I want to add a non-ansible-galaxy git repository full of roles as a submodule to my infrastructure project.

My first attempt was to add it as a configuration option in my playbook.yaml:

roles_path: "{{ roles_path ~ ':./Vendor/HTSALSWA/roles' }}"

... but it turns out this can't be configured at the playbook level. Other resources have told me to set it in the ansible.cfg, which is in an INI format, and doesn't appear to support Jinja templating:

roles_path = "{{ roles_path ~ ':./Vendor/HTSALSWA/roles' }}"

How do I add something to the roles_path non-destructively?

I want to add a non-ansible-galaxy git repository full of roles as a submodule to my infrastructure project.

My first attempt was to add it as a configuration option in my playbook.yaml:

roles_path: "{{ roles_path ~ ':./Vendor/HTSALSWA/roles' }}"

... but it turns out this can't be configured at the playbook level. Other resources have told me to set it in the ansible.cfg, which is in an INI format, and doesn't appear to support Jinja templating:

roles_path = "{{ roles_path ~ ':./Vendor/HTSALSWA/roles' }}"

How do I add something to the roles_path non-destructively?

• ansible
• jinja2
• ansible-template

• It's not possible to configure DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH inside a play. – Vladimir Botka Commented Feb 8 at 3:03

1 Answer 1

It's not possible to configure DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH inside a play. You can set it as a configuration key roles_path in a configuration file or as an environment variable ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH. Both options must be available at the start of the play.

As a workaround, you can link the dynamic role(s) to a configured directory and include the role(s). The include_role is the only feasible option here because import_role and roles must be available at the start of the play.

For example, given the below project

shell> tree .
.
├── ansible.cfg
├── hosts
├── pb.yml
└── roles
    └── foo
        └── tasks
            └── main.yml

shell> cat roles/foo/tasks/main.yml 
- debug:
    msg: role foo ...

declare the roles_path in the configuration file

shell> cat ansible.cfg 

[defaults]
gathering = explicit
inventory = $PWD/hosts
roles_path = $PWD/roles:$PWD/roles_dyn
callback_result_format = yaml

Then, the dynamic role(s)

shell> tree /tmp/roles
/tmp/roles
└── bar
    └── tasks
        └── main.yml

shell > cat /tmp/roles/bar/tasks/main.yml 
- debug:
    msg: role bar ...

can be linked in the pre_tasks section

shell> cat pb.yml 
- hosts: test

  pre_tasks:

    - name: Link roles_dyn
      run_once: true
      delegate_to: localhost
      block:

        - name: Assert roles_dyn_path is defined
          assert:
            that: roles_dyn_path is defined

        - name: Link roles_dyn
          file:
            state: link
            src: "{{ roles_dyn_path }}"
            dest: roles_dyn

  tasks:

    - include_role:
        name: foo
    - include_role:
        name: bar

Given the below inventory

shell> cat hosts
localhost ansible_connection=local

[test]
test_01
test_02
test_03

the play gives

shell> ansible-playbook pb.yml -e roles_dyn_path=/tmp/roles

PLAY [test] *********************************************************************************************************

TASK [Assert roles_dyn_path is defined] *****************************************************************************
ok: [test_01 -> localhost] => 
    changed: false
    msg: All assertions passed

TASK [Link roles_dyn] ***********************************************************************************************
changed: [test_01 -> localhost]

TASK [include_role : foo] *******************************************************************************************
included: foo for test_01, test_02, test_03

TASK [foo : debug] **************************************************************************************************
ok: [test_01] => 
    msg: role foo ...
ok: [test_02] => 
    msg: role foo ...
ok: [test_03] => 
    msg: role foo ...

TASK [include_role : bar] *******************************************************************************************
included: bar for test_01, test_02, test_03

TASK [bar : debug] **************************************************************************************************
ok: [test_01] => 
    msg: role bar ...
ok: [test_02] => 
    msg: role bar ...
ok: [test_03] => 
    msg: role bar ...

PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************
test_01: ok=6    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
test_02: ok=4    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   
test_03: ok=4    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0