# Ansible.builtin.dnf module - capturing output of package upgrades

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Tags:** almalinux, centos, rockylinux, rhel\
**Created:** [September 13, 2023, 8:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662 "2023-09-13T08:30:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LoZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@LoZ](https://forum.ansible.com/u/LoZ)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 8:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662/1 "2023-09-13T08:30:47Z")

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Hi all,

First time posting on here, and I love Ansible with a passion!

I have a question regarding the builtin DNF (RHEL package manager) module.

I have a playbook which pushes DNF to install security updates on all of my RHEL-like servers. It does a great job, but I never get any return information. I’ve checked the module documentation and it doesn’t appear to support any return values/text.

Playbook snippet:

```auto
    - name: run security updates
      dnf:
        update_cache: true
        name: '*'
        state: latest
        update_only: yes
        security: yes
      ignore_errors: True

```

If I add a register to the above task, nothing is ever captured.

Am I going to need to use ansible.builtin.command: “dnf update […]” and capture std\_out or am I missing something?

Info:  
ansible [core 2.11.12]

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**Author:** ![ptn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/ptn/32/481_2.png) [@ptn](https://forum.ansible.com/u/ptn)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 1:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662/2 "2023-09-13T13:03:52Z")

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Hey,

> If I add a register to the above task, nothing is ever captured.

Weird. It should AFAIK

Here is an excerpt from a role I’m using to update our EL machines:

```yaml
- name: "[RHEL] Update packages"
  ansible.builtin.dnf:
    update_cache: yes
    name: "*"
    state: latest
    exclude: "{{ gbt_packages_versionlock|d() }}"
    use_backend: dnf4
  register: _gbt_packages_update_output

- name: "[RHEL] [INFO] Print installed/updated packages"
  when: _gbt_packages_update_output.skipped is not defined
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: _gbt_packages_update_output.results|d()

```

And the output:

```yaml
TASK [gbt_packages : [RHEL] Update packages] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Wednesday 13 September 2023 14:41:33 +0200 (0:00:00.108) 0:00:09.035 ***
changed: [<redacted>]

TASK [gbt_packages : [RHEL] [INFO] Print installed/updated packages] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Wednesday 13 September 2023 14:50:15 +0200 (0:08:41.311) 0:08:50.347 ***
ok: [<redacted>] => {
    "_gbt_packages_update_output.results|d()": [
        "Installed: selinux-policy-targeted-3.14.3-117.el8_8.2.noarch",
        "Installed: krb5-libs-1.18.2-25.el8_8.x86_64",
        "Installed: bind-libs-32:9.11.36-8.el8_8.1.x86_64",
        "Installed: krb5-workstation-1.18.2-25.el8_8.x86_64",
        "Installed: bind-libs-lite-32:9.11.36-8.el8_8.1.x86_64",
        "Installed: bind-license-32:9.11.36-8.el8_8.1.noarch",
        "Installed: sos-4.5.6-1.el8.alma.noarch",
        "Installed: microcode_ctl-4:20220809-2.20230808.2.el8_8.x86_64",
...

```

Perhaps there is nothing to upgrade on your target machines ? What does `dnf check-update --security` gives on one of theses machines ? (since you specifically ask for security updates).  
It could also be a bad interaction with ’ ignore\_errors’, but I fail to see why it would be.  
You could also have ‘no\_log: true’ set somewhere else ?

Could you share the output you get when registering your upgrade task ?

Another option would be to get last upgrade result from a command like: `dnf history info $(dnf history | tail -n+3 | head -n1 | awk '{print $1}')` (I’m not sure if there is an Ansible module for that.), or query package cache for recently modified packages.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LoZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@LoZ](https://forum.ansible.com/u/LoZ)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662/3 "2023-09-13T13:23:19Z")

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Thanks ptn!

I was querying **.stdout\_lines** rather than **.results**. I will test the output using the latter and report back. It could be as simple as that.

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**Author:** ![gwmngilfen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/gwmngilfen/32/6_2.png) [@gwmngilfen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/gwmngilfen)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 9:11am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-builtin-dnf-module-capturing-output-of-package-upgrades/662/4 "2023-10-06T09:11:20Z")

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Hi @LoZ! Did you get a chance to try that solution?

If so, it would be _super_ helpful if you could click the ✔ on their post to accept the solution - it helps users find solutions (solved topics have a higher search priority), recognises the input of the people who help you, helps our volunteers find new issues to answer, and keeps the forum nice and tidy. It’s just a nice way to give back, and only takes a moment 🙂

Thanks!  
(this is template reply, do feel free to reply if I’ve misunderstood the situation!)