Copy contents of symlink to directory - puppet

Question

I am trying to copy the contents of a symlink directory to a normal directory on Windows:
file { "copy symlink contents to directory":
ensure => directory,
path => "C:/Users/devacct/Desktop/puppet/puppet_dir2/", #directory
source => "C:/Users/devacct/Desktop/puppet/filessym/", #symlink
recurse => true,
source_permissions => ignore,
links => 'manage',
#ignore => $ignore_files,
#purge => $purge,
force => true,
}
This fails with an error message:
Error: /Stage[main]/Custom::Profile::Symlink/File[copy symlink contents to directory]: Could not evaluate: Could not retrieve information from environment production source(s) file:/C:/Users/devacct/Desktop/puppet/filessym
Is it valid to give symlink path as a value to source attribute? If not, how do I achieve my objective?

Answer 1

Use the link attribute on your file block with follow.
Also, set the source without the last backslash... Give this a try.
file { "copy symlink contents to directory":
ensure => directory,
path => "C:/Users/devacct/Desktop/puppet/puppet_dir2/", #directory
source => "C:/Users/devacct/Desktop/puppet/filessym", #symlink
recurse => true,
source_permissions => ignore,
links => 'follow',
#ignore => $ignore_files,
#purge => $purge,
force => true,
}

Answer 2

Yes, it is valid in general to use a symlink as the source parameter, and as noted by Kelson Silva, you would also need to use links => follow instead of links => manage (see docs).
I am not sure why you are getting that error message though.
FWIW, I tested the following on Mac OS X:
Set up:
$ ls -ld /tmp/symlink
lrwxr-xr-x 1 alexharvey wheel 10 12 May 16:31 /tmp/symlink# -> realsource
$ ls -lL /tmp/symlink
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 5 alexharvey wheel 160 12 May 16:30 a/
drwxr-xr-x 5 alexharvey wheel 160 12 May 16:30 b/
drwxr-xr-x 5 alexharvey wheel 160 12 May 16:30 c/
$ find /tmp/symlink/
/tmp/symlink/
/tmp/symlink//a
/tmp/symlink//a/f
/tmp/symlink//a/d
/tmp/symlink//a/d/somefile
/tmp/symlink//a/e
/tmp/symlink//c
/tmp/symlink//c/f
/tmp/symlink//c/d
/tmp/symlink//c/e
/tmp/symlink//b
/tmp/symlink//b/f
/tmp/symlink//b/d
/tmp/symlink//b/e
Code:
file { '/tmp/dest':
ensure => directory,
links => follow,
source => '/tmp/symlink',
recurse => true,
source_permissions => ignore,
force => true,
}
Result:
Notice: Compiled catalog for harveya-c02vj38lhtd7-ume.local in environment production in 0.03 seconds
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/a]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/a/d]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/a/d/somefile]/ensure: defined content as '{md5}d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e'
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/a/e]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/a/f]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/b]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/b/d]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/b/e]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/b/f]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/c]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/c/d]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/c/e]/ensure: created
Notice: /Stage[main]/Test/File[/tmp/dest/c/f]/ensure: created
Notice: Applied catalog in 0.13 seconds