setting 'always_run' from a var

[Mike Biancaniello]

I have a task that I would like to conditionally run even in check_mode (actually I want to set it for an entire role, but I'm seeing the same behavior in regular tasks).


The idea is that this would NOT run the task:

ansible-playbook always_run.yml --check


And then to actually execute the task in check_mode:


ansible-playbook always_run.yml -e '{"runit":true}' --check



But that's not the behavior I'm seeing. The problem is that alwasy_run always evaluates to 'true'.

Playbook (I've tried a few different variations. The only one that properly evaluates always_run is always_run: false):

---
- name: Do cool stuff
  hosts: localhost
  connection: local
  gather_facts: no

  vars:
    runit: false

  tasks:
  - name: show runit
    debug: var=runit
  - name: show stuff
    command: whoami
    always_run: "runit == true"
    #always_run: "{{runit|default(false)}}"
    #always_run: "{{runit}}"
    #always_run: runit
    #always_run: false
    register: me
  - name: show me
    debug: var=me.stdout_lines

Actual Results:

mikeb@mikeb-laptop:~/ansible-test$ ansible-playbook always_run.yml --check

PLAY [Do cool stuff] ***********************************************************

TASK [show runit] **************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "runit": false
}

TASK [show stuff] **************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [show me] *****************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "me.stdout_lines": [
        "mikeb"
    ]
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=5    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0

  
Expected Results:

mikeb@mikeb-laptop:~/ansible-test$ ansible-playbook always_run.yml --check

PLAY [Do cool stuff] ***********************************************************

TASK [coolrole : show stuff from role] *****************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [show runit] **************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "runit": false
}

TASK [show stuff] **************************************************************
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [show me] *****************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "me.stdout_lines": "VARIABLE IS NOT DEFINED!"
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=4    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0