cdist vs Fabric

cdist is a free, open-source configuration management system that applies a defined state to computers through shell scripts and cdist types. It is positioned as an alternative to Ansible, Chef, and Puppet. Types provide the extension mechanism, and the project says their results are idempotent, so outcomes do not depend on call order. cdist uses push mode: source computers connect to targets over SSH and apply configuration, without requiring a central server or an agent on the target. A target needs a POSIX-compatible shell and SSH server, while the source needs a POSIX-like shell, Python 3.5 or later, and an SSH client. The project lists a small core, standard types, and parallel execution. Installation is documented through Git or pip. Supported systems include Linux distributions, BSD systems, Mac OS X, and XenServer. Manuals are available in HTML and man-page formats, with community help through Matrix and IRC.

Fabric is a free, open-source Python library for running shell commands remotely over SSH and returning Python objects. It supports individual hosts and multiple hosts, with serial or parallel execution, and can run Python functions or code blocks against those connections. Through Invoke, Fabric exposes Python tasks with parameters and pre- or post-tasks through the fab command-line tool; a comma-separated host list supports serial task execution. Paramiko supplies SSH protocol support, while documented authentication methods include private key files, SSH agents, and passwords. The installation guide recommends pip install fabric and lists Python, Invoke, and Paramiko as requirements. Fabric is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows in a self-hosted, agentless model. Its documentation says it adds no extra GSSAPI support beyond Paramiko’s connection parameters. Modern Fabric can be installed alongside Fabric 1 for a gradual upgrade. Each run or sudo call uses a separate remote shell session, so directory changes do not persist between calls.