Ansible 2.1.0, I used --limit to run a playbook and host file hostvars for the host didn't load

[Joanna Delaporte]

Last night, I ran a playbook that had a group specified for hosts. That group has a custom variable defined in my inventory. On the command line I used --limit=jupiter to test on a single host. The defined hostvar was not loaded, apparently, because my machine had patches installed from a 32-bit mounted repo rather than 64-bit. Just a few days ago, I ran this playbook for the whole group with no problems, so the hostvar was correctly read then. 

The command-line:

$ ansible-playbook slack_lab_update.yml --limit=jupiter

My hosts defined in the playbook:

- hosts: slackware-lab-64

  sudo: yes

  

  roles:

    - slack_lab

  post_tasks:

    

    - name: Reboot host(s)?

In the /etc/hosts file, I have the group, with a set variable, as follows:

[slackware-lab-64]

192.168.0.[30:53]

jupiter

linux1

linux2

linux3

[slackware-lab-64:vars]

lib_arch=64

Well, I did have this var defined, until last night. I ended up re-installing the machine. Now, I have replaced every lib_arch custom variable reference in every playbook with ansible_userspace_bits, since I figured out that is an option. However, Ansible should probably have read that variable for my one host, since it is a member of the group. 

$ ansible --version

ansible 2.1.0