# how to stuff running services into a host variable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [August 12, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024 "2019-08-12T19:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Amos](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Amos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/1 "2019-08-12T19:57:16Z")
I can’t seem to get this syntax correct, and at least one reference I found produced more errors. I’d like to create a list of all running processes. - name: populate running services into a list set\_fact: services\_running: \> {% if (hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘services’][‘{{ item }}’][‘state’] == ‘running’) %} services\_running + [‘{{ item }}’] {% endif %} with\_items: “{{ hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘services’].keys() }}” ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/2 "2019-08-12T20:26:19Z")
Try this one      - name: populate running services into a list        set\_fact:          services\_running: "{{ services\_running|default() + [item] }}"        loop: "{{ services.keys() }}"        when: services[item].state == 'running' Cheers,   -vlado ---
**Author:** ![Amos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Amos](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Amos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/3 "2019-08-12T22:58:58Z")
seems close, but getting: msg: ‘Invalid data passed to ‘‘loop’’, it requires a list, got this instead: dict\_keys([’‘abrt-xorg.service’', ‘‘sshd-keygen.service’’, ‘‘systemd-machine-id-commit.service’’, ‘‘iprinit.servic e’’, ‘‘systemd-readahead-collect.service’’, ‘‘puppet.service’’, ‘‘plymouth-kexec.service’’, ‘‘cgdcbxd.service’’, ‘‘console-shell.service’’, ‘‘rngd.service’’, ‘‘sssd-autofs.service’’, … ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/4 "2019-08-12T23:26:46Z")
> \> \> I can't seem to get this syntax correct, and at least one reference I > \> \> found > \> \> produced more errors. I'd like to create a list of all running > \> \> processes. > \> \> > \> \> - name: populate running services into a list > \> \> set\_fact: > \> \> services\_running: \> > \> \> {% if (hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['services']['{{ item > \> \> }}']['state'] == 'running') %} > \> \> services\_running + ['{{ item }}'] > \> \> {% endif %} > \> \> with\_items: "{{ hostvars[inventory\_hostname]['services'].keys() }}" > \> \> > \> Try this one > \> > \> - name: populate running services into a list > \> set\_fact: > \> services\_running: "{{ services\_running|default() + [item] }}" > \> loop: "{{ services.keys() }}" > \> when: services[item].state == 'running' > seems close, but getting: > >   msg: 'Invalid data passed to ''loop'', it requires a list, got this > instead: dict\_keys([''abrt-xorg.service'', ''sshd-keygen.service'', > ''systemd-machine-id-commit.service'', ''iprinit.servic > e'', ''systemd-readahead-collect.service'', ''puppet.service'', > ''plymouth-kexec.service'', ''cgdcbxd.service'', ''console-shell.service'', > ''rngd.service'', ''sssd-autofs.service'', ..... It works for me with Ansible 2.7.9 and Ubuntu 18.04. YMMV. [https://github.com/vbotka/ansible-examples/blob/master/examples/example-009/service\_facts\_03.yml](https://github.com/vbotka/ansible-examples/blob/master/examples/example-009/service_facts_03.yml) ---
**Author:** ![Amos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Amos](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Amos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/5 "2019-08-13T17:25:29Z")
This works for me: - name: populate service facts service\_facts: - name: populate running services into a list set\_fact: services\_running: “{{ services\_running|default() + [item] }}” loop: “{{ services.keys() | flatten(1) }}” when: services[item].state == ‘running’ This is with Ansible 2.8.0 on RHEL 7.6 ---
**Author:** ![flowerysong1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@flowerysong1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/flowerysong1)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/6 "2019-08-13T18:09:56Z")
That’s a very roundabout approach. ` - set\_fact: services\_running: “{{ services | dict2items | selectattr(‘value.state’, ‘equalto’, ‘running’) | map(attribute=‘key’) | list }}” ` ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stuff-running-services-into-a-host-variable/31024/7 "2019-08-13T19:28:38Z")
Right. Next option might be the filters below     - set\_fact:         srv\_running: "{{ services|dict2items|                          selectattr('value.state', 'match', 'running')|                          map(attribute='key')|                          list }}" Cheers,   -vlado