# lineinfile task fails on missing file, doesn't add line when it should **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [March 18, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775 "2015-03-18T16:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bret\_Wortman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bret\_Wortman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Wortman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/1 "2015-03-18T16:01:10Z")
I’m pretty sure I’m doing something wrong here and am hoping some of you with more seasoning can help me figure it out. I have a task: - name: Ensure /etc/hosts.deny has default ALL entry lineinfile: \> dest=“/etc/hosts.deny” line=“ALL {{‘:’}} ALL” insertbefore=EOF create=yes state=present tags: - deny When I run this on a system which doesn’t have an /etc/hosts.deny, I get this: TASK: [compliance | Ensure /etc/hosts.deny has default ALL entry] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* failed: [us202] =\> {“failed”: true, “parsed”: false} Traceback most recent call last): File “”, line 2200, in File “”, line 395, in main File “”, line 288, in present File “”, line 178, in check\_file\_attrs File “”, line 1199, in set\_fs\_attributes\_if\_different File “”, line 1037, in set\_mode\_if\_different OSError: [Errorno 2] No such file or directory: ‘/etc/hosts.deny’ I would have expected ansible to create the file instead of erroring out. If the file does exist but is empty or contains comments (and not the “ALL : ALL” line), ansible just reports an “ok” without adding the line. What am I doing wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Phonthip_Namkaew)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/2 "2015-03-18T20:45:16Z")
Are you sure that EOF in \ is valid ? ---
**Author:** ![Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Phonthip_Namkaew)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/3 "2015-03-18T21:14:02Z")
> Try this: (…) tasks: - name: add a line to /etc/hosts.deny lineinfile: “dest=‘/etc/hosts.deny’ line=‘ALL : ALL’ insertafter=EOF create=yes state=present” (…) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Bushey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Michael\_Bushey](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_Bushey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/4 "2015-03-18T21:14:27Z")
> I would have expected ansible to create the file instead of erroring out. Do this first to make sure it exists: - name: Create /etc/hosts.deny shell: touch /etc/hosts.deny creates=/etc/hosts.deny ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Wortman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bret\_Wortman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Wortman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 10:15am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/5 "2015-03-19T10:15:39Z")
If the file already exists, this task also reports “ok”, though it doesn’t add the line, even to an empty file. ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Wortman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bret\_Wortman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Wortman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 10:17am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/6 "2015-03-19T10:17:20Z")
That yields a parsing error: TASK: [compliance | Ensure /etc/hosts.deny has default ALL entry] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* failed: [us202] =\> {“failed”: true} msg: line= is required with state=present I switched it back to a single-line version but quoted as you showed, but the result is the same. A nonexistent file isn’t created, and an existing file isn’t modified. ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Wortman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bret\_Wortman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Wortman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 10:17am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/7 "2015-03-19T10:17:52Z")
When I do this and the file already exists, then it fails to add the line. ---
**Author:** ![Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Phonthip\_Namkaew](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Phonthip_Namkaew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/8 "2015-03-19T11:49:07Z")
Again: I strongly believe that EOF is not valid option here: \ Did you try his : insertafter=EOF ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Wortman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bret\_Wortman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Wortman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/lineinfile-task-fails-on-missing-file-doesnt-add-line-when-it-should/17775/9 "2015-03-19T11:55:31Z")
Ugh. I just re-checked the online docs and you’re absolutely right. And that change fixed the task. Thank you for pointing this out to me again, after I missed it on my first read. Problem solved!