module (copy) is missing interpreter line

[jean-christophe manciot]

Hello everyone, 

It seems quite difficult to perform a very simple task: save the content of a variable to a file. 

This variable content is not just a string, but several lines as shown by the debug module:

"out.stdout_lines": [

        [

            "Using 2011 out of 262144 bytes, uncompressed size = 3870 bytes", 

            "!", 

            "! Last configuration change at 18:34:42 UTC Thu Jun 30 2016 by admin", 

            "!", 

            "version 15.2", 

...

            "hostname IOSv_L2_1", 

...

            "end", 

            ""

        ]

    ]

Trying to use the "copy" module leads to the previously mentioned issue:

- name: Copying config into local file

  copy:

        content: "{{ out.stdout_lines }}" 

        dest: host_vars/{{ inventory_hostname }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ config }}.txt

=>

TASK [ios_pull_config : Copying config into local file] ************************

task path: /home/actionmystique/Program-Files/Ubuntu/Ansible/git-Ansible/roles/ios_pull_config/tasks/main.yml:59

<192.168.137.242> ESTABLISH LOCAL CONNECTION FOR USER: root

<192.168.137.242> EXEC /bin/sh -c '( umask 77 && mkdir -p "` echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720 `" && echo ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720="` echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720 `" ) && sleep 0'

<192.168.137.242> PUT /tmp/tmpotKrzg TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720/stat

<192.168.137.242> EXEC /bin/sh -c 'LANG=en_US.UTF-8 LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8 /usr/bin/python /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720/stat; rm -rf "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.82-260068933148720/" > /dev/null 2>&1 && sleep 0'

<192.168.137.242> EXEC /bin/sh -c '( umask 77 && mkdir -p "` echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.91-263479362702141 `" && echo ansible-tmp-1467812828.91-263479362702141="` echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.91-263479362702141 `" ) && sleep 0'

<192.168.137.242> PUT /tmp/tmp5gr0LH TO /root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1467812828.91-263479362702141/source

fatal: [192.168.137.242]: FAILED! => {"failed": true, "msg": "module (copy) is missing interpreter line"}

In /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg with ansible 2.1.1.0, the default library path is defined:

library        = /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ansible

Also, there are 2 default "copy.py" in the downstream tree:

- ./modules/core/files/copy.py

- ./plugins/action/copy.py

Isn't this confusing for Ansible?

[jean-christophe manciot]

How do we know that Ansible uses its module and not python's own "copy.py" available in:

/usr/lib/python3.5/copy.py

/usr/lib/python2.7/copy.py

[jean-christophe manciot]

Exactly same issue if I slightly modify the call in the role with:

- name: Saving config into local file

  local_action:

        copy content="{{ out.stdout_lines }}" dest=host_vars/"{{ inventory_hostname }}"/"{{ inventory_hostname }}"_"{{ config }}".txt

Also, I haven't mentioned the fact that I do not experience that issue with other modules.

[jean-christophe manciot]

Also, downgrading from 2.1.1.0 (which is a RC) to stable 2.1.0 does not change anything as far as this issue is concerned.

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On 06. juli 2016 16:14, jean-christophe manciot wrote:
> It seems quite difficult to perform a very simple task: save the content of
> a variable to a file.
> This variable content is not just a string, but several lines as shown by
> the debug module:
> "out.stdout_lines": [
> [
> "Using 2011 out of 262144 bytes, uncompressed size = 3870
> bytes",
> "!",
> "! Last configuration change at 18:34:42 UTC Thu Jun 30 2016 by
> admin",
> "!",
> "version 15.2",
> ...
> "hostname IOSv_L2_1",
> ...
> "end",
> ""
> ]
> ]
>
> Trying to use the "copy" module leads to the previously mentioned issue:

The copy module is not design for this, use the template module instead.

--
Kai Stian Olstad

[jean-christophe manciot]

No: the template module only deals with files, not with a variable.

[jean-christophe manciot]

If you are referring to "ios_template", the module is designed to push a running-config, not to pull it from the remote device.

[Kai Stian Olstad]

On 07. juli 2016 17:02, jean-christophe manciot wrote:
> No: the template module only deals with files, not with a variable.
>

Yes, the template module, in your first post you write "save the content
of a variable to a file" that is exactly what the template module is
highly capable of doing
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/template_module.html

The template will be Jinja2 code looping the variable and write the
content to a file.

--
Kai Stian Olstad

[jean-christophe manciot]

I combined my posts #2 & #3, and it worked!

That is to say, downgrading to 2.1.0 & using "local_action: copy..." enables me to save the content of the variable into a local file.

However, the file is barely readable because all line feeds have been removed and each line is enclosed by "", but at least that's a start.

That means some formatting is necessary, unless another way exists.

[jean-christophe manciot]

I've just tried with 2.1.1.0 RC2 and it works. As a conclusion, and since there is a typo in my first post, here is one solution:

- name: Saving config into local file

  local_action:

        copy content="{{ out.stdout }}" dest=files/configs/{{ inventory_hostname }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ config }}_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}_{{ ansible_date_time.time }}_{{ ansible_date_time.tz }}.txt

- name: Reformatting config file

  local_action:

        script {{ role_path }}/../../files/scripts/format-config.sh files/configs/{{ inventory_hostname }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ config }}_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}_{{ ansible_date_time.time }}_{{ ansible_date_time.tz }}.txt