted text domain :production: false
Debug: Caching environment 'production' (ttl = 0 sec)
Debug: Failed to load library 'cfpropertylist' for feature 'cfpropertylist': cannot load such file -- cfpropertylist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderUseradd: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Failed to load library 'ldap' for feature 'ldap': cannot load such file -- ldap
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderLdap: feature ldap is missing
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderPw: file pw does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderUser_role_add: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderOpenbsd: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderDirectoryservice: file /usr/bin/dsimport does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderUseradd: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Failed to load library 'ldap' for feature 'ldap': cannot load such file -- ldap
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderLdap: feature ldap is missing
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderPw: file pw does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderUser_role_add: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderOpenbsd: file usermod does not exist
Debug: Puppet::Type::User::ProviderDirectoryservice: file /usr/bin/dsimport does not exist
Error: Could not create resources for managing Puppet's files and directories in sections [:main, :agent, :ssl]: undefined method `exists?' for nil:NilClass
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/type/user.rb:497:in `exists?'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings.rb:805:in `service_user_available?'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings/file_setting.rb:52:in `safe_to_use_settings_value?'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings/file_setting.rb:43:in `value'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings/file_setting.rb:106:in `owner'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings/file_setting.rb:160:in `to_resource'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings.rb:949:in `block in to_catalog'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings.rb:945:in `each'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings.rb:945:in `to_catalog'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/settings.rb:1010:in `use'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/application/agent.rb:419:in `setup'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/application.rb:367:in `block in run'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/util.rb:667:in `exit_on_fail'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/application.rb:367:in `run'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/util/command_line.rb:139:in `run'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/util/command_line.rb:77:in `execute'
/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/bin/puppet:5:in `

• Verify rpm, which reflects that the files are modified.

# rpm -Va shadow-utils
.M...UG..    /usr/sbin/usermod

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