include with remote_user

Archives Ansible Project
1

Hi, I’m new to ansible and have been unable to achieve the following:
I would like to include tasks in my playbook and run them with another user that’s running the playbook.

I have tried the following, without success:

`

  • include: mytasks.yml remote_user=toto

`

I have also tried this (from the documentation)

`

  • include: mytasks.yml
    vars:
    remote_user: toto

`

but again, when running the playbook, the tasks are executed with the playbook remote user and not the one defined next to the include.

I’m using ansible 1.5.4.

Is there anyway to do this ? or do I have to specify the remote_user for each and every task in the tasks file ?
thanks a lot,
regards,
ozb.

2

While a keyword in ansible for a task or play, remote_user is not a magic variable here any more than “antelope_jetpack” is likely to work. It’s just the wrong variable name is all :slight_smile:

You can set “ansible_ssh_user” in inventory as a variable to control the remote user, which could also be set here.

Generally people set this at play level instead.

  • hosts: postgresql_steps
    remote_user: postgres

Etc

Though usually most people would do this kind of thing with “sudo_user” instead, and just pass the connecting user on the command line or assume the default.

3

thanks for the quick answer.
I think I did not express myself properly:

I was actually wondering how to change the remote (user) when executing an included tasks file.

My playbook already defines the remote_user (root), but I just want to run one of my included tasks as another user:

`

  • hosts: ansible-localhost
    remote_user: root

tasks:

  • include: tasks/some_tasks.yml

  • include: tasks/some_other_tasks_to_be_run_with_user_toto.yml
    remote_user: toto

`

The goal would be to avoid to repeat the “remote_user” for all the tasks in my included file:

`

4

If you pass the variable as ansible_ssh_user instead of “remote_user” it should do what you request, however, this is more idiomatic:

  • hosts: ansible-localhost
    remote_user: root
    tasks:

  • include: tasks/some_tasks.yml

  • hosts: ansible-localhost
    remote_user: toto

  • include: tasks/some_other_tasks_to_be_run_with_user_toto.yml

5

ok I will try that,
thanks a lot !