# ansible-playbook --check **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [March 27, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593 "2013-03-27T12:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Oleg_A_Mamontov)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/1 "2013-03-27T12:39:44Z")
Hello! In one of playbooks i have template action with: 'owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0400'. Playbook has 'sudo: yes' declared and work properly. But ansible-playbook called with '--check --diff' can't diff file, i suupose this scenario executes without sudo calling, am i right? I also tried to force apply command line sudo switch: 'ansible-playbook postgresql.yml --check --diff --sudo' It does not work well ☹ Is it right behaviour or bug? Thank you an advance! ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/2 "2013-03-28T23:06:44Z")
Can you explain what "cannot diff file" means? Any particular output you are seeing? ---
**Author:** ![Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Oleg_A_Mamontov)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/3 "2013-03-29T05:07:34Z")
> Can you explain what "cannot diff file" means? > > Any particular output you are seeing? Ok, i can demostrate real example. > From postgresql playbook: - hosts: postgresql   sudo: yes   tasks:     - name: create postgresql data directory       # directory restrictive permissions required!       file: path=${postgresql.datadir} state=directory owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0700     - name: configure postgresql       template: src=templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf dest=${postgresql.datadir}/ owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0444 Now play: (ansible)[lonerr@neon ~/src]% ansible-playbook postgresql.yml PLAY [postgresql] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* GATHERING FACTS \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [db01] TASK: [create postgresql data directory] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [db01] TASK: [configure postgresql] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [db01] =\> (item=./templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf) PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* db01 : ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 As you can see, file is in actual state, now run with '--check --diff': (ansible)[lonerr@neon ~/src]% ansible-playbook postgresql.yml --check --diff PLAY [postgresql] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* GATHERING FACTS \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [db01] TASK: [create postgresql data directory] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [db01] TASK: [configure postgresql] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* changed: [db01] =\> (item=./templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf) PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* db01 : ok=3 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 Do you feel the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/4 "2013-03-29T20:20:06Z")
This is Ansible 1.1? Output of ansible --version? Maybe the file attributes required a change by the content was already correct? ---
**Author:** ![Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Oleg_A_Mamontov)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/5 "2013-03-30T19:47:19Z")
> This is Ansible 1.1? > > Output of ansible --version? Yes: (ansible)[lonerr@neon ~/src/Leitung]% ansible --version ansible 1.1 ---
**Author:** ![Marco\_Vito\_Moscarito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@Marco\_Vito\_Moscarito](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Marco_Vito_Moscarito)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/6 "2013-03-31T16:43:03Z")
> - hosts: postgresql >   sudo: yes >   tasks: >     - name: create postgresql data directory >       # directory restrictive permissions required! >       file: path=${postgresql.datadir} state=directory owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0700 >     - name: configure postgresql >       template: src=templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf dest=${postgresql.datadir}/ owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0444 Template destination ned to be a file, try this: > template: src=templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf dest=${postgresql.datadir}/postgresql.conf owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0444 Bye        Marco ---
**Author:** ![Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/7 "2013-03-31T17:37:39Z")
​That's actually not true any more, in the very latest devel.​ ---
**Author:** ![Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Oleg\_A\_Mamontov](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Oleg_A_Mamontov)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-playbook-check/12593/8 "2013-03-31T20:30:33Z")
> \> - hosts: postgresql > \> sudo: yes > \> tasks: > \> - name: create postgresql data directory > \> # directory restrictive permissions required! > \> file: path=${postgresql.datadir} state=directory owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0700 > \> - name: configure postgresql > \> template: src=templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf dest=${postgresql.datadir}/ owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0444 > > Template destination ned to be a file, try this: > > \> template: src=templates/postgresql/postgresql.conf dest=${postgresql.datadir}/postgresql.conf owner=pgsql group=pgsql mode=0444 The same result ☹