# Ansible and reliable removing unmanaged resources

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-and-reliable-removing-unmanaged-resources/30517>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [June 9, 2019, 12:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-and-reliable-removing-unmanaged-resources/30517 "2019-06-09T12:08:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Klaus\_Ethgen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaus\_Ethgen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Klaus_Ethgen)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 12:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-and-reliable-removing-unmanaged-resources/30517/1 "2019-06-09T12:08:43Z")

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Hi,

I use ansible for many stuff and do like it for the simplicity. However,  
there is one feature I miss (that is available in even puppet). That is  
to purge unmanaged resources.

See for example my exim implementation. It is overcomplicated as that  
feature is missing in ansible.

I create the config from multiple templates under /etc/exim4/conf.d/\*  
(the debian way):

```yaml
- name: Create configuration
  template:
    dest: "{{ exim_config_dir }}/conf.d/{{ item.path | regex_replace('_exim4-', exim_replace_string ~ '-') | regex_replace('\.j2$') }}"
    src: "{{ item.src }}"
  with_filetree: config
  when:
    - item.state == 'file'
    - item.path is search('\.j2$')
  register: exim_configs_written

```

Then I set a fact for the installed configs, get a list of the existing  
files and remove all that are not in the list:

```yaml
- set_fact:
    exim_protect_configs: "{{ exim_protect_configs + [exim_config_dir ~ '/conf.d/' ~ item.item.path | regex_replace('_exim4-', exim_replace_string ~ '-') | regex_replace('\. j2$')] }}"
  with_items: "{{ exim_configs_written.results }}"
  when: not item.skipped|d()
- name: Get list of current files
  find:
    paths: "{{ exim_watched_dirs | map('regex_replace', '^', exim_config_dir ~ '/conf.d/') | list }}"
  register: exim_configs_current
- name: Delete old files
  file:
    path: "{{ item.path }}"
    state: absent
  with_items: "{{ exim_configs_current.files }}"
  when:
    - item.isreg
    - item.path not in exim_protect_configs

```

In this example I could also just create one single file but I want to  
keep the freedom to manage other config snippets for example for  
spamassassin in different roles.

So for years now I wait if there will be a purging way finally in  
ansible like for example:

```yaml
- name: Purge unmanaged stuff
  purge:
    path: /etc/exim4/conf.d
    recurse: yes
  notify: Rebuild config somewhere else

- name: Purge unmanaged root keys
  purge:
    path: /root/.ssh/authorized_keys

```

that would remove all files that are not managed in any other way (file,  
copy, template, assemble, unarchive, lineinfile, blockinfile,  
authorized\_key, ...).

The only difficult part would be when to execute that action. But even  
that, having a cleanup role that includes just that and perhaps a notify  
to recreate clean config would be very helpful.

Another think would be /etc/hosts entries, entries in  
/root/.ssh/authorized\_keys and some more.

-- Klaus