LEARN. PRACTICE. GROW.Concept and mechanism
Module state names are specific contracts. In package management, present ensures presence and does not mean always upgrading to the newest version. If requirements include an exact version, specify it through the supported mechanism and confirm repositories used. In systemd, started addresses current execution and enabled addresses startup activation; neither replaces the other. For firewalld in an existing zone with a running daemon, distinguish permanent configuration from runtime and decide whether both should change. Operations on new zones have additional constraints and should not be inferred from an existing-zone rule example.
Guided application
Mounts follow another distinction: present manages the persistent entry, mounted includes an active mount, and ephemeral does not represent fstab persistence. Choose from the objective rather than the most convenient-sounding name. For user management, set append explicitly when adding supplementary groups while retaining existing ones; avoid depending on defaults that vary across documentation versions. For cron, use a stable name identifying the managed job instead of creating a new identity on every execution. In a fictional scenario, service communicates until reboot and then fails because its rule existed only at runtime. Acceptance should observe post-reboot state, including the application flow and operational access required for recovery.
Started without enabled can leave a service healthy now and absent after startup.
Common pitfalls
Present as latest; runtime as permanent; changing name as stable identity.
Related topics: State and repeatability · Inventories, variables, and configuration · Access and execution environment
Verify current state, persistent state, and behavior after reconstruction.
Reference: Service state and boot enablement · EX294 current objectives inspected 2026-09-30; RHCE in Ansible framework effective 2026-05-11; booking product version not publicly pinned