Changing ansible_shell_type - is ansible reusing ssh connection?

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1

Trying to make a dual boot script and came across these results, the shell is changed during the playbook but subsequent tasks are somehow using the old one.

How can I force a new connection please?

  1. Change shell to cmd -Success

win_ping using powershell - success
win_ping using cmd - failure

The reverse is true when changing it back.
I’ve confimed the shells are changing by normal ssh from CLI

–Part of Playbook–

2

My explanation in the first message wasn’t great - apologies.
Just to be clear…

In a playbook…

  1. A Tasks changes remote shell on windows system (ansible_shell_type) from powershell to cmd
    Subsequent tasks then run but have the opposite results as if the shell hasn’t been changed

  2. win_ping using powershell - success - when it should fail

  3. win_ping using cmd shell - failure - when it should work, as we’ve changed the shell in 1

Just been reading about multiplexing, sounded a likely culprit so I set

ansible.cfg

[ssh_connection]
-o ControlMaster=no

But no change, it’s still hanging onto it’s old shell despite having been changed.
Or I’m tired and misreading something

3

The way to reset the connection in Ansible is to run

  • meta: reset_connection

This will delete the existing control persist socket so the subsequent task will use a new connection.

4

Thank you, incredible helpful. Off to read more about that now.

Also wanted to take the opportunity to thank you, I was reading your excelelnt article on Windows Mapped drives the other day.
Still some testing to do on that but I may have a question there. If so shall I put it on this list?

5

Best to just ask it here, benefits others who might want to search the history if they have the same question.