# How can I execute task only when file not contain a string? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 24, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811 "2017-02-24T19:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephane\_Klein1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Stephane\_Klein1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephane_Klein1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/1 "2017-02-24T19:40:43Z")
Hi, is there a solution more user friendly that [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30786263/only-check-whether-a-line-present-in-a-file-ansible](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30786263/only-check-whether-a-line-present-in-a-file-ansible) to test if file contain a string? I don’t like that: - name: Check if bash-completion in enable for root user command: grep -q “/etc/bash\_completion” /root/.bashrc register: check\_bashcompletion\_enabled ignore\_errors: True - name: Enable bach-completion for root user command: cp /etc/skel/.bashrc /root/.bashrc when: check\_bashcompletion\_enabled.rc == 1 Do you know a better solution? Best regards, Stéphane ---
**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 24, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/2 "2017-02-24T20:26:16Z")
What I would do is put the correct .bashrc in Ansible and just use the copy module to copy it to the host(s). ---
**Author:** ![Stephane\_Klein1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Stephane\_Klein1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephane_Klein1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/3 "2017-02-24T20:56:31Z")
I would like copy only if bash\_completion isn’t already present in .bashrc ---
**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 24, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/4 "2017-02-24T21:39:48Z")
Then you don't have much choice but go for the solution you posted. But to make the output nicer I would replace "ignore\_errors: True" with    failed\_when: False or    failed\_when: check\_bashcompletion\_enabled.rc \> 1    changed\_when: check\_bashcompletion\_enabled.rc == 1 What is it about your solution you don't like? ---
**Author:** ![Stephane\_Klein1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Stephane\_Klein1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephane_Klein1)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/5 "2017-02-26T13:36:33Z")
Yes, thank it’s better. ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/6 "2017-02-26T15:49:39Z")
My preference in how to achieve this in a more ansible way, is using slurp, and then checking the returned contents: - name: Get /root/.bashrc slurp: src: /root/.bashrc register: root\_bashrc - name: Enable bash-completion for root user copy: src: /etc/skel/.bashrc dest: /root/.bashrc remote\_src: true when: “‘/etc/bash\_completion’ not in root\_bashrc.content|b64decode” I also replaced your command to copy the file, with the copy module, using remote\_src=true ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-execute-task-only-when-file-not-contain-a-string/23811/7 "2017-02-27T22:18:34Z")
it might be easier with the find module - find: paths=... contains='whatever' register: found - command: run if found   when: found.matched \> 0