Ansible slurp module fails with a variable

Question

When I use an Ansible variable with the src option of the slurp module, the slurp module fails.

I'm trying to build an Ansible playbook to copy the SSH public key from each node in the group to every other node in the group. I cannot use the Ansible lookup() function because that can lookup files only on the Ansible server. Instead, I build the path to the id_rsa.pub with the intent of slurp'ing into memory for the authorized_key function.

My problem is that when I specify an Ansible variable for the src for the slurp module, the playbook fails, even though it lists the correct path to the id_rsa.pub file. If I specify the path instead of using the variable, the slurp module works.

Here is my playbook:

# Usage: ansible-playbook copyPublicKey.yaml --limit <GRP> --extra-vars "userid=<userid>"
---
- hosts: all
  remote_user: root
  vars:
      user_id: "{{ userid }}"

  tasks:
  - name: Determine the path to the public key file
    shell: grep "{{ user_id }}" /etc/passwd | cut -d":" -f6
    changed_when: false
    register: user_home

  - set_fact:
        rsa_file: "{{ user_home.stdout_lines | to_nice_yaml | replace('\n', '') }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
  - debug:
        msg: "Public key file - {{ rsa_file }}"

  - slurp:
        src: "{{ rsa_file }}"
    register: public_key
  - debug:
        msg: "Public key: {{ public_key }}"

The invocation:

ansible-playbook copyPublicKey.yaml --limit DEV --extra-vars "userid=deleteme2"

The output of the slurp module:

TASK: [slurp ] ****************************************************************
failed: [hana-np-11.cisco.com] => {"failed": true}
msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
failed: [hana-np-13.cisco.com] => {"failed": true}
msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
failed: [hana-np-14.cisco.com] => {"failed": true}
msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
failed: [hana-np-15.cisco.com] => {"failed": true}
msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
failed: [hana-np-12.cisco.com] => {"failed": true}
msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

FATAL: all hosts have already failed -- aborting

Yet if I specify the actual path in the slurp module:

  - slurp:
        src: /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

I get the output I expect:

TASK: [slurp ] ****************************************************************
ok: [hana-np-11.cisco.com]
ok: [hana-np-12.cisco.com]
ok: [hana-np-15.cisco.com]
ok: [hana-np-14.cisco.com]
ok: [hana-np-13.cisco.com]

    TASK: [debug ] ****************************************************************
ok: [hana-np-11.cisco.com] => {
    "msg": "Public key: c3NoLXJzYSBBQUFBQjNOemFDMXljMkVBQUFBQkl3QUFBUUVBbHgzM0FUdGlLcWlrblQxMWorNjZKSXVFQW1OWWxZcDdCbHIwZXBzaWRuZ3NNYW9pMjNYL1Bjb0EvdnVxYmpxbmZ0Q1YzQmhUdURYQ3BYY0FwNDF5TEF5dlIvOW8xYi9mR2VtZWtlS296ZDh5Smh5VXFMR3IvMmJ6N0N2NFdaOWVqU0dyMFlzWGNjSFNDRmYzNmJreVBPNUg5NUdZdXpGMUV2RzVVcGM3YVNXWEVpM3JWVGJETEhBVC9YTk0veXhRUEMxRjB5Vi8yRkY1WDg4SXU5U0w2TGxrVnhsMUU3VkozTm40UEQrY3RUbGxFeno3enNETWxDbXpzMW5MaHROWnFuSXRZUkhMd21WUk5VcHJvYlpyUm1YMFJVYmIwNFNVbzdBbXpBNnZNcHR1OE1aUURzUGRMckMwYWxPWnZHMHpEUi9ReDlGalh6MVRXMld5WWhZNllRPT0gYW5zaWJsZS1nZW5lcmF0ZWQgb24gaGFuYS1ucC0xMQo=..."
}
ok: [hana-np-12.cisco.com] => {
    "msg": "Public key: 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..."
}
ok: [hana-np-13.cisco.com] => {
    "msg": "Public key: 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..."
}
ok: [hana-np-14.cisco.com] => {
    "msg": "Public key: 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..."
}
ok: [hana-np-15.cisco.com] => {
    "msg": "Public key: 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..."
}

What am I doing wrong? What don't I know about using Ansible variables?

techraf techraf · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-10T04:16:18

slurp module fails because you provide it incorrect data -- the error message is:

msg: file not found: - /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Rephrasing:

The file named "- /usr/sap/DEV/home/deleteme2/.ssh/id_rsa.pub" cannot be found.

Quite obviously such a file with a hyphen and a space at the beginning does not exist and the error is valid.

The reason for malformed data is unnecessary to_nice_yaml filter on a user_home.stdout_lines list (hyphen is an element marker in YAML).

You can safely remove it and use the following:

---
- hosts: all
  remote_user: root
  vars:
    user_id: "{{ userid }}"

  tasks:
    - name: Determine the path to the public key file
      shell: grep "{{ user_id }}" /etc/passwd | cut -d":" -f6
      changed_when: false
      register: user_home

    - slurp:
        src: "{{ user_home.stdout_lines[0] }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
      register: public_key

    - debug:
        msg: "Public key: {{ public_key }}"

Elements of stdout_lines don't have trailing newlines, so replace('\n', '') is unnecessary, but as it is a list, even though south a single element, you need to address only the first element with [0].

Otherwise you could also get the value with user_home.stdout | replace('\n', '') }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.

Ansible slurp module fails with a variable

2 Answers