installing postgres - error with initdb -D /path/to/pg_data

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1

I have a playbook to install postgresql on a rhel8 target

one TASK should start the initdb process …

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  • name: configure postgres - create database
    command: “{{ postgres_home }}/bin/initdb -D {{ postgres_data }}”
    args:
    creates: “{{ postgres_data }}/PG_VERSION”
    become: yes
    become_user: postgres

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but fails with an “initdb: error: cannot be run as root” error *details below

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TASK [configure postgres - create database] **********************************************************************
fatal: [vm-51150-0180.step.zrz.dvz.cn-mv.de]: FAILED! => changed=true
cmd:

  • /opt/db/postgres/postgresql/bin/initdb
  • -D
  • /opt/db/data/postgres/data
    delta: ‘0:00:00.009346’
    end: ‘2021-10-27 11:54:25.210944’
    msg: non-zero return code
    rc: 1
    start: ‘2021-10-27 11:54:25.201598’
    stderr: |-
    initdb: error: cannot be run as root
    Please log in (using, e.g., “su”) as the (unprivileged) user that will
    own the server process.
    stderr_lines:
    stdout: ‘’
    stdout_lines:
    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

the TASK however has a particular become_user: postgres specified. Furthermore Selinux is set to @permissive in an erlier TASK.

Manually running /opt/db/postgres/postgresql/bin/initdb -D /opt/db/data/postgres/data/ on the target as user postgres works, so I can not make much sense of this. It’s kind of obvious the become process does not work, but I can’t figure out why. Plaid a bit with indentation, but did not find any solution that works

2

I am wondering whether the use of a …

  • ansible_become_user: root

  • ansbile_postgres_user: postgres

… in the same context may be related to my problem

3

Hey!

We can’t access the playbook here - https://pastebin.com/edit/9Uvjdupe at least I can’t. pastebin redirects me to the login page. I can however access default_postgres.yml file

I’m going to assume you are using sudo as become_method. I am also going to assume selinux is not part of the issue here, nor standard unix permissions or posix acls.

When you run the task manually: /opt/db/postgres/postgresql/bin/initdb -D /opt/db/data/postgres/data/ on the target as user postgres … say you login as root to the machine then you run su - postgres, right? At this point you are running commands as postgres.

I’m wondering if you can mimic that very same behaviour adding become_flags to the equation:

  • name: configure postgres - create database
    command: “{{ postgres_home }}/bin/initdb -D {{ postgres_data }}”
    args:
    creates: “{{ postgres_data }}/PG_VERSION”
    become: yes
    become_flags: “su - {{ ansible_postgres_user }} -c”
    become_user: “{{ ansible_postgres_user }}”

Please let me know if that works,

Regards,

4

Just remove the word "edit/" from that first URL.

Antony.

5

sorry, yes: https://pastebin.com/9Uvjdupe

6

I figured out that apparently using ansible_become_user: root in the defaults.yml is meesing things up

Changing
ansible_become_user: root
to
ansible_root_user: root

in the defaults file and the playbok makes this issue going away. Apparently the term ansible_become_user is more then just a string and overwrites all other become_user occurences.

If I remember correctly it may be even workable to skip the become_user: xyz (and just say become: yes) in the playbook if I do not want to become anyone else then root and likewise share me this sort of trouble

7

I figured out that apparently using ansible_become_user: root in the defaults.yml is meesing things up

Changing
ansible_become_user: root
to
ansible_root_user: root

in the defaults file and the playbok makes this issue going away. Apparently the term ansible_become_user is more then just a string and overwrites all other become_user occurences.

I think there is actually no need to set these variables at all as "root" is the default.

Regards
         Racke

8

I think so to. Just got carried away with it somewhat