How can I execute multiple commands using salttack

I tried to add: mypack: pkg: - installed - pkgs: - mercurial - git cmd.run: - name: 'mkdir -p /opt/mypack' cmd.run: 'hg pull -u -R /opt/mypack || hg clone -R /opt https://...' cmd.run: 'ln -s /opt/mypack/etc/init.d/xxx /etc/init.d/xxx' But for some reason this the state seems to execute/install but the commands are not executed, or at least not all of them. I need a solution to run multiple commands and to fail the deployment if any of these fails. I know that I could write a bash script and include this bash script, but I was looking for a solution that would work with only the YAML file. You want this: cmd-test: cmd.run: - name: | mkdir /tmp/foo chown dan /tmp/foo chgrp www-data /tmp/foo chmod 2751 /tmp/foo touch /tmp/foo/bar Or this, which I would prefer, where the script is downloaded from the master: cmd-test: cmd.script: - source: salt://foo/bar.sh - cwd: /where/to/run - user: fred You can do as Dan pointed out, using the pipe or a cmd.script state. But it should be noted that you have some syntax problems in your original post. Each new state needs a name arg, you can't just put the command after the colon: mypack: pkg: - installed - pkgs: - mercurial - git cmd.run: - name: 'my first command' cmd.run: - name: 'my second command' However, that actually may fail as well, because I don't think you can put multiple of the same state underneath a single ID. So you may have to split them out like this: first: cmd.run: - name: 'my first command' second: cmd.run: - name: 'my second command' up vote 0 down vote In addition to the above (better) suggestions, you can do this: cmd-test: cmd.run: - names: - mkdir -p /opt/mypack - hg pull -u -R /opt/mypack || hg clone -R /opt https://... - ln -s /opt/mypack/etc/init.d/xxx /etc/init.d/xxx