Ansible task when variable is not defined So checking if that variable "is not defined" has no purpose since it will be defined. To represent the variations among those different systems, you can create variables with standard YAML syntax, including lists and dictionaries. Aug 3, 2022 · How to skip a module's parameter in Ansible if a variable is not defined. If you want to fail before any task is executed, you could add another task at Mar 25, 2019 · I'm trying to register a variable with the output to a query of a F5 pool and I'm getting this error: "<type 'list'>": "VARIABLE IS NOT DEFINED!", What is that I'm doing wrong? Any help Nov 30, 2022 · I suggest you double check and make sure you're not loosing time reinventing the wheel. When a VM is not found in Vsphere it throws an error: "msg": "Unable to gather information for non-existing VM vm2" I tried with and without ignore_errors: True and failed_when: 0 > 1 but no change. It’s usually… Jan 29, 2016 · 5 In case you need to set your variable by priority order, likewise: Set variable as var_priority_1. Jan 14, 2016 · I have a variable defined in group_vars that I’m trying to use in a task but it is failing for me. In Ansible, defined and not defined means literally "this variable has been declared / has not been declared". Strictly stated you must check all of the following: defined, not empty AND not None. For “normal” variables it makes a difference if defined and set or not set. 5, to check if a variable is defined and depending upon this if you want to run any task, use undefined keyword. ISSUE TYPE Bug Report COMPONENT NAME ansible_failed_task ansible_failed_result ANSIBLE VERSION 2 Learn how to use Ansible's when clause to control the execution of your playbooks based on the value of a variable. One particular case of a change in behavior to note is the task below which uses the undefined test. yml file that might look something like this: nginx_version: 1. They are available only within the scope of that specific playbook and can be used throughout the tasks defined within that playbook. Is there something like the code above? Mar 18, 2017 · HI y’all, I switched to a new computer, so this is a clean installation of ansible etc. 4. stdout }}" When running this in check_mode, the command task is skipped and the variable my_variable does not have a object stdout. Seems like you can not use the variable in the same set_fact block that you define it!. As for the first issue, I’m not quite sure why that would be happening because the task should not be run nor evaluated. Mar 20, 2014 · Whenever you have a module followed by a variable on the same line in ansible the parser will treat the reference variable as the beginning of an in-line dictionary. I changed the above debug task to: debug: var=hostvars[inventory_hostname][‘mysql Jul 9, 2015 · I want to conditionally define a variable in an Ansible playbook like this: my_var: "{{ 'foo' if my_condition}}" I would like the variable to remain undefined if the condition does not resolve to Nov 17, 2014 · I’m trying to run a task only if a variable is defined (for example, I have some groups where it’s defined and some others where it’s not). I know u/zoredache knows this, but for anyone who is new to Ansible, and since ansible does not require programming experience, I wanted to ensure that we explicitly say, " '' means null here. yml when: install_office == ‘y’ And when I did not want Office installed, I needed to explicitly define a variable to - name: Create default user: name: "default_name" when: my_variable is not defined - name: Create custom user: name: "{{my_variable}}" when: my_variable is defined But as I mentioned, there's a lot of optional variables and this creates a lot of possibilities. If Variable exists I want to run a task. cron or server2. yml file example is apparently missing a block definition (please edit) 2) checking the length of a defined but empty variable (even as imbricated reference) should theoretically do what Feb 11, 2022 · The Purpose The purpose of this post is to give you a real-time example and explanation of how ansible variable is defined and not defined (undefined) conditionals are working along with “when” conditional statement and how it controls the flow of the task and the play. In a playbook where I have a tasks that requires a variable being passed via --extra-vars. 1. The default variables for a role can be defined in the defaults/main. cron for the host server2 etc. Mar 9, 2018 · Hi list, I am new to this Ansible world. the second runs when “test_var” is not defined. Inside the task list register a variable when normal execution runs. cron" variable May 5, 2021 · the variable ansible_role_dir is defined under group_vars/all. ansible asked May 27, 2021 at 14:41 WiSaGaN 48. Variables in Playbooks Variables are defined within the playbook using the vars section. How to avoid this? I got two . However, some servers do not have “nfs_group” defined and the task will fail w/ a “variable is undefined error” Aug 17, 2018 · Hi Guys Can some one here help me on how to run a task if a variable is undefined. txt' when: me. If you need to start with a variable expansion, simply surround the whole thing with double quotes (like "{{ foo }}"), to force Yaml to see it as a string and pass it as-is to Ansible. html#accessing-complex-variable-data But I’m not able to access nested data structure from variables in the when statement. Jul 22, 2014 · You can easily push ansible into ugliness when you do not. Keep in mind, though, that the failure occurs when reaching a task that uses an undefined variable. See full list on middlewareinventory. - shell: /bin/true register: normal_task_list - name: Only run when tag is specified shell: /bin/echo "Only running because of specified tag" when: normal_task_list is not defined tags: specified 2 days ago · The Jinja2 undef() function returns a Python AnsibleUndefined object, derived from jinja2. When variable is not defined in ansible? As per latest Ansible Version 2. The example below has two tasks, the first runs when “test_var” is defined. That is why if you completely remove the variable, the is defined conditional suddenly works. If variables from a role were implicitly available broadly through their declaration, you can have nasty side effects and potential security problems. Jun 6, 2014 · fatal: [10. Then, add a when condition that checks that variable to the tagged task. As per latest Ansible Version 2. 2k105892 1 Nov 13, 2019 · SUMMARY Ansible returns VARIABLE IS NOT DEFINED! when we use ansible_failed_task and ansible_failed. . I'd normaly use when: foo or when: not foo and it was working great, except that now ansible trow a depreciation warning saying : Mar 12, 2019 · i want to run a task only if the variable server1. You can configure Ansible to allow undefined variables by setting DEFAULT_UNDEFINED_VAR_BEHAVIOR to false. - set Jan 31, 2014 · Best to explain with an example We have tasks setup like name: do something shell: do task when: foo is defined This works perfectly for most situations however we have a number of places where we need to unset the variable to stop the command on certain hosts. Apr 9, 2024 · The variables available with each iteration of the task are still those associated with your target hosts. ansible. 7 will actually yell at you if you do the above suggestion with variable additions, because it’s designed to detect some variable insertion issues, that can be security related when using untrusted variables. cron with server1. For example: First run of playbook: variable is not defined ask for value task write value of variable to some ansible vars file … Do other tasks… Next run of playbook: variable is read from ansible vars file no prompt for value … Do other tasks … Tried find this in Aug 25, 2016 · I am running winrm from my Mac with ansible: here is my task thats causes a failure, don’t know what variable is being referred here, any help appreciated. " If you are not familiar with modules, check out Ansible - Getting Started with Modules. Jan 28, 2014 · Hi, Have question whether is possible (ansible 1. Dec 16, 2019 · Nested data structures can be accessed either by indexing using the key name or dot syntax with the key name - https://docs. Here’s the scenario: role/tasks/main. The above looks overly complicated compared to the already existing feature in ansible. So I created a debug task to dump the contents of this variable so I can see what ansible thinks is defined. cron it interpret it as "vars [cname]. exists <true> - debug: var=force_install < Mar 19, 2020 · "Note: If a task fails or is skipped, the variable still is registered with a failure or skipped status, the only way to avoid registering a variable is using tags. There is also a configuration option that disables this, and then you can use " { { myvar | mandatory }}" to explicitly have the same effect. service" Ansible will use the default values only if those variables are Aug 11, 2013 · 1 You can use mandatory-values If you configure Ansible to ignore undefined variables, you may want to define some values as mandatory. Jun 18, 2016 · I have the following tasks in a playbook I'm writing (results listed next to the debug statement in <>): - debug: var=nrpe_installed. By default, Ansible fails if a variable in your playbook or command is undefined. I am using a playbook from sandersv32/cis rhel-7-ansible section-5. 2 >) setup prompt for volue for variable in variable is not defined. You can define these variables in your playbooks, in your inventory, in reusable Feb 14, 2018 · role default will always set applicationname to "" and therefor always be defined. With this powerful feature, you can automate tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to perform. Instead, you need to target the correct hosts – 'all:!mgmt' – and use delegate_to: to ensure that the task runs on one of your mgmt hosts, but targeting – and thus using the variables associated with – your non-mgmt hosts. Has any one successfully done this ? By default foo is defined but empty so it can be tested even if the user doesn't set it, that way no related tasks are done if it's empty. Nov 20, 2019 · 0 This was not really the problem in the question but as this post is number 1 in google when searching "The task includes an option with an undefined variable" I add this hint here as well and hope it helps someone finding the problem faster than me. The “when” […] May 13, 2019 · Hi I have a playbook whereby I pass variables in such as install_office == ‘y’, and I have tasks where it would only include_tasks for a task file to install Office (for example) when install_office == ‘y’ eg. Learn best practices for Ansible variable management and ensure your playbooks run smoothly. I tracked it down to using a template and one of the variables isn’t defined. Aug 26, 2019 · I’m not sure why I’m getting this error returned when the value of systems is defined just above the set_fact: fatal: [127. The 'when' statement and conditions in Ansible. StrictUndefined. You may want the value of some variables to depend on the value of other variables. The variable is the response or null. stat. Jan 20, 2018 · Activity Variables not working in playbook Ansible Project 3 10 June 15, 2013 Pass dictionary variables to the role does not work Ansible Project 7 20 January 8, 2015 register won't read Ansible Developer 1 10 November 24, 2017 Ansible - Register variable in not defined Ansible Project 5 67 March 22, 2019 register not support variable Ansible Nov 12, 2018 · Sometimes you’ll want to check if a variable is defined before running a task, or another when statement. May 8, 2015 · Also, no Ansible statement can start with variable expansion (like {{ foo }}). 3 days ago · Conditionals In a playbook, you may want to execute different tasks or have different goals, depending on the value of a fact (data about the remote system), a variable, or the result of a previous task. Mar 28, 2023 · In Ansible, is there a difference between a variable that is 'undefined' and one that is 'not defined'? I've seen both terms used interchangeably, but I want to make sure that there isn't some subtle difference that I'm missing. My task file for the playbook with the role: name: check if virtualenv exists tags: InstallWiresharkService InstallVirtualEnv win_stat: path=“C:\\Users\\voiceqa\\venv” register: stat_file name: debug stat tags: InstallWiresharkService Oct 11, 2025 · When statement in Ansible In Ansible, the “when” keyword is used to specify a condition or a set of conditions that must be met in order for a task to be executed. I want to check if a variable exists or not and register that . yml: Jun 28, 2022 · stdout as its name might tell, if you are familiar with C, is for what should have gone to the standard output (= displayed on your terminal) if it was not run in an Ansible task. The assert module can be used to do something if a variable is or is not defined. cron ansible with ou " " it doesn't replace vars [cname]. 1]: FAILED! => {"msg": "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. Let's say the "foo" variable is not defined. Jun 27, 2017 · So in my code I have a task: - name: cool task shell: 'touch iamnotcool. Dedicated Ansible modules do not print to stdout, so there is no stdout property in that dictionary. cool is not defined and my vars looks like: --- me: stumped: yes So when I run the task it comes back w Important to note that this DOES define the variable, either way. This is not because of Ansible, but Yaml would interpret this as an object. 2 which is giving me an error "VARIABLE NOT DEFINED’. One of the problems we are hitting now is that when you list through Jan 15, 2017 · Hi, I have a playbook that has to use the command module and registers its output in a variable like so: - command: do something here register: my_variable - debug: msg="Here is the output of {{ my_variable. With Ansible, you can execute tasks and playbooks on multiple systems with a single command. cron for the the host server1 and server2. tasks: name: Install Office include_tasks: installoffice. If I try the following: debug: var=mysql It outputs “mysql”: “VARIABLE IS NOT DEFINED!”. 20. Sep 20, 2013 · The files are always parsed because the when: statement may depend on a variable that is defined later in the execution, such as a host variable or fact. But if it is not defined either, then: Set variable to a default value. com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables. May 27, 2014 · It is operating on two hosts in a group, but one of the hosts does not have the dictionary defgensrc defined. Nov 8, 2021 · In Ansible it is recommended to set default values for variables to avoid undefined-variable errors: The task includes an option with an undefined variable. Neither of the following work when set in the group vars and result in the task working. Aug 18, 2025 · The below are the scenarioes where you can use Ansible variables: 1. 1] => One or more undefined variables: ‘var3’ is undefined So as you can see the var2 is passed through and is defined and so the set_fact is skipped. May 9, 2021 · Ansible is throwing me a "The task includes an option with an undefined variable The error was: 'redis_download_url' is undefined" error when running my playbook, despite me having defined the variable in defaults/main. 2. One of my playbooks is not working properly. Show activity on this post. yaml. Explore how to troubleshoot undefined variables in Ansible script tasks. Nov 2, 2016 · Generating the variable isn’t an issue. 0. It allows you to add conditional logic to your Ansible playbooks and control the flow of execution based on certain conditions. is defined but ansible don't like the syntax when i let only vars [cname]. I got to this (adding when: nginx_sites), that seems to work, but just asking in case there is a better way. --- - hosts: localhost tasks: - name: Check if the 'foo' variable is defined assert: that: foo is defined fail_msg: the 'foo' variable is not defined Which should return Nov 11, 2016 · In a lot our templates we have loads of variables that we may or may not use within tasks. yml: May 23, 2018 · There is a very special construction in Jinja2/Ansible: ‘foo is defined’, which allows you to check if foo is existing at all. Can I ensure the tasks fails if there is no variable defined with a message? May 21, 2014 · The default behavior is to fail if using a variable that is not defined. The variables defined in Role A should be scoped for A unless defined within your inventory or any of the other places outside the role that variables are defined. May 21, 2024 · Does this answer the question? in ansible-core 2. Oct 21, 2015 · when: executes per item so you cannot use it to bypass a with_items: undefined, use default filter: with_items: " { {etc_hosts|default () }}" this returns an empty list, which will skip the loop and the task. Aug 24, 2014 · Although this is a roundabout solution, it works. if I run the playbook which comments out the line12 and line13, it shows the result of variable correctly. The desired behavior is ‘if’ the variable is not defined within vars or group_vars that we just skip the task. So ansible errors out. 14 an expression { { defined_variable or undefined_variable }} does not fail on undefined_variable if the first part of or is evaluated to True as it is not needed to evaluate the second part. Jun 30, 2017 · Note: I am aware and have used an extra variable such as "skip" to skip this task and use the when clause when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat" and skip is not defined but would prefer not have my users need to use an extra variable just to skip this default action. 1 nginx_service_name: "nginx. For example, a host variable can be overridden for a block of tasks: Jul 11, 2019 · This behavior is expected. " A variable set to null is defined but empty. But if it is not defined, then: Set variable as var_priority_2. 6. That being said 1) your checkVars. Use undef() to undefine variables of lesser precedence. com Aug 12, 2019 · Check if a variable in Ansible playbook is defined (exists), empty or set to True or False. Using variables Ansible uses variables to manage differences between systems. This has been wonderful b/c we can use the same template across multiple data centers and keep improving it over time. Dec 7, 2022 · 0 Trying to get a variable defined when the task is partially failed/ignored. Adding when: proxy_env is defined under environment seems not working. My question is whether there is a way to specify environment only when proxy_env is defined. foo: foo: “” So my question is how would May 27, 2021 · However, the playbook fails when running on non- outgoing restricted hosts because on those hosts proxy_env is not defined. mghjwt xrcde gupaz ioe oes epf qged esiieu bauqox iksjz fewrnl neukww kuoaxi mjymm wlto