module 'platform' has no attribute 'dist' on Ubuntu 20.04

[Jeff Dickens]

When I try to use the user module with a Ubuntu 20 host, I get a failure as follows:

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible-playbook -l owl j_ansible_user.yaml

PLAY [create ansible user] *****************************************************

TASK [user] ********************************************************************

fatal: [owl]: FAILED! => {"changed": false, "module_stderr": "Shared connection to owl closed.\r\n", "module_stdout": "Traceback (most recent call last):\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_modlib.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\", line 274, in get_distribution\r\nAttributeError: module 'platform' has no attribute '_supported_dists'\r\n\r\nDuring handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:\r\n\r\nTraceback (most recent call last):\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_module_user.py\", line 2300, in <module>\r\n    main()\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_module_user.py\", line 2205, in main\r\n    user = User(module)\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_module_user.py\", line 264, in __new__\r\n    return load_platform_subclass(User, args, kwargs)\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_modlib.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\", line 332, in load_platform_subclass\r\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_bonof17k/ansible_modlib.zip/ansible/module_utils/basic.py\", line 284, in get_distribution\r\nAttributeError: module 'platform' has no attribute 'dist'\r\n", "msg": "MODULE FAILURE", "rc": 1}

        to retry, use: --limit @/home/jeff/j_ansible_user.retry

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************

owl                        : ok=0    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=1

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible owl -b -a whoami

owl | SUCCESS | rc=0 >>

root

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible owl -m ping

owl | SUCCESS => {

    "changed": false,

    "ping": "pong"

}

The playbook is this:

---

- name: create ansible user

  hosts: linux-servers

  gather_facts: no

  become: true

  tasks:

          - user:

                  name: ansible

                  comment: ansible user

                  state: present

                  groups: adm,sudo

                  shell: /bin/bash

Other modules, or ad-hoc commands work fine.

jeff@ansible:~$ more jeff_sudoers.yaml

---

- name: copy sudoers/jeff

  hosts: linux-servers

  gather_facts: no

  become: true

  tasks:

          - name: copy file sudoers/jeff

            copy:

                    src: /home/jeff/sudoers/jeff

                    dest: /etc/sudoers.d/jeff

                    owner: root

                    group: root

                    mode: '0600'

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible-playbook -l owl jeff_sudoers.yaml

PLAY [copy sudoers/jeff] **********************************************************************************************************

TASK [copy file sudoers/jeff] *****************************************************************************************************

ok: [owl]

PLAY RECAP ************************************************************************************************************************

owl                        : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0

jeff@ansible:~$

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible owl -m ping

owl | SUCCESS => {

    "changed": false,

    "ping": "pong"

}

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible owl -a date

owl | SUCCESS | rc=0 >>

Wed 19 Aug 2020 03:38:12 PM UTC

jeff@ansible:~$ ansible owl -b -a whoami

owl | SUCCESS | rc=0 >>

root

[Dick Visser]

Try removing "gather_facts: no" (i.e. do gather facts)

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--
Dick Visser
Trust & Identity Service Operations Manager
GÉANT

[Abhijeet Kasurde]

Jeff, what is Python version?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ansible-project/CAL8fbwP0wtfF7E_Vtv0cEAQhEsGPJYLgbrYBjwtQTp7SWJRePA%40mail.gmail.com.

--

Thanks,

Abhijeet Kasurde