# Latest **URL:** https://forum.ansible.com/latest.md?page=1052 [Latest](https://forum.ansible.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://forum.ansible.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://forum.ansible.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1053 --- ## [Iterating with\_items: $groups\['dbclients'\]](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterating-with-items-groups-dbclients/12509)
**Author:** [@crucialfelix](https://forum.ansible.com/u/crucialfelix)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterating-with-items-groups-dbclients/12509 "2013-03-26T12:51:35Z")
Hi all, Thanks so much for ansible ! I’m nearly deployed. This should be splendidly simple but for some reason nothing I have tried is working: name: open psql ports to trusted servers with\_items: $groups\[‘dbclients… --- ## [(Developers) better callback context (upgrades in 1.1)](https://forum.ansible.com/t/developers-better-callback-context-upgrades-in-1-1/12585)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/developers-better-callback-context-upgrades-in-1-1/12585 "2013-03-26T03:02:11Z")
I've added some new features to the API callbacks. From a given callback instance, the following member variables \*MAY\* be set at various points in time. You should use getattr in case things are not yet set at the … --- ## [file module to create a link to a file that does not exist](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-module-to-create-a-link-to-a-file-that-does-not-exist/12582)
**Author:** [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-module-to-create-a-link-to-a-file-that-does-not-exist/12582 "2013-03-25T23:11:11Z")
I thought I remembered seeing a thread about this, but I can't find it. I am in a situation where I need to create a symlink to a file that does not exist yet, and the file module fails with "src file does not exist". A… --- ## [Maths on variables in tasks/playbooks](https://forum.ansible.com/t/maths-on-variables-in-tasks-playbooks/12570)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/maths-on-variables-in-tasks-playbooks/12570 "2013-03-25T22:55:23Z")
You can do things like this trivially in Jinaj2 if you are using templates. I am considering for Ansible 1.2 allowing {{ foo }} syntax in playbooks (as the preferred form, actually... but it may not actually be Jinja2… --- ## [fwknop and Ansible?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fwknop-and-ansible/12583)
**Author:** [@fdavis](https://forum.ansible.com/u/fdavis)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/fwknop-and-ansible/12583 "2013-03-25T22:42:01Z")
Hello all, I’m trying to use Ansible to provision through a server with fwknop. The playbook I’ve got works initially, until fwknopd on the server removes the iptables exception that it temporarily wrote in. Would any… --- ## [DNS query plugin advice request](https://forum.ansible.com/t/dns-query-plugin-advice-request/12579)
**Author:** [@C\_Morgan\_Hamill](https://forum.ansible.com/u/C_Morgan_Hamill)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/dns-query-plugin-advice-request/12579 "2013-03-25T20:31:21Z")
I've been working on a lookup plugin for getting DNS records, and have an issue I haven't been able to resolve satisfactorily. I thought maybe folks on this list might have ideas. So the plugin is designed to accept … --- ## [Referencing paths inside roles](https://forum.ansible.com/t/referencing-paths-inside-roles/12581)
**Author:** [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/referencing-paths-inside-roles/12581 "2013-03-25T19:20:08Z")
My take on the problem atm is to put all playbooks and all tasks, respectively, on the same level. To have clean includes, I put a symlink to the common include folder in every projects folder, where the playbooks reside… --- ## [Can I pass prompt variable to all of included playbooks?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-pass-prompt-variable-to-all-of-included-playbooks/12574)
**Author:** [@rella.guo](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rella.guo)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-pass-prompt-variable-to-all-of-included-playbooks/12574 "2013-03-25T15:40:34Z")
My case is: I have a main.yml which includes A.yml and B.yml. A.yml and B.yml have different hosts. I have a password which is used in A.yml and B.yml. I want to use vars\_prompt to set password and my expectation is o… --- ## [Time to test 1.1!](https://forum.ansible.com/t/time-to-test-1-1/12576)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/time-to-test-1-1/12576 "2013-03-25T14:47:47Z")
It's now the last week before Ansible 1.1 goes out, for those interested please take a look at the changelog and see if there are things you would like to help test. If you are using a previous version of Ansible, tes… --- ## [Reminder about the Ansible linkedin group](https://forum.ansible.com/t/reminder-about-the-ansible-linkedin-group/12577)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/reminder-about-the-ansible-linkedin-group/12577 "2013-03-25T14:03:10Z")
For those new to the list, I also wanted to point out we had a LinkedIn group you may wish to join. This is at least a good way to show your friends/coworkers you like Ansible, but also to collect interesting links an… --- ## [Ansible Survey last reminder! (win a free iPad mini!)](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-survey-last-reminder-win-a-free-ipad-mini/12575)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-survey-last-reminder-win-a-free-ipad-mini/12575 "2013-03-25T13:31:12Z")
Hi everyone, last reminder (did I say the last one was the last! sorry!), the Ansible Survey closes this Wednesday: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NBY3SW6 If I may say, your odds of winning something are quite good s… --- ## [vars merging](https://forum.ansible.com/t/vars-merging/12572)
**Author:** [@rektide](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rektide)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/vars-merging/12572 "2013-03-25T06:39:08Z")
Hi, I'd like to have a default vars files with a number of complex YAML objects, and then allow users to come in and define their own YAML files that are merged on top of the existing YAML objects. At present Ansible … --- ## [environment variable and conditional execution](https://forum.ansible.com/t/environment-variable-and-conditional-execution/12568)
**Author:** [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/environment-variable-and-conditional-execution/12568 "2013-03-24T23:56:03Z")
Is conditional execution supposed to work with the environment variable macro? tasks: - name: my test command: /bin/true when\_string: $ENV(dropdb) == 'yes' This never works. I e… --- ## [Specific playbook actions only when host is in other hostgroup](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12565)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12565 "2013-03-24T19:10:58Z")
only\_if: "'$inventory\_hostname' in ${groups.groupname}" seems to be what you want. --- ## [Specific playbook actions only when host is in other hostgroup](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12569)
**Author:** [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12569 "2013-03-24T12:53:56Z")
Totally off topic here, but I just want to point out that you can use the file module (http://ansible.cc/docs/modules.html#file) to create sym links, and has the advantage of being idempotent. --- ## [Suggestion for handling a service without init/systemd/upstart ?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/suggestion-for-handling-a-service-without-init-systemd-upstart/12552)
**Author:** [@Brian\_Green](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Green)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 24, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/suggestion-for-handling-a-service-without-init-systemd-upstart/12552 "2013-03-24T02:20:34Z")
I have to manage some systems without root access, and our services are handled with init-style scripts with status/stop/start and so forth, but not managed with any of the common process management systems. I would lik… --- ## [inconsistency regarding wildcards in inventory](https://forum.ansible.com/t/inconsistency-regarding-wildcards-in-inventory/12559)
**Author:** [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/inconsistency-regarding-wildcards-in-inventory/12559 "2013-03-23T21:13:39Z")
The doc (http://ansible.cc/docs/patterns.html) says: "Individual host names (or IPs), but not groups, can also be referenced using wildcards:" And sure enough this is the case in a plyabook, but, the command line ansib… --- ## [Ansible working on Solaris](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-working-on-solaris/12567)
**Author:** [@hditchfield](https://forum.ansible.com/u/hditchfield)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-working-on-solaris/12567 "2013-03-23T15:45:13Z")
Excellent Works like a charm Thanks --- ## [Specific playbook actions only when host is in other hostgroup](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12566)
**Author:** [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/specific-playbook-actions-only-when-host-is-in-other-hostgroup/12566 "2013-03-23T15:40:27Z")
only\_if: ‘“webservers” in $group\_names’ Serge --- ## [Ansible for OpenStack sanity-checks](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-for-openstack-sanity-checks/12562)
**Author:** [@Lorin\_Hochstein1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Lorin_Hochstein1)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-for-openstack-sanity-checks/12562 "2013-03-23T15:38:45Z")
Every time I do an OpenStack deployment, I make some mistake in a config file, which ends up being difficult to debug. It would be really great if I had a tool that can perform a bunch of sanity checks to try and spot an… --- ## [Set variable from variable?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/set-variable-from-variable/12564)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/set-variable-from-variable/12564 "2013-03-23T15:36:18Z")
Jinja2 has a 'set' keyword for this purpose, as well as if/else directives. --- ## [ansible\_python\_interpreter in 'make tests'](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-python-interpreter-in-make-tests/12563)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-python-interpreter-in-make-tests/12563 "2013-03-23T15:35:47Z")
Not yet. A patch to read ANSIBLE\_PYTHON\_INTERPRETER (to set the default) as an environment variable would be interesting. --- ## [The Pull Paradigm](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-pull-paradigm/12561)
**Author:** [@Brian\_Stinson](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Stinson)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-pull-paradigm/12561 "2013-03-23T15:34:46Z")
Greetings! I’ve been a long time lurker on the list, and just started deploying with Ansible at ${WORK}. I was wondering if there is any interest in expanding the pull paradigm, and how one might help with that. I spent… --- ## [take no action if entity exists in users & groups](https://forum.ansible.com/t/take-no-action-if-entity-exists-in-users-groups/12560)
**Author:** [@Dave\_Cottlehuber](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dave_Cottlehuber)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/take-no-action-if-entity-exists-in-users-groups/12560 "2013-03-23T01:52:23Z")
Hi, I'm another new ansible user. Over the last 2 months I've experimented with all the other CM tools and this one seems the best fit by far - thanks! I'm cleaning up some infrastructure and need to use the followin… --- ## [Handling multiple instances of an application on the same host](https://forum.ansible.com/t/handling-multiple-instances-of-an-application-on-the-same-host/12556)
**Author:** [@Mathieu\_Guillaume](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mathieu_Guillaume)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 23, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/handling-multiple-instances-of-an-application-on-the-same-host/12556 "2013-03-23T01:43:44Z")
Hello list! I’m wondering how you would go about organizing things when you can have several instance of the same kind of application on the same host. Let me give you an example to make things clearer. Let’s say with… --- ## [Anyone want to own the Debian packing of Ansible?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/anyone-want-to-own-the-debian-packing-of-ansible/11744)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/anyone-want-to-own-the-debian-packing-of-ansible/11744 "2013-03-22T21:28:44Z")
re: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/devel/packaging/debian/ Does anyone use this? Are things ok? I hear mixed reports from people saying it “doesn’t work”, but don’t really have any feedback about why or what,… --- ## [Possible variable/conditional improvement proposal - thoughts?](https://forum.ansible.com/t/possible-variable-conditional-improvement-proposal-thoughts/12543)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/possible-variable-conditional-improvement-proposal-thoughts/12543 "2013-03-22T19:38:53Z")
So I think a lot about how to keep ansible as simple as it can possibly be. The one place I think we can do better, but it's hard to sometimes, is in how we handle variables and conditional operations. I want to keep… --- ## [task file includes](https://forum.ansible.com/t/task-file-includes/12551)
**Author:** [@PJ1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/PJ1)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/task-file-includes/12551 "2013-03-22T11:11:06Z")
Hi, I’m trying to include a subset of OS tasks in another task file, which in turn is included in the main book, ie. playbook.yml → include: tasks/os\_common.yml → include: sysctl.yml os\_common.yml contains a bunch… --- ## [Looping / healthcheck urls / wait\_for\_uri](https://forum.ansible.com/t/looping-healthcheck-urls-wait-for-uri/12537)
**Author:** [@willthames](https://forum.ansible.com/u/willthames)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/looping-healthcheck-urls-wait-for-uri/12537 "2013-03-22T03:32:14Z")
After a server is started, I would like to wait for a specific response from a web healthcheck before continuing. wait\_for is great for waiting for a port to be opened, and uri would be useful for performing the healthc… --- ## [Ansible 1.1 release plan -- upcoming feature freeze 3/25, release 4/2](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-1-1-release-plan-upcoming-feature-freeze-3-25-release-4-2/12555)
**Author:** [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 22, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-1-1-release-plan-upcoming-feature-freeze-3-25-release-4-2/12555 "2013-03-22T01:33:29Z")
Hi everyone, It's about time to release Ansible 1.1! I know lots of people run straight from the development branch (no reason to stop!), but a release is still a pretty big milestone, and is consumed by lots of folk… [Previous page](https://forum.ansible.com/latest.md?page=1051) [Next page](https://forum.ansible.com/latest.md?page=1053)