Module and return

Tip

We recommend to use the Sandbox to play around with this example.

Tip

All the files from this section are in module-and-return.zip.

At the end of the execution of a module, a collection of values is return covering the execution. The return can be captured in a variable and used later, for example to conditionally execute the next step.

Playbook

playbook.yml

- name: Collecting information
  hosts:
    - web
  tasks:
    - name: Get stats of /usr/bin/git
      ansible.builtin.stat:
        path: /usr/bin/git
      register: git_stat
    - name: Print message
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: '{{ git_stat }}'
    - name: Run git config
      ansible.builtin.command:
        argv:
          - git
          - config
          - set
          - --global
          - user.name
          - ansible
      when: git_stat.stat.exists

The above playbook has a single play with three tasks:

1. get information regarding the file /usr/bin/git.

2. print the information collected in the previous task.

3. execute git config if /usr/bin/git exists.

Running

cd module-and-return
ansible-playbook \
--ask-vault-pass \
-i inventories/production.yml \
--extra-vars @vault/production \
playbook.yaml

Note

The password for the vault used in the example is 123. You must use a strong passwords, for example, a minimum of 8 randomly generated characters.

returns

PLAY [Collecting information] **************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] *********************************************************
ok: [managed_node_01]

TASK [Get stats of /usr/bin/git] ***********************************************
ok: [managed_node_01]

TASK [Print message] ***********************************************************
ok: [managed_node_01] => {
    "msg": {
        "changed": false,
        "failed": false,
        "stat": {
            "exists": false
        }
    }
}

TASK [Run git config] **********************************************************
skipping: [managed_node_01]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
managed_node_01            : ok=3    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=1    rescued=0    ignored=0

Note that the task Run git config was skipped.