delegate_to and delegate_facts not working as expected

[Neil Watson]

Consider these tasks:

- name: Gather facts about new VM
  delegate_to: "{{ new_vm }}"
  delegate_facts: true
  setup:
  register: host_info

- name: install prereqs
  delegate_to: "{{ new_vm }}"
  package:
    name:  "{{ item }}"
    state: present
  with_items:
    - at

This results in:

TASK [provision_vm_and_set_ip : Gather facts about new VM] *********************
ok: [jenkins2 -> 10.120.8.220]


TASK [provision_vm_and_set_ip : install prereqs] *******************************
failed: [jenkins2 -> 10.120.8.220] (item=[u'at']) => {"failed": true, "item": ["at"], "msg": "Could not detect which package manager to use. Try gathering facts or setting the \"use\" option."}

Why does the package task fail when the setup task appeared to pass?

[Brian Coca]

Because you are consuming the facts of the inventory_hostname, not delegate_to host (this only overrides the connection variables).

- hosts: new_vm

  tasks:

   - package:

will work.

----------

Brian Coca

[Neil Watson]

Can you set a new host in a role?

roles/vm/tasks/main.yml

- name task 1

- name task 2

-host

  tasks:

   - name: task on delegate host

[Brian Coca]

no, its a new play

​​another solution:

- name: install prereqs

  delegate_to: "{{ new_vm }}"

  action:

    module: "{{hostvars[new_vm]['ansible_pkg_manager']}}"