# output of list\_vms does not have stdout

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-of-list-vms-does-not-have-stdout/31948>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [January 12, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-of-list-vms-does-not-have-stdout/31948 "2020-01-12T03:05:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mauricio\_Tavares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mauricio\_Tavares](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mauricio_Tavares)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-of-list-vms-does-not-have-stdout/31948/1 "2020-01-12T03:05:36Z")

</div>

So I have the following tasks

name: get running guests  
&nbsp;&nbsp;virt:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;command: "list\_vms"  
&nbsp;&nbsp;register: vms  
&nbsp;&nbsp;when: test\_kvm |default(False)

- name: List running guests  
&nbsp;&nbsp;debug:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;msg: "{{ vms }}"  
&nbsp;&nbsp;when: test\_kvm |default(False)

I would expect when you register a variable, you should see stdout  
associated with this variable. Instead,

ok: [vmhost] =\> {  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"msg": {  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"changed": false,  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"failed": false,  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"list\_vms": [  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"testcentos"  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;]  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}  
}

Is there a bit of inconsistency going on here or am I just confused?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 6:46am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-of-list-vms-does-not-have-stdout/31948/2 "2020-01-12T06:46:51Z")

</div>

It's not a general rule that stdout is included in the data returned by a  
module. It depends on the developers. In this particular case the returned  
data is as designed. Quoting from the doc:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;RETURN VALUES:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;# for list\_vms command  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;list\_vms:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;description: The list of vms defined on the remote system  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;type: list  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;returned: success  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;sample: [  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"build.example.org",  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"dev.example.org"  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;]

HTH,

&nbsp;&nbsp;-vlado