# File selector based on variables **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [December 8, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099 "2013-12-08T17:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guillem\_Liarte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@Guillem\_Liarte](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Guillem_Liarte)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/1 "2013-12-08T17:03:01Z")
Hello. I try to use this: [http://www.ansibleworks.com/docs/playbooks\_conditionals.html#selecting-files-and-templates-based-on-variables](http://www.ansibleworks.com/docs/playbooks_conditionals.html#selecting-files-and-templates-based-on-variables) /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates# ls -lrt _some_ -rw-------. 1 root root 750 Dec 6 11:49 hos1.some.conf.j2 -rw-r–r–. 1 root root 700 Dec 6 12:06 some.conf.j2 - name: Make sure configuration is correct. template: src={{ item }} dest=/etc/some.conf with\_first\_found: files: - ${ansible\_hostname}.some.conf.j2 - some.conf.j2 paths: - …/templates - …/files tags: - common - auth When I run: TASK: [Make sure configuration is correct.] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [host1] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None FATAL: all hosts have already failed – aborting So, the files exist, both the especific and the default. The pattern is as per given example. I am succesfully distributing files from /etc/ansible/roles/common/files and templates /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates, that is not the issue. I tried specifying only templates is path, and also nothing. If I change the actions to copy, it would work, but it would not be used as a template. What am I missing here? Many thanks in 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:** [December 8, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/2 "2013-12-08T17:15:41Z")
That’s definitely confusing, I agree, we should work to make this better. Can you please file a ticket on GitHub so we can investigate? Please include the output of “ansible --version” in the report. Thanks! ---
**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:** [December 8, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/3 "2013-12-08T17:36:54Z")
​Could this be a typo?​ /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates# ls -lrt \*some\* > -rw-------. 1 root root 750 Dec 6 11:49 hos1.some.conf.j2 ....​​ > fatal: [host1] =\> input file not found at > /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None The filename seems to be missing a 't'?​ Serge ---
**Author:** ![Guillem\_Liarte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@Guillem\_Liarte](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Guillem_Liarte)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/4 "2013-12-09T20:05:18Z")
Yes, it does indeed, but only because I edited this by hand to change the hostname. Thanks for pointing it out. ---
**Author:** ![Guillem\_Liarte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@Guillem\_Liarte](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Guillem_Liarte)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/5 "2013-12-09T20:15:48Z")
Michael, Done: [https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/5227](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/5227) In the meantime I will stick to flat files, as it seems to happen only when using it with templates, although the way I understand it, it should work exactly the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Guillem\_Liarte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@Guillem\_Liarte](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Guillem_Liarte)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/file-selector-based-on-variables/14099/6 "2014-01-18T12:13:37Z")
Hello again, I am still experiencing issues with this. I reply first here in case what I am doing is blatantly evident. Since then, this issue was closed and new documentation produced: [https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/5227](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/5227) [http://docs.ansible.com/playbooks\_loops.html?highlight=loops#finding-first-matched-files](http://docs.ansible.com/playbooks_loops.html?highlight=loops#finding-first-matched-files) This is good, however, I keep experiencing something undesirable. So this is Centos 6.5, Ansible 1.4.3-1 This is to distribute a configuration that may be different in function of the host type. The reason does not matter. In the templates directory: …/roles/common/templates$ ls -lrt _sssd_ -rw-rw-r-- 1 guillem guillem 723 Jan 12 21:25 sssd.conf.j2 -rw-rw-r-- 1 guillem guillem 789 Jan 18 12:53 ndoluxel001.sssd.conf.j2 In the playbook: - name: Make sure SSSD configuration is correct. template: src={{ item }} dest=/etc/sssd/sssd.conf with\_first\_found: - “{{ inventory\_hostname }}.sssd.conf.j2” - sssd.conf.j2 This is exactly as shown in the documentation: [http://docs.ansible.com/playbooks\_loops.html?highlight=loops#finding-first-matched-files](http://docs.ansible.com/playbooks_loops.html?highlight=loops#finding-first-matched-files) > - name: INTERFACES | Create Ansible header for /etc/network/interfaces template: src={{ item }} dest=/etc/foo.conf with\_first\_found: - “{{ansible\_virtualization\_type}\_foo.conf” - “default\_foo.conf” ```auto ``` However when I run the play book: ansible-playbook /etc/ansible/common.yml --tags=“auth” -k SSH password: PLAY [all] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* GATHERING FACTS \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [ndoluxel001] ok: [ndoandel001] ok: [ndoluxel002] TASK: [common | Make sure SSSD configuration is correct.] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [ndoluxel001] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None fatal: [ndoluxel002] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None fatal: [ndoandel001] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None FATAL: all hosts have already failed – aborting PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* to retry, use: --limit @/root/common.retry ndoandel001 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0 ndoluxel001 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0 ndoluxel002 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0 What would I expect: ndoluxel001 to obtain configuration from template ndoluxel001.sssd.conf.j2 The others to obtain the default sssd.conf.j2 template. Things I have tried already: - The way [jctanner](https://github.com/jctanner) proposes me to fix it, which did not work, actually complains of a syntax error. - Use underscore instead of dots. - Qualifying the search paths, relative and absolute. Nothing. - Switching verbosity, not very cool as it gives me things I do not need and still I do not see what is going on behind the curtain: TASK: [common | Make sure SSSD configuration is correct.] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: root on PORT 22 TO ndoluxel001 ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: root on PORT 2022 TO ndoandel001 ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: root on PORT 22 TO ndoluxel002 EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047005.86-11603493989537 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047005.86-11603493989537’ fatal: [ndoluxel001] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047006.29-141184342231390 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047006.29-141184342231390’ EXEC /bin/sh -c ‘mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047006.45-261013738830940 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1390047006.45-261013738830940’ fatal: [ndoluxel002] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None fatal: [ndoandel001] =\> input file not found at /etc/ansible/roles/common/templates/None or /etc/ansible/None I really hope that this is something simple that I am missing. Many thanks in advance.