Learn SALTSTACK with Real Code Examples

Install Salt Master on control node

Install Salt Minions on managed nodes

Configure minion IDs and master connection

Test communication using salt-key and salt-call

Set up initial state files (SLS) and pillars

Install Salt Master

Install Salt Minions

Configure keys and master-minion communication

Test connectivity with test.ping

Initialize basic SLS states

top.sls - map states to nodes

*.sls - state definitions

pillar/ - variable definitions

roster/ - Salt SSH node definitions

master/minion configuration files

salt '*' test.ping - ping minions

salt '*' state.apply - apply states

salt-key - manage keys

salt-call - local minion execution

salt-run - execute master runners

UTF-8 support in configuration files

CLI output primarily in English

Custom localization possible via modules

Pillars can store multilingual content

Community translations for documentation

Cross-platform support for Linux, Windows, Mac

Python-based modules and extensions

CLI-centric management

Salt SSH for agentless nodes

API access via Python modules

CLI-based output with color coding

Optional web interface via SaltStack Enterprise

Text-based logs for auditing

Structured output for remote commands

Event stream dashboards (Enterprise)

Enforce desired system states via SLS

Use top.sls to map states to nodes

Override values with pillars

Monitor applied states via master logs

Track changes and drift

Pillar data for per-minion configuration

External YAML/JSON data sources

State caches and execution logs

Cloud and system metadata tracking

Audit event logs for compliance