# lineinfile fails with a path only containing a file name **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [September 11, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-fails-with-a-path-only-containing-a-file-name/13457 "2013-09-11T21:15:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pierre\_Thibault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@Pierre\_Thibault](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Pierre_Thibault)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-fails-with-a-path-only-containing-a-file-name/13457/1 "2013-09-11T21:15:57Z")
Hello, It seems that I found a bug with the lineinfile module: - name: lineinfile fails with a path only containing a file name lineinfile: dest=afile regexp=“something” line=“something” It fails with an error like: failed: [iterativeocean.biz] =\> {“failed”: true, “item”: “”, “parsed”: false} invalid output was: Traceback (most recent call last): File “/home/pierre/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1378933589.79-184488600904880/lineinfile”, line 1255, in main() File “/home/pierre/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1378933589.79-184488600904880/lineinfile”, line 319, in main ins\_aft, ins\_bef, create, backup, backrefs) File “/home/pierre/.ansible/tmp/ansible-1378933589.79-184488600904880/lineinfile”, line 163, in present os.makedirs(destpath) File “/usr/lib/python2.7/os.py”, line 157, in makedirs mkdir(name, mode) OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: ‘’ So, in that case, the directory is empty. ---
**Author:** ![Pierre\_Thibault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@Pierre\_Thibault](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Pierre_Thibault)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-fails-with-a-path-only-containing-a-file-name/13457/2 "2013-09-11T21:18:18Z")
I am on version 1.3 from fresh branch devel. ---
**Author:** ![Pierre\_Thibault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@Pierre\_Thibault](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Pierre_Thibault)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-fails-with-a-path-only-containing-a-file-name/13457/3 "2013-09-11T21:36:05Z")
I am having a hard time with lineinfile. It seems that the module is completely broken. Could it be? I wait for an answer before giving more information. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![kahlil.hodgson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9bd4f/32.png) [@kahlil.hodgson](https://forum.ansible.com/u/kahlil.hodgson)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-fails-with-a-path-only-containing-a-file-name/13457/4 "2013-09-11T22:17:59Z")
Module work fine for me and many others. You probably want to use an absolute filename for dest, all the examples do. Checkout the command:     ansible-doc lineinfile K Kahlil (Kal) Hodgson GPG: C9A02289 Head of Technology (m) +61 (0) 4 2573 0382 DealMax Pty Ltd (w) +61 (0) 3 9008 5281 Suite 1415 401 Docklands Drive Docklands VIC 3008 Australia "All parts should go together without forcing. You must remember that the parts you are reassembling were disassembled by you. Therefore, if you can't get them together again, there must be a reason. By all means, do not use a hammer." -- IBM maintenance manual, 1925