If external_up is set to None, don't stacktrace, just use the private ip.

doc/topics/cloud/gce.rst

@@ -233,11 +233,14 @@ deleted when you destroy an instance, set delete_boot_pd to True.
 ssh_interface
 -------------
 
+.. versionadded:: 2015.5.0
+
 Specify whether to use public or private IP for deploy script.
 
 Valid options are:
-* private_ips: The salt-master is also hosted with GCE
-* public_ips: The salt-master is hosted outside of GCE
+
+- private_ips: The salt-master is also hosted with GCE
+- public_ips: The salt-master is hosted outside of GCE
 
 external_ip
 -----------
@@ -245,8 +248,9 @@ external_ip
 Per instance setting: Used a named fixed IP address to this host.
 
 Valid options are:
-* ephemeral - The host will use a GCE ephemeral IP
-* None - No external IP will be configured on this host.
+
+- ephemeral: The host will use a GCE ephemeral IP
+- None: No external IP will be configured on this host.
 
 Optionally, pass the name of a GCE address to use a fixed IP address.
 If the address does not already exist, it will be created.

salt/cloud/clouds/gce.py

@@ -431,18 +431,13 @@ def __get_host(node, vm_):
     '''
     Return public IP, private IP, or hostname for the libcloud 'node' object
     '''
-    if __get_ssh_interface(vm_) == 'private_ips':
+    if __get_ssh_interface(vm_) == 'private_ips' or vm_['external_ip'] is None:
         ip_address = node.private_ips[0]
         log.info('Salt node data. Private_ip: {0}'.format(ip_address))
     else:
         ip_address = node.public_ips[0]
         log.info('Salt node data. Public_ip: {0}'.format(ip_address))
 
-#    if len(node.public_ips) > 0:
-#        return node.public_ips[0]
-#    if len(node.private_ips) > 0:
-#        return node.private_ips[0]
-
     if len(ip_address) > 0:
         return ip_address
 
@@ -2041,9 +2036,16 @@ def create(vm_=None, call=None):
     external_ip = config.get_cloud_config_value(
         'external_ip', vm_, __opts__, default='ephemeral'
     )
-    if isinstance(external_ip, str) and external_ip.lower() == 'ephemeral':
+
+    if external_ip.lower() == 'ephemeral':
         external_ip = 'ephemeral'
+    elif external_ip == 'None':
+        external_ip = None
+    else:
+        region = '-'.join(kwargs['location'].name.split('-')[:2])
+        kwargs['external_ip'] = __create_orget_address(conn, kwargs['external_ip'], region)
     kwargs['external_ip'] = external_ip
+    vm_['external_ip'] = external_ip
 
     if LIBCLOUD_VERSION_INFO > (0, 15, 1):
 
@@ -2061,12 +2063,6 @@ def create(vm_=None, call=None):
                 '\'pd-standard\', \'pd-ssd\''
             )
 
-    if 'external_ip' in kwargs and kwargs['external_ip'] == "None":
-        kwargs['external_ip'] = None
-    elif kwargs['external_ip'] != 'ephemeral':
-        region = '-'.join(kwargs['location'].name.split('-')[:2])
-        kwargs['external_ip'] = __create_orget_address(conn, kwargs['external_ip'], region)
-
     log.info('Creating GCE instance {0} in {1}'.format(vm_['name'],
         kwargs['location'].name)
     )