# Hostvars to pull specific variables **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 27, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795 "2019-02-27T21:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jeffrey_Agnitsch)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/1 "2019-02-27T21:53:56Z")
Hello, I am trying to use hostvars to get an inventory hostname and a specific variable. The goal of this is to get from the app group, get each unique servers client\_name. The below command works for just the first line as I am fairly confident the 0 means first item in the inventory file. I need to get it to be a per line item of the inventory file so that each servers client name is read out. I have tried a couple variations but I can’t seem to get this correct. Can anyone provide any insight as to what I might be doing wrong. “{{ hostvars[groups[‘apps’][0]][‘client\_name’] }}” inventory file [apps] server1 instance\_user=fondinst client\_name=fondprd1 server\_ip= server2 instance\_user=kumcinst client\_name=kumcprd1 `server\_ip= [proxy] proxy1 Playbook - hosts: 127.0.0.1 connection: local gather\_facts: no - hosts: app tasks: - name: debug debug: msg={{ client\_name }} - hosts: proxy tasks: - name: debug debug: msg=“{{ hostvars[groups[‘apps’][0]][‘client\_name’] }}” Summary Correct syntax for hostvars calling from a certain group, for an inventory\_hostname name, getting a variable Linux Rhel6 Ansible version 2.4.4.4 component name: Ansible ---
**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:** [February 27, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/2 "2019-02-27T22:42:58Z")
You need to loop over groups['apps'] with with\_items.   - debug: msg="{{ item['client\_name'] }}"     with\_items: "{{ groups['apps'] }}" ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jeffrey_Agnitsch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/3 "2019-02-28T13:35:14Z")
> When running the command it stated there was an undefined variable I made the below changes to the playbook =\> {“msg”: "The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: ‘ansible.utils.unsafe\_proxy.AnsibleUnsafeText object’ has no attribute ‘client\_name’\n\nThe error appears to have been in ‘/etc/ansible/testing/prod\_inov2.yml’ inventory file [apps] server1 instance\_user=fondinst client\_name=fondprd1 server\_ip= server2 instance\_user=kumcinst client\_name=kumcprd1 `server\_ip= [proxy] proxy1 - hosts: 127.0.0.1 connection: local gather\_facts: no - hosts: apps tasks: - name: debug debug: msg={{ client\_name }} - hosts: proxy tasks: - debug: msg=“{{ item[‘client\_name’] }}” with\_items: “{{ groups[‘apps’] }}” ---
**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:** [February 28, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/4 "2019-02-28T19:24:26Z")
Sorry about that it should of course be   - debug: msg="{{ hostvars[item]['client\_name'] }}"     with\_items: "{{ groups['apps'] }}" ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Agnitsch](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jeffrey_Agnitsch)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/5 "2019-03-01T14:32:16Z")
> Yeah that worked for a debugging scenario so awesome and thanks for that. Might you have any idea how to use those called variables to edit text files? Namely here is the bigger playbook I am trying within the proxy role. I am trying to have it change the name of the .conf file as well as manipulate text within the prod\_proxy\_conf.j2. It keeps stating that there is an undefined variable however any thoughts? proxy role main.yml - name: " Proxy | Setup Proxy" template: src: /etc/ansible/files/proxy\_files/prod\_proxy\_conf.j2 dest: /etc/httpd/conf.d/ “{{ hostvars[item][‘client\_name’] }}”.conf with\_items: “{{ groups[‘app’] }}” - name: Proxy | Restart Proxy command: apachectl graceful - name: Clone template and customize delegate\_to: 127.0.0.1 vmware\_guest: hostname: “{{ vcenter\_hostname }}” username: “{{ vcenter\_username }}” password: “{{ vcenter\_password }}” folder: “NECO-App” validate\_certs: “false” datacenter: “{{ vcenter\_datacenter }}” cluster: “{{ vcenter\_cluster }}” state: “poweredon” name: “{{ inventory\_hostname }}” template: “{{ app\_vsphere\_template }}” networks: - name: “{{ app\_network }}” ip: “{{ server\_ip }}” netmask: “{{ servers\_netmask }}” gateway: “{{ app\_gateway }}” domain: “{{ app\_domain }}” dns\_servers: - “{{ dns\_lookup }}” wait\_for\_ip\_address: yes - name: add to in memory inventory add\_host: hostname: “{{ item }}” groups: new with\_items: “{{ groups.app }}” tasks: roles: - { role: common } - { role: create\_instance } - { role: setup\_tpms } - { role: upgrade\_jboss } - hosts: proxy tasks: roles: - { role: proxy } ---
**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:** [March 1, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/hostvars-to-pull-specific-variables/29795/6 "2019-03-01T14:45:23Z")
> > Yeah that worked for a debugging scenario so awesome and thanks for that. > > Might you have any idea how to use those called variables to edit text > > files? Namely here is the bigger playbook I am trying within the proxy > > role. I am trying to have it change the name of the .conf file as well as > > manipulate text within the prod\_proxy\_conf.j2. It keeps stating that there > > is an undefined variable however any thoughts? Without the actual output it's impossible to help. > proxy role main.yml > - name: " Proxy | Setup Proxy" >    template: >      src: /etc/ansible/files/proxy\_files/prod\_proxy\_conf.j2 >      dest: /etc/httpd/conf.d/ "{{ hostvars[item]['client\_name'] }}".conf You can't use double quotes in dest, unless you filename actually contains quotes.   dest: /etc/httpd/conf.d/{{ hostvars[item]['client\_name'] }}.conf