# apt-repository not working in debian squeeze **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** ubuntu\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912 "2012-09-20T08:21:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Edu\_el\_Ligre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f05b48/32.png) [@Edu\_el\_Ligre](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Edu_el_Ligre)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/1 "2012-09-20T08:21:08Z")
Hi there, I got a {“failed”: true, “msg”: “Failed to find required executable add-apt-repository”} error when trying to add a repository with apt-repository module on debian squeeze. I found out add-apt-repository is ubuntu specific. I am using 7.0, is that limitation in place or am I doing something wrong? May be a note on the modules page would make sense in any case. As a workaround I am trying to add the repository this way, but the command fails in with “~/dotdeb.gpg Not such file or directory” Same command works if run directly on the machine - name: Copy dotdeb.list to sources list action: copy src=files/etc/apt/dotdeb/dotdeb.list dest=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list tags: - common - setup - packages - name: Copy dotdeb public key to home action: copy src=files/etc/apt/dotdeb/dotdeb.gpg dest=~/dotdeb.gpg tags: - common - setup - packages - name: Add the dotdeb public key to a new keyring action: command /usr/bin/gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/dotdeb.gpg --import ~/dotdeb.gpg – creates=/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/dotdeb.gpg tags: - common - setup - packages Any idea about what is wrong? Also, I am not an experienced sysadmin, so maybe copy should include some attributes for owner and permissions. I am running this as root. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/2 "2012-09-20T12:20:39Z")
I am not a user of this module. If Debian/Ubuntu users can help investigate and fix, that would be great -- thanks! -- Michael ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Fromm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Stephen\_Fromm](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Fromm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/3 "2012-09-20T16:18:39Z")
add-apt-repository comes in the package python-software-properties on ubuntu. For reasons unclear to me, python-software-properties on debian does not include this script. It appears add-apt-repository is ubuntu-specific. sf ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/4 "2012-09-20T17:45:31Z")
Am aware. So no interest in making it work without that binary? Or perhaps just have a “hey this doesn’t work on your OS” message. – Michael ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Fromm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Stephen\_Fromm](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Fromm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/5 "2012-09-21T15:53:57Z")
Since the docs didn’t mention it was ubuntu-specific, I assumed it would work on debian. I can submit a patch for the docs, but I’m not sure what changes I’d make to the module. Do other debian derivatives include add-apt-repository? sf ---
**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:** [September 24, 2012, 8:13am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/6 "2012-09-24T08:13:47Z")
> > Am aware. So no interest in making it work without that binary? Or > > perhaps just have a "hey this doesn't work on your OS" message. > > Since the docs didn't mention it was ubuntu-specific, I assumed it would > work on debian. I can submit a patch for the docs, but I'm not sure what > changes I'd make to the module. Do other debian derivatives include > add-apt-repository? I'm not debian user (sorry) but i find this script that can help you: \* [http://blog.anantshri.info/howto-add-ppa-in-debian/](http://blog.anantshri.info/howto-add-ppa-in-debian/) \* [http://blog.anantshri.info/content/uploads/2010/09/add-apt-repository.sh.txt](http://blog.anantshri.info/content/uploads/2010/09/add-apt-repository.sh.txt) You can try to use template to copy script (probably some small change are required) and use apt\_repository to manage your repo. > sf Bye        Marco ---
**Author:** ![Edu\_el\_Ligre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f05b48/32.png) [@Edu\_el\_Ligre](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Edu_el_Ligre)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/7 "2012-09-24T20:32:41Z")
– Sorry, I cross-posted this to the list digest. It belongs here – Hi there, Thanks for all your comments. It seems like apt-add-repository was added to python-software-properties in version 0.75. The current version in Debian Stable ('squeeze") is 0.60, so it doesn’t have it [1]. Anyways, the work-arround I was trying finally worked after changing the commnad target directory from ~ to /tmp/. Adding a new repo is just three tasks, so I rather do it this way than through an extra script. This is are the tasks that are working from me right now. tasks: ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/8 "2012-09-24T20:43:19Z")
There's an outstanding pull request here: [https://github.com/izhukov/ansible/commit/03f8db55d6b9447af1509e522ed2d5b92ea6eb60](https://github.com/izhukov/ansible/commit/03f8db55d6b9447af1509e522ed2d5b92ea6eb60) Anyone with preferences want to help review? If it's available in \*newer\* Debian I'm inclined to say we could possibly ignore this? Presumably it should use the apt-add-repository code if installed. --Michael ---
**Author:** ![Eduardo\_Esclapes\_Gim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@Eduardo\_Esclapes\_Gim](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Eduardo_Esclapes_Gim)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-repository-not-working-in-debian-squeeze/11912/9 "2012-09-25T06:20:56Z")
> There's an outstanding pull request here: > > [https://github.com/izhukov/ansible/commit/03f8db55d6b9447af1509e522ed2d5b92ea6eb60](https://github.com/izhukov/ansible/commit/03f8db55d6b9447af1509e522ed2d5b92ea6eb60) I have tried to review and test, but seems like I am having some difficulties, commented on the issue: [https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/1082#issuecomment-8844382](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/1082#issuecomment-8844382) > Presumably it should use the apt-add-repository code if installed. I believe this pull request does not use apt-add-repository at all. Cheers