just a file

gistfile1.txt

/etc/conf.d/iptables.rules:
  file.managed:
    - source: salt://iptables/iptables.rules
    - user: root
    - group: root
    - mode: 600

so similar to mine and still the file aint get dropped :(

in dist/init.sls (dist/ is at same directory level as top.sls)

/tmp/dist.tar.gz:
file.managed:
- source: salt://dist/dist.tar.gz
- user: bensix
- group: bensix
- mode: 644

salt -v * state.sls dist

Executing job with jid 20120616061237521721

{'hk06.mydomain.com': {}}

debug output of minion:

06:12:37,595 [salt.minion ][INFO ] User bensix Executing command state.sls with jid 20120616061237521721
06:12:37,595 [salt.minion ][DEBUG ] Command details {'tgt_type': 'compound', 'jid': '20120616061237521721', 'tgt': '', 'ret': '', 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['dist'], 'fun': 'state.sls'}
06:12:43,076 [salt.minion ][INFO ] User bensix Executing command saltutil.find_job with jid 20120616061243000796
06:12:43,076 [salt.minion ][DEBUG ] Command details {'tgt_type': 'compound', 'jid': '20120616061243000796', 'tgt': ', 'ret': '', 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['20120616061237521721'], 'fun': 'saltutil.find_job'}
06:12:43,079 [cmdmod_module ][INFO ] Executing command ps -efH in directory /home/bensix

06:12:43,115 [salt.minion ][INFO ] Returning information for job: 20120616061243000796
06:21:51,457 [salt.minion ][INFO ] User bensix Executing command state.sls with jid 20120616062151363692
06:21:51,457 [salt.minion ][DEBUG ] Command details {'tgt_type': 'glob', 'jid': '20120616062151363692', 'tgt': '*', 'ret': '', 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['dist'], 'fun': 'state.sls'}

on syndic :
06:21:51,421 [salt.master ][INFO ] Clear payload received with command publish
06:21:51,422 [salt.master ][INFO ] User bensix Published command state.sls with jid 20120616062151363692
06:21:51,422 [salt.master ][DEBUG ] Published command details {'tgt_type': 'glob', 'jid': '20120616062151363692', 'tgt': '*', 'ret': '', 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['dist'], 'fun': 'state.sls'}
06:21:51,466 [salt.master ][INFO ] Clear payload received with command _auth
06:21:51,467 [salt.master ][INFO ] Authentication request from hk06.mydomain.com
06:21:51,467 [salt.master ][INFO ] Authentication accepted from hk06.mydomain.com
06:21:51,555 [salt.master ][INFO ] AES payload received with command _master_opts
06:21:51,557 [salt.master ][INFO ] AES payload received with command _file_list
06:21:51,648 [salt.master ][INFO ] Clear payload received with command _auth
06:21:51,648 [salt.master ][INFO ] Authentication request from hk06.mydomain.com
06:21:51,648 [salt.master ][INFO ] Authentication accepted from hk06.mydomain.com
06:21:51,744 [salt.master ][INFO ] AES payload received with command _pillar
06:21:51,745 [salt.loader ][INFO ] Cython is enabled in the options but not present in the system path. Skipping Cython modules.
06:21:51,768 [salt.loader ][INFO ] Cython is enabled in the options but not present in the system path. Skipping Cython modules.
06:21:51,770 [salt.loader ][DEBUG ] Failed to import module yaml_mako, this is most likely NOT a problem: No module named mako.template
06:21:51,833 [salt.master ][INFO ] AES payload received with command _return
06:21:51,834 [salt.master ][INFO ] Got return from hk06.mydomain.com for job 20120616062151363692

[DEBUG ] User bensix Executing syndic command state.sls with jid 20120616062151363692
[DEBUG ] Command details: {'tgt_type': 'glob', 'jid': '20120616062151363692', 'tgt': '*', 'ret': '', 'to': 4, 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['dist'], 'fun': 'state.sls'}
[INFO ] Returning information for job: 20120616062151363692

on master :

06:21:51,369 [salt.master ][INFO ] Clear payload received with command publish
06:21:51,369 [salt.master ][INFO ] User bensix Published command state.sls with jid 20120616062151363692
06:21:51,369 [salt.master ][DEBUG ] Published command details {'tgt_type': 'glob', 'jid': '20120616062151363692', 'tgt': '*', 'ret': '', 'to': 5, 'user': 'bensix', 'arg': ['dist'], 'fun': 'state.sls'}
06:21:51,838 [salt.master ][INFO ] AES payload received with command _syndic_return
06:21:51,838 [salt.master ][INFO ] Got return from hk06.mydomain.com for job 20120616062151363692

Where is this sls file? why do you have a syndic in place and only one minion? It looks like the sls file is just not being found

file is dist/init.sls (dist/ is at same directory level as top.sls)
several syndic with their attached minion .
all minion return same empty {} and no file dropped.

the issue seem to be when going through the syndic.
salts drops the file as expected when minion directly attached to master, without syndic in between.

states don't work through a syndic