Distributing Puppet modules

Puppet modules are rarely self contained. Usually your module will depend on other public or private modules. And this dependency chain has a big impact on how we test our code.

This is an easy rule of thumb for testing code: "Test unstable code using stable dependencies".

I might not sound like a big deal for a seasoned developer as yourself. But you might find yourself in a situation where the module you are working on needs a new feature from a dependent module. If that is case, take the time and add the feature to the new module. Test it and generate a new release of the module before going back to the module you were originally working on.

Remember, that dependent module might be used by other modules besides yours. And making sure that you did not break anything before releasing is just good manners.