Ansible config file in current directory not used

[Guy Knights]

According to the docs (https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html#ansible-configuration-settings-locations), Ansible is supposed to use ansible.cfg from the current directory as the second option if the env var ANSIBLE_CONFIG isn't defined. However it doesn't appear to be working for me.

I'm in the process of creating a collection and I have a virtual env set up in the current directory, with Ansible 2.9 installed. When I run Ansible however, it is going straight to the .ansible.cfg file in my user's home directory and ignores the ansible.cfg file I created in the collection dir. The folder layout is as follows:

ansible.cfg  docs  env  galaxy.yml  hosts.yml  playbooks  plugins  README.md  requirements.txt  roles

My venv is enabled and when I run ansible it shows the following:

(env) root@DESKTOP-JH6A27J:~/work/knightsg/dkron# ansible --version
ansible 2.9.9
  config file = /root/.ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /mnt/c/Users/guy/Documents/Work/knightsg/dkron/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /mnt/c/Users/guy/Documents/Work/knightsg/dkron/env/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.6.5 (default, May  3 2018, 10:08:28) [GCC 5.4.0 20160609]

As you can see, it's using /root/.ansible.cfg.

If I supply ANSIBLE_CONFIG then it uses the ansible.cfg file in the current folder:

(env) root@DESKTOP-JH6A27J:~/work/knightsg/dkron# ANSIBLE_CONFIG=./ansible.cfg ansible --version
ansible 2.9.9
  config file = /mnt/c/Users/guy/Documents/Work/knightsg/dkron/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/root/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /mnt/c/Users/guy/Documents/Work/knightsg/dkron/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/ansible
  executable location = /mnt/c/Users/guy/Documents/Work/knightsg/dkron/env/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.6.5 (default, May  3 2018, 10:08:28) [GCC 5.4.0 20160609]

Any idea why Ansible isn't selecting the correct config file by default?

Thanks,

Guy

[Dick Visser]

This could be the case if the directory the config file is in, is
world writable.
The path you use ( /mnt/c/Users/guy) indicates this is some sort of
Windows filesystem. Could it be that this is mounted is a way that
causes it directory in question to be world writable?

See also https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html#avoiding-security-risks-with-ansible-cfg-in-the-current-directory



--
Dick Visser
Trust & Identity Service Operations Manager
GÉANT