The Tool Desk
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What you are building
Salt uses a master-and-minion model. The master is the control plane: it receives commands, publishes jobs and stores the public keys used to identify minions. A minion is the agent installed on each managed Ubuntu host. It maintains a connection to the master and executes approved jobs locally.
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| Host | Package | Primary role | Network requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt master | salt-master |
Publishes commands and accepts minion keys | TCP 4505 and 4506 reachable from minions |
| Managed Ubuntu host | salt-minion |
Connects to the master and executes jobs | Outbound access to the master’s TCP 4505 and 4506 |
The default master configuration is suitable for most small installations. You normally need to change only the minion’s master: setting, configure a firewall if one is enabled, and accept each key.
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Before you install
Choose the master and minion addresses
Give the master a stable DNS name or IP address that every minion can resolve and reach. A DNS name is easier to preserve if the master address changes; an IP address avoids DNS troubleshooting. Use the same address in every minion configuration.
Check privileges and connectivity
- Use an Ubuntu account with
sudoaccess on every host. - Confirm that the master and minions can reach the Ubuntu package repositories.
- From a minion, verify that the master name resolves and that routing exists before debugging Salt itself.
- Keep the master on a trusted management network. Ports 4505 and 4506 should not be exposed to the public internet.
Identify the Ubuntu release correctly
The repository instructions are release-specific. Check the release and its official codename on each machine with lsb_release -sc or . /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME". Use the codename listed by the current SaltProject Debian/Ubuntu installation guide. Do not copy a command from a guide written for another release: a community example incorrectly used focal for Ubuntu 24.04, and that mismatch can produce missing-package or dependency errors.
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Add the official SaltProject repository
Use the current SaltProject Debian/Ubuntu installation guide rather than an old Ubuntu tutorial or the obsolete apt-key workflow. The official instructions provide the repository definition, signing-key location and an APT preferences pin for the 3008 release series. The pin is documented with priority 1001; verify the exact repository path, key path and release name on the live guide before applying them because those details can change.
- Open the official SaltProject installation instructions for Debian and Ubuntu.
- Select your exact Ubuntu release and architecture.
- Run the guide’s repository and signing-key commands as written, including its APT preferences file if you want the documented 3008-series pin.
- Refresh package metadata:
sudo apt updateIf apt update reports a missing release, a bad signature or an unsupported codename, stop and correct the repository definition. Do not replace your release codename with one from another Ubuntu version.
Install and start the Salt master
Install the package
On the server that will control the others, install only the master role:
sudo apt install salt-masterInstalling the master does not automatically enroll any minion. Key exchange and minion installation are separate steps.
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Enable the service at boot
sudo systemctl enable --now salt-masterCheck that systemd considers it running:
systemctl status salt-master --no-pagerIf the service fails, inspect recent messages before changing configuration:
sudo journalctl -u salt-master -n 100 --no-pagerConfigure the master’s listening address
Salt’s default master configuration works for most installations. Leave /etc/salt/master unchanged unless you need to bind Salt to a particular interface or have a documented policy requirement.
Bind to one interface when necessary
To restrict listening to a specific address, edit the configuration file:
sudo editor /etc/salt/masterSet the interface directive to the master’s reachable address, for example:
interface: 10.0.0.10Use the real address assigned to your master; do not copy the example value. Save the file and restart the service:
sudo systemctl restart salt-masterIf you bind Salt to an address that is not present on the server, the service will fail to start. Confirm addresses with ip addr and review the journal if the restart fails.
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Open the master’s firewall
The master listens on TCP ports 4505 and 4506 on all interfaces by default. Port 4505 carries the publisher connection and 4506 carries the request server. When UFW is active, allow both ports from the minion network.
sudo ufw allow 4505/tcp
sudo ufw allow 4506/tcp
sudo ufw status verboseThese broad rules are convenient for a private lab. In production, restrict the source to the management subnet or specific minion addresses using your organization’s firewall policy. Opening the ports on UFW is not enough if a cloud security group, router ACL or host firewall elsewhere still blocks them.
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Install the package
Repeat the repository setup and codename check on every managed Ubuntu host, then install the minion role:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install salt-minionDo not install salt-master on a host that should only be managed unless you deliberately want it to serve both roles.
Point the minion at the master
Edit the minion configuration:
sudo editor /etc/salt/minionSet the master name or address:
master: salt-master.example.internalReplace the example name with the address that resolves from this minion. If you omit master:, Salt looks for a host named salt. That behavior can work when DNS already provides that name; otherwise, an entry in /etc/hosts is an alternative, although centrally managed DNS is usually easier to maintain.
After saving the file, restart the minion so it reads the new setting:
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sudo systemctl restart salt-minionEnable it for future boots:
sudo systemctl enable salt-minion
systemctl status salt-minion --no-pagerYou can combine enablement and startup on a new installation:
sudo systemctl enable --now salt-minionAccept the minion key on the master
Salt uses public keys to prevent an unknown host from receiving commands. A newly started minion generates a key and presents it to the master. The master leaves that key pending until an administrator accepts it.
List key states
On the master, display all known keys:
sudo salt-key --list allThe output separates accepted, pending, rejected and unaccepted keys. Read the minion ID carefully; accepting a key is a trust decision, not merely a connectivity test.
Accept one known minion
Accept a specific pending ID after verifying that it belongs to the host you intended to enroll:
sudo salt-key -a MINION_IDReplace MINION_ID with the exact identifier shown by salt-key --list all. Avoid accepting every pending key with a blanket action on a production master; an unexpected pending key can indicate a naming error or an unauthorized host.
Verify end-to-end operation
Confirm the key is accepted
Run the key listing again and confirm that the minion moved from pending to accepted. If it remains pending, the minion may be connecting to a different master name, or you may be looking at a different master than the one configured on the host.
Run a harmless test job
From the master, address the enrolled minion by its ID:
sudo salt 'MINION_ID' test.pingA successful response returns True. The command proves that name resolution, TCP connectivity, key acceptance and the minion service are all working. If you have several accepted minions, use a narrow target while validating each new host instead of running a wildcard command.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and remedy |
|---|---|---|
| No key appears on the master | The minion is stopped, points to another master, or cannot resolve the master. | Run systemctl status salt-minion; inspect sudo journalctl -u salt-minion -n 100 --no-pager; verify the master: value and DNS or /etc/hosts. |
| Key is pending but jobs do not run | The key has not been accepted, or the command targets a different ID. | Run sudo salt-key --list all, accept the exact pending ID, then target that same ID with test.ping. |
| Connection refused or timed out | UFW, a cloud firewall, routing, or an incorrect interface setting blocks 4505 or 4506. |
Check both UFW rules, any upstream ACL or security group, the master’s listening address and the minion’s route. Restart salt-master after changing interface. |
| APT cannot find Salt packages | The repository is missing, disabled, signed incorrectly or configured with the wrong Ubuntu codename. | Recheck the current SaltProject repository instructions for the exact release; remove the mismatched codename and run sudo apt update again. |
| Master fails after configuration editing | A typo or an address that is not assigned to the host was placed in interface. |
Review /etc/salt/master, confirm the address with ip addr, then inspect sudo journalctl -u salt-master. |
| Minion worked before a reboot but not afterward | The service was started manually but not enabled. | Run sudo systemctl enable --now salt-minion. Use the equivalent command for salt-master on the master. |
Operate the installation safely
Keep identities predictable
Use a documented naming convention for minion IDs and stable DNS. Before accepting a key, compare the pending ID with the host you just configured. Reusing an identity without first understanding the existing key can make it difficult to distinguish an old machine from a replacement.
Limit network exposure
Allow TCP 4505 and 4506 only between the master and managed hosts. The ports are required for Salt communication; they are not intended as public services. Apply equivalent restrictions in cloud security groups and network firewalls, not only on the Ubuntu host.
Inspect service logs first
Systemd status shows whether a service is running, while the journal usually explains why a connection or startup failed. Check the relevant unit on the host where the symptom occurs, then correct one variable at a time: address, firewall, service state or key state.
Package updates and version control
The official installation guide documents how to hold a Salt package so a system-wide upgrade skips it. A hold can protect a carefully tested control plane, but it also postpones security and compatibility fixes. Record every hold and review it during your maintenance window.
sudo apt-mark hold salt-master
sudo apt-mark hold salt-minionApply the hold only to the role installed on that machine. When you are ready to upgrade, remove the hold, refresh metadata and test the master and a representative minion before rolling the change out broadly:
sudo apt-mark unhold salt-master
sudo apt-mark unhold salt-minion
sudo apt updateDo not assume that a package from an old Ubuntu tutorial is equivalent to the package from the current SaltProject repository. Older guides, including material that still references apt-key, are superseded. Repository release support and the 3008-series pin can change, so verify the live official instructions whenever you add a new Ubuntu release or plan a major upgrade.
Quick Recap
Release and repository caveats
- Guides examined for Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04 and 24.04 do not establish that every one of those releases remains supported by the current SaltProject repository. Check the current support matrix before deployment.
- The exact signing-key location, repository path and codename list are maintained by SaltProject and were not stable enough to reproduce safely here. Copy those values from the current official guide rather than guessing.
- The master and minion files contain many additional settings, but the installation path above relies only on the documented
interfaceandmasterdirectives and the default ports. Change other options only after consulting the matching version’s configuration reference.
Minimal completion checklist
- The official SaltProject repository for the exact Ubuntu codename is configured on every host.
salt-masteris installed and enabled on the control server.salt-minionis installed and enabled on each managed server.- Every minion has a correct
master:value, or intentionally resolves a host namedsalt. - TCP 4505 and 4506 are reachable from each minion to the master.
- Each expected key appears in the master’s key list and has been explicitly accepted.
- A targeted
test.pingreturnsTruebefore you run administrative states or commands.
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