Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026
- 1Runs onLinux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows
- 2CostsFree plan
- 3Command-line interfaceYes
3 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: puppet.com
Overview
Facter is ranked #3 of 35 in system information software on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.
Facter plans and pricing
All plansCompared on system information software
- Free plan
- Yespuppet.com
- Command-line interface
- Yespuppet.com
Facts
- Purpose
- Facter is a command-line tool that gathers facts about systems, including hardware details, network settings, and operating system type and version.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Puppet use
- Puppet uses Facter to collect system information before requesting a catalog or compiling one with puppet apply.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Built-in facts
- Facter ships with built-in core facts, including legacy and structured facts, though not all facts apply to every system.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Custom facts
- Users can add custom facts using Ruby, and a fact can have multiple resolutions for determining its value.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- External facts
- Facter supports external facts that return static data or the result of an executable script or program.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Structured data
- Facts can be structured as hashes or arrays, and Puppet preserves Boolean, numeric, and structured fact values without converting them to strings.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- Facter can be configured to block fact groups or cache facts with time-to-live settings; this can help when fact collection is slow.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Puppet integration
- Facter facts are available in Puppet manifests, and Puppet-specific facts can be loaded from the CLI with the --puppet option.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- PuppetDB integration
- PuppetDB's API can be used to explore or build tools to search and report on infrastructure facts.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Facter 4.21 added built-in disk and partition facts for Windows, using Windows Management Instrumentation to retrieve the information.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Legacy fact behavior
- Legacy facts are excluded from default command-line output and can be included with the --show-legacy option.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration file limit
- Facter does not create facter.conf automatically, so users must create it manually or manage it with a module.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Ruby knowledge
- Puppet's custom-fact examples require some familiarity with Ruby.help.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Maker history
- Puppet says it was founded in 2005 and acquired by Perforce in 2022.puppet.com · 4 Oct 2026
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Where it ranks on Specifiction
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Sources
- help.puppet.com/core/current/Content/PuppetCore/Markdow· checked 4 Oct 2026
- help.puppet.com/core/current/Content/PuppetCore/lang_fa· checked 4 Oct 2026
- help.puppet.com/core/current/Content/PuppetCore/Markdow· checked 4 Oct 2026
- help.puppet.com/core/current/Content/PuppetCore/fact_ov· checked 4 Oct 2026
- puppet.com/docs/puppet/5.5/custom_facts· checked 4 Oct 2026
- help.puppet.com/core/current/Content/PuppetCore/configu· checked 4 Oct 2026
- help.puppet.com/core/9/Content/PuppetCore/FacterRelease· checked 4 Oct 2026
- puppet.com/about· checked 4 Oct 2026
- puppet.com/pricing· checked 4 Oct 2026