# insertbefore **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 11, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334 "2013-02-11T06:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yves\_Dorfsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/1 "2013-02-11T06:55:33Z")
If there is appetite for an "insertbefore" option for the lineinfile module, I have just added a pull request for it. I know that in my short use of ansible, there are a few times where this would have been useful. Also, can someone give a quick overview on how to write and use a test for a module? I've looked at the doc on the web, and .py files in the test directory, but wasn't able to get anywhere. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/2 "2013-02-11T13:07:10Z")
I kind of think lineinfile is hard to read, and that where possible people should always use the template module and push things down when possible. I generally would say no, because if we're trying to model position in this module, something is getting away from us. Templates are \*MUCH\* simpler. Though I realize they don't always work for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Yves\_Dorfsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/3 "2013-02-11T15:16:26Z")
The case where lineinfile is preferable over a template is when you need only one or two lines to be changed in a file that is likely to change completely with an upgrade of the product. The first example that comes to mind for me, is catalina.sh from Apache Tomcat. I need to add a few lines to it to set the path to the JRE, yet I don't want to suck the entire file into a template, because the next time a deploy a different version of Tomcat, I'd have to do it all over again. Also, when I run two slightly different versions of Tomcat in the same environment, I can use the same task to add a couple of lines to catalina.sh, while I'd have to have different templates for different versions. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/4 "2013-02-11T15:40:42Z")
> The case where lineinfile is preferable over a template is when you need > only one or two lines to be changed in a file that is likely to change > completely with an upgrade of the product.\ > The first example that comes to mind for me, is catalina.sh from Apache > Tomcat. I need to add a few lines to it to set the path to the JRE, yet I > don't want to suck the entire file into a template, because the next time a > deploy a different version of Tomcat, I'd have to do it all over again. > Also, when I run two slightly different versions of Tomcat in the same > environment, I can use the same task to add a couple of lines to > catalina.sh, while I'd have to have different templates for different > versions. Sure, I understand the reasons, just sharing for those that may not have known \*often\* lineinfile is avoidable. What is an example of insertbefore as it would look in a playbook? ---
**Author:** ![Yves\_Dorfsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/5 "2013-02-11T15:52:34Z")
- name: Add JRE to Catalina.sh        lineinfile: dest=${tomcat\_dir}/bin/catalina.sh insertbefore='^# OS specific support.' regexp='^JRE\_HOME=' line="JRE\_HOME=${java\_dir}" backup=yes The format of catalina.sh looks like this (in the middle):      # CATALINA\_PID (Optional) Path of the file which should contains the pid      # of catalina startup java process, when start (fork) is used ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Hokka\_Zakriss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@Daniel\_Hokka\_Zakriss](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Daniel_Hokka_Zakriss)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/6 "2013-02-11T15:56:35Z")
Yves Dorfsman wrote: > > Sure, I understand the reasons, just sharing for those that may not > > have known \*often\* lineinfile is avoidable. > > > > What is an example of insertbefore as it would look in a playbook? > >      - name: Add JRE to Catalina.sh >        lineinfile: dest=${tomcat\_dir}/bin/catalina.sh insertbefore='^# OS > specific support.' regexp='^JRE\_HOME=' line="JRE\_HOME=${java\_dir}" > backup=yes You know tomcat supports a $CATALINA\_BASE/bin/setenv.sh to contain all of your variables, such as JAVA\_HOME, right? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Yves\_Dorfsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/7 "2013-02-11T16:10:38Z")
No I didn't! Thanks for pointing this out, reading and experimenting with it as we speak... This was just one case where I think insertbefore has (had!) value among others, pretty much any time you want to insert before a section, but can regex the end of the last section, insertbefore will make your life easier. I'll look for another example where I had to work around not having it, and post later. ---
**Author:** ![Yves\_Dorfsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yves\_Dorfsman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Yves_Dorfsman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/8 "2013-02-11T22:48:27Z")
So here is another valid case I run into for insertbefore:      - name: install cracklib        lineinfile: dest=/etc/pam.d/common-passowrd insertbefore='^password sufficient pam\_unix.so' regexp='^password required pam\_cracklib' line='password required pam\_cracklib.so retry=3 minlen=8' I think for most valid cases for insertafter, you will find a valid case for insertbefore. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/insertbefore/12334/9 "2013-02-11T23:19:34Z")
I would be sorely tempted to just template that file in that case. What else is modifying that file out of band?