# Ansible cannot find files after su to root **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [September 15, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558 "2016-09-15T15:10:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charles\_Moga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Charles\_Moga](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Charles_Moga)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/1 "2016-09-15T15:10:22Z")
Hello, I hope someone can answer this. I have a bunch of commands (shell scripts ) in a specific directory I need to run as root user. So I do: - name: Becoming root command: sudo su - - name: Changing directory command: cd “{{ command\_directory }}” - name: Sourcing commands command: source mycommand.sh The problem is keep getting: fatal: [127.0.0.1]: FAILED! =\> {“changed”: false, “cmd”: “cd full\_path\_to\_my\_command\_directory”, “failed”: true, “msg”: “[Errno 2] No such file or directory”, “rc”: 2} If I do manually, it works fine. Any suggestions? I have tried become but exactly the same result. It just seems like once I change to root, cd command does not work anymore. Thanks and regards Charles ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Davies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Dick\_Davies](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Davies)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/2 "2016-09-15T15:54:38Z")
your 'cd' command runs as a separate command, that's why its' not working. Try adding a chdir= option to your script command, see :     [http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/command\_module.html](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/command_module.html) ---
**Author:** ![Charles\_Moga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Charles\_Moga](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Charles_Moga)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/3 "2016-09-16T16:25:07Z")
Hi Dick, Thanks for response. I have already tried that and it was not working. I think the problem is related t the fact that I am running this playbook with connection=local. I have a feeling that even though this is locally, ansible still sees 127.0.0.1 as a separate entity on which the directory does not exist. Not sure if I am talking sense though. Regards Charles ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/4 "2016-09-16T17:23:24Z")
You can't use Ansible like this. This is three individual tasks, so the "sudo su -" would run but does not have any impact on the next command. And the cd will not change the path for the next command. I highly recommend reading a Ansible book and/or reading this [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_intro.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_intro.html) to get a basic understanding of how Ansible work. To run tings as sudo or su you need to use become [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/become.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/become.html) Ansible can't stack sudo and su, like "sudo su -". You need to pick one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/5 "2016-09-16T18:38:04Z")
This is how that would be sourced with su (just not sure that is useful either): - command: source mycommand.sh chdir=“{{ command\_directory }}” ​ become: True ^ the issue is that ‘sudo su -’ is not supported, you either need full sudo or be able to run 'su’​ directly. ---
**Author:** ![Charles\_Moga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Charles\_Moga](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Charles_Moga)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/6 "2016-09-19T08:25:29Z")
Thanks for Brian, I have tried all these suggestions but with no luck. - name: Sourcing commands from helpers file command: source helpers.sh chdir=“{{workspace }}” become: true become\_user: TASK [Debug] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [127.0.0.1] =\> { “msg”: “Workspace is /home//projects/” } TASK [Sourcing commands for database management from helpers file] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [127.0.0.1]: FAILED! =\> {“changed”: false, “cmd”: “source helpers.sh”, “failed”: true, “msg”: “[Errno 2] No such file or directory”, “rc”: 2} I file is definitely there and the path is right. I must be missing something fundamental, possibly simple. Regards Charles ---
**Author:** ![Edgars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Edgars](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Edgars)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-cannot-find-files-after-su-to-root/22558/7 "2016-09-19T09:45:44Z")
source is a bash function not a command. This is why it cannot find such file, because there is no such file “source”. Try to use shell module instead of command. Edgars pirmdiena, 2016. gada 19. septembris 10:25:30 UTC+2, Charles Moga rakstīja: