Implemented Nico's suggestions

Parameterized {jailbase,jaildir}
Replaced all usages of /usr/jail with $jaildir
Explicitly fail if $os isn't FreeBSD
Removed $__type/files/ as it is pointless to have now
Updated man page

conf/type/__jail/explorer/basepresent

@@ -18,20 +18,26 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 #
-# See if the jailbase.tgz or /usr/jail/base dir exists
+# See if the jailbase.tgz or $jaildir/base dir exists
 #
 
 # Debug
 #exec >&2
 #set -x
 
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
+   jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
+
 name="base:jailbase.tgz"
 out=""
 
 save_IFS="$IFS"
 IFS=":"
 for cur in $name; do
-    if [ -e "/usr/jail/$cur" ]; then
+    if [ -e "${jaildir}/$cur" ]; then
         out="${out}:${cur}"
     fi
 done

conf/type/__jail/explorer/present

@@ -31,7 +31,13 @@ else
    name=$__object_id
 fi
 
-[ -d "/usr/jail/$name" ] && echo "EXISTS" || echo "NOTEXIST"
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
+   jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
+
+[ -d "${jaildir}/$name" ] && echo "EXISTS" || echo "NOTEXIST"
 
 #set +x
 

conf/type/__jail/explorer/status

@@ -31,7 +31,15 @@ else
    name="$__object_id"
 fi
 
-jls_output="$(jls | grep "[ ^I]\/usr\/jail\/${name}\$")" || true
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
+   jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
+# backslash-escaped $jaildir
+sjaildir="$(echo ${jaildir} | sed 's#/#\\/#g')"
+
+jls_output="$(jls | grep "[ ^I]${sjaildir}\/${name}\$")" || true
 
 if [ -n "${jls_output}" ]; then
    echo "STARTED"

conf/type/__jail/files/jailbase

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Create a tarball jailbase.tgz in this directory containing the base filesystem for a jail.

conf/type/__jail/gencode-local

@@ -22,13 +22,18 @@
 #  virtual machines.
 #
 
-#FIXME: /usr/jail should never be hardcoded in this type
-#FIXME: jailbase.tgz should not be hardcoded in this file
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
+   jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
 
-jailbase="/usr/jail/jailbase.tgz"
+jailbase="$(cat "$__object/parameter/jailbase")"
+
+remotebase="${jaildir}/jailbase.tgz"
 basepresent="$(cat "$__object/explorer/basepresent")"
 
 if [ "$basepresent" = "NONE" ]; then
-    echo "$__remote_copy" "$__type/files/jailbase.tgz" "$__target_host:${jailbase}"
+    echo "$__remote_copy" "${jailbase}" "$__target_host:${remotebase}"
 fi
 

conf/type/__jail/gencode-remote

@@ -90,7 +90,12 @@ if [ -f "$__object/parameter/onboot" ]; then
    onboot="$(cat "$__object/parameter/onboot")"
 fi
 
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
    jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
+
 present="$(cat "$__object/explorer/present")"
 status="$(cat "$__object/explorer/status")"
 
@@ -135,9 +140,9 @@ deleteJail() {
       fi
 EOF
 # Remove the jail's rw mountpoints
-   echo "rm -rf \"/usr/jail/rw/${name}\""
+   echo "rm -rf \"${jailbase}/rw/${name}\""
 # Remove the jail directory
-   echo "rm -rf \"/usr/jail/${name}\""
+   echo "rm -rf \"${jailbase}/${name}\""
 # Remove the jail's fstab
    echo "rm -f \"/etc/fstab.${name}\""
 # Remove jail_$name_* lines from rc.conf
@@ -207,12 +212,12 @@ EOF
 # Create the ro+rw mountpoint entries in fstab
 cat <<EOF
    cat >/etc/fstab.${name} <<END
-/usr/jail/base			/usr/jail/${name}		nullfs	ro	0 0
-/usr/jail/rw/${name}/etc	/usr/jail/${name}/etc		nullfs	rw	0 0
-/usr/jail/rw/${name}/local	/usr/jail/${name}/usr/local	nullfs	rw	0 0
-/usr/jail/rw/${name}/var		/usr/jail/${name}/var	nullfs	rw	0 0
-/usr/jail/rw/${name}/home	/usr/jail/${name}/usr/home	nullfs	rw	0 0
-/usr/jail/rw/${name}/root	/usr/jail/${name}/root		nullfs	rw	0 0
+${jailbase}/base			${jailbase}/${name}		nullfs	ro	0 0
+${jailbase}/rw/${name}/etc	${jailbase}/${name}/etc		nullfs	rw	0 0
+${jailbase}/rw/${name}/local	${jailbase}/${name}/usr/local	nullfs	rw	0 0
+${jailbase}/rw/${name}/var		${jailbase}/${name}/var	nullfs	rw	0 0
+${jailbase}/rw/${name}/home	${jailbase}/${name}/usr/home	nullfs	rw	0 0
+${jailbase}/rw/${name}/root	${jailbase}/${name}/root		nullfs	rw	0 0
 END
 EOF
 

conf/type/__jail/man.text

@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ REQUIRED PARAMETERS
 state::
    Either "present" or "absent."
 
+jailbase::
+   The location of the .tgz archive containing the base fs for your jails.
+
 
 OPTIONAL PARAMETERS
 -------------------
@@ -51,6 +54,10 @@ onboot::
    Whether to add the jail to rc.conf's jail_list variable. Must be either
    "true" or "false." Defaults to false.
 
+jaildir::
+   The location on the remote server to use for hosting jail filesystems.
+   Defaults to /usr/jail.
+
 
 CAVEATS
 -------
@@ -65,24 +72,26 @@ EXAMPLES
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Create a jail called www
-__jail www --state present --ip "192.168.1.2"
+__jail www --state present --ip "192.168.1.2" --jailbase /my/jail/base.tgz
 
 # Remove the jail called www
-__jail www --state absent
+__jail www --state absent --jailbase /my/jail/base.tgz
 
 # Ensure that the jail called www is started
 __jail www --state present --started true \
-   --ip "192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0"
+   --ip "192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0" \
+   --jailbase /my/jail/base.tgz
 
 # Use the name variable explicitly
 __jail thisjail --state present --name www \
-   --ip "192.168.1.2"
+   --ip "192.168.1.2" \
+   --jailbase /my/jail/base.tgz
 
 # Go nuts
 __jail lotsofoptions --state present --name testjail --started true \
    --ip "192.168.1.100 netmask 255.255.255.0" \
    --hostname "testjail.example.com" --interface "em0" \
-   --onboot yes
+   --onboot yes --jailbase /my/jail/base.tgz --jaildir /jails
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 

conf/type/__jail/manifest

@@ -26,7 +26,18 @@
 #exec >&2
 #set -x
 
+# Can only be used on FreeBSD
+os="$(cat "$__global/explorer/os")"
+if [ ! "$os" = "freebsd" ]; then
+	echo "__jail can only be used on FreeBSD targets!" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/jaildir" ]; then
+   jaildir="$(cat "$__object/parameter/name")"
+else
    jaildir="/usr/jail"
+fi
 
 __directory ${jaildir} --parents yes
 

conf/type/__jail/parameter/optional

@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ interface
 devfs-enable
 devfs-ruleset
 onboot
+jaildir

conf/type/__jail/parameter/required

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 state
+jailbase