Re: [ansible-project] Delete all files under a specific directory

[Michael Mullay]

Per the documentation (in bold red below), the file module is working as designed:

If directory, all intermediate subdirectories will be created if they do not exist. Since Ansible 1.7 they will be created with the supplied permissions. If file, the file will NOT be created if it does not exist; see the touchvalue or the copy or template module if you want that behavior. If link, the symbolic link will be created or changed. Use hard for hardlinks. If absent, directories will be recursively deleted, and files or symlinks will be unlinked. Note that absent will not cause file to fail if the path does not exist as the state did not change. If touch (new in 1.4), an empty file will be created if the path does not exist, while an existing file or directory will receive updated file access and modification times (similar to the way `touch` works from the command line).

You probably want to use https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/plugins/lookup/fileglob.html?highlight=with_fileglob 

So without testing it, it would look something like (run in 'test mode' (-C) first!):

- hosts: all

  tasks:

    - name: remove web dir contents

      file:

        path: "{{ item }}"

        state: absent

    with_fileglob:

      - "/tmp/xyz/*"

On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 8:50 PM <anushake...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

I am trying to delete all files under a specific directory (xyz) but it is deleting the whole directory. Could someone please help.

---

- hosts: all

  tasks:

    - name: remove web dir contents

      file:

        path: '/tmp/xyz/'

        state: absent

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[Kai Stian Olstad]

On 01.11.2018 05:46, Michael Mullay wrote:
> You probably want to use
> https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/plugins/lookup/fileglob.html?highlight=with_fileglob
>
>
> So without testing it, it would look something like (run in 'test mode'
> (-C) first!):
>
> - hosts: all
> tasks:
> - name: remove web dir contents
> file:
> path: "{{ item }}"
> state: absent
> with_fileglob:
> - "/tmp/xyz/*"

lookup plugins only work on Ansible controller aka localhost, not on
remote hosts.

> On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 8:50 PM <anushake...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am trying to delete all files under a specific directory (xyz) but
>> it is
>> deleting the whole directory. Could someone please help.
>>
>> ---
>> - hosts: all
>> tasks:
>> - name: remove web dir contents
>> file:
>> path: '/tmp/xyz/'
>> state: absent
>>

Just recreate the directory in the next task, it that is not an option
just use commad or shell module and run a command to do it.


--
Kai Stian Olstad

[Michael Mullay]

My bad, thanks for pointing that out.

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